Vacaville High student Akim Torres first got involved with the Food Bank in 2019 when he was inducted into the San Francisco Giants Community Fund’s Junior Giants Scholarship Program.
Akim played baseball with the Junior Giants until he aged out of the league; at that point, he switched over to coaching younger kids and became involved as a scholar. To receive a $5,000 scholarship, Akim has to maintain a passing GPA and volunteer a minimum of 30 hours per year in the community. After striking out in search of volunteer programs open to minors, Akim, along with his mom, Maria, scored big with the discovery of the Food Bank’s consistent volunteer opportunities.
Akim plans to use the scholarship to pay for medical school and one day become a surgeon, transitioning from serving the community to saving lives!
Akim’s favorite part of volunteering has been helping at the Senior Food Program at Epiphany Episcopal Church in Vacaville, thanks to a lively group of regular volunteers that make volunteering fun.
As a player, coach and volunteer, Akim has come to learn you’re only as great as your team! We welcome passionate students needing to complete community service requirements for graduation, scholarship applications or simply out of a desire to be of service. If you are ready to join OUR team, sign up today at foodbankccs.org/volunteer; weekend and night shifts are available.
There is no denying the holidays will look different this year. 
“About nine years ago I decided to do a community food drive for Beacon Ridge, a townhouse community where I have lived for many years in Walnut Creek. My community was totally supportive of me doing this. So, for the past nine years, I have led this food drive. I start with announcements and handouts at our annual meeting in the fall followed by postings at our mailboxes when the food drive starts. In addition, our homeowners’ association assists by sending emails to all members who have email addresses on file. We send an email notice when the food drive starts, one half-way into the drive and one with about a week left. This year we surpassed all years with donations of 381 pounds of food and $1,995 which translated to 5,305 meals. When we first started the food drive, we had many more pounds of food and less checks. Now we have more checks and less pounds of food. But, either way, what really counts is our total donation and the number of meals we can provide.
The Food Bank thanks the students, parents, and teachers of Diablo Valley Montessori School in Lafayette for their steadfast and thoughtful support. We are grateful for your cheerful holiday cards and all the volunteer hours you put into them. Additional thanks to Suzette, Head of School, for sharing these photos with us.
Did you know? Food Banks are flush with volunteers during the holiday months at the end of the year. But after December 31, we can’t find enough people to fill our volunteer shifts. This is a time when we need your help the most. Not only are our warehouse aisles packed with food drive products that need to be sorted, but hunger never rests. The Food Bank provides emergency food to 178,000 every month. Yet, we find it the most difficult to staff our volunteer shifts during the first months of the year.
We are excited to announce the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is upgrading the check-in process for volunteers. We are transitioning from pen and paper to a more efficient electronic check-in. We 
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month! We’re celebrating with a few stories submitted by regular volunteers. Tell us why you volunteer in the comments. Take it away, Renee!
Roger Hancock has been a long-time friend of the Food Bank as a regular volunteer and donor. Ten years ago he brought along a team of CSAA Insurance Group volunteers and the rest is history. Now he helps organize numerous events throughout the year for employees to volunteer at the Food Bank. New hires at CSAA Insurance Group headquarters in Walnut Creek also participate in a volunteer event at the Food Bank as part of their on-boarding process.