Bartell Drugs to distribute flu kits, vouchers to Seattle's homeless

SEATTLE -- Bartell Drugs is taking outreach to a new level with its plan to distribute “flu kits” and flu shot vouchers on the streets of Seattle.

Bartell employees will join Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission Search and Rescue street team from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 12 to distribute these materials in Seattle's downtown core, including the area known as “The Jungle” as well as the Chinatown-International district.

Along with each flu kit, Bartell is providing a voucher for a free flu vaccination at any one of our 65 locations in the Puget Sound area. 

“As the oldest family-owned pharmacy in the United States, Bartell Drugs has been part of the Puget Sound community since 1890,” said President and CEO Brian Unmacht. “This means we have a deep connection to our neighborhoods as well as a responsibility to be a caring and convenient source of community health and wellness—especially individuals and families who may be struggling to meet basic needs.”

Both organizations hope to distribute more than 1,500 of the flu kits during this effort.

“We are excited by Bartells commitment to helping our community’s most vulnerable residents,” says Ralph Rowland, UGM’s vice president for community engagement. “By working with our night patrol street teams, we will be able to get needed items directly into the hands of those who need them, as well as the opportunity to further protect their health with the free flu vaccine vouchers.”