Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

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Food Bank committed to helping victims of Camp Fire and other disasters

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When a community is affected by a large-scale disaster, food banks serve a critical role as “second responders.” They provide food and water in the immediate aftermath and offer longer-term food assistance to people rebuilding their lives.

When the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano worked with four other Bay Area food banks to develop an emergency response plan a few years ago, we had visions of needing it for a crippling earthquake, not fires of unprecedented magnitude. The objective of this mutual aid agreement is to be able to quickly coordinate efforts and concentrate support where we are needed. The plan was activated for the first time during the Santa Rosa area fires last year. With the recent devastation caused by the Camp Fire in Butte County, that plan has officially been activated once again.

As a member of Feeding America, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano has an established ongoing partnership with nonprofit agencies serving Butte County and the surrounding area. Now that we have activated the emergency response plan, the other Bay Area food banks, along with Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, have all agreed to help us expand the capacity of our North State partner agencies. While the other food banks are assisting in transporting and warehousing the disaster relief food, we are conducting food distributions directly to the displaced victims to help meet the demand.

“Our hearts break for our neighbors north of us in Butte County,” said Larry Sly, our Executive Director. “We’re sending food, water and staff so children and families who are devastated by the Camp Fire will have some comfort and support during their greatest time of need.”

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano’s new distributions are taking place in Chico and Oroville twice a month as long as our services are needed. The activation of the emergency response plan during the Santa Rosa fires taught all food banks the importance of building a flexible plan and being ready to adjust when necessary.

With their eyes welling up with tears, survivors of the fires in Butte County have been sharing their heartbreaking stories with us. Most of the people we’ve met have never before needed food assistance, yet they are now having to turn to us.

If you know of anyone in the affected area needing assistance, please share this flyer with them.

We will continue to serve the needs of Solano County and Contra Costa County residents struggling with hunger, in addition to providing emergency support to fire victims in Butte County. And as we take care of today’s increasing needs, we have to continue preparing for the next catastrophe. The Bay Area food bank’s emergency response plan has now been activated twice in just a little over a year, so we know it’s not a matter of if–but when–we’ll be needed again.

The stronger our collective safety net is in the event of a disaster, the faster our communities will be able to get back on their feet.

 

 

Scouts show their commitment to fighting hunger

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A week after leaving door hangers to remind people of the upcoming Scouting for Food, local Cub Scout Calvin Burt and his den returned to the same Pleasant Hill neighborhoods to pick up donated food on November 17th. This was Calvin’s 4th year participating in this annual event and like always, he got a thrill out of spotting the food at participating houses. Normally he and his den would walk, but with the smoke-filled skies resulting from the fires in Butte County, their families drove half the route.

Calving shared, “After we collected the food, we drove to the church and dropped it off in the boxes at the church. The Boy Scouts helped me put it in the box. The box goes into the trailer and then it gets delivered to the people who need it.”

Scouting for Food is the second largest nation-wide food drive. Though Calvin collected more this year than in any other (19 bags), the overall amount of food donated in Contra Costa and Solano counties was down 15% this year. It’s speculated that the poor air quality from the fire in Butte County played a role in the decline.

To the people who left a bag of groceries on their porch for the Scouts to pick up, Calvin says, “Thank you, we appreciate your donation.” And to the people on the receiving end, he also has a message: “You’re welcome and we hope you enjoy your food.”

7 Ways to help during the holidays!

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There are places to go, people to see and things to do in the busy month of December…why not fight hunger along the way? Here are 7 ways you can help during the holidays.

PLACES TO GO

1. Grocery Shopping:

  • Whole Foods Markets and Whole Foods 365 customers will have the option to donate their 5-cent reimbursement to Bay Area food banks for each shopping bag they bring in and use. 
  • Safeway shoppers can purchase a “hunger bag”, a pre-filled bag of groceries, for $10 and donate it to the Food Bank during check-out.
  • Raley’s customers can make a $10 donation at the register or online, which will provide more than 20 meals to a family in need.

PEOPLE TO SEE

2. Visit Santa: 

  • Help fill up a decorated public transit WestCAT bus with both food AND toys for families in need in Pinole on December 12 or Hercules on December 14 and catch up with the man in red.
  • Santa will be at the Danville Livery every Saturday and Sunday in December until Christmas. Please bring canned foods for their food drive.

THINGS TO DO

3. Give on someone’s behalf:  Right now when you donate in someone’s honor this holiday season, we will mail your honoree a reusable limited-edition shopping bag as a tangible reminder of this meaningful gift. 

4. Shop online: Fight hunger next time you shop Amazon by logging in through www.smile.amazon.com, select Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano from the list of partners, then shop as usual. Amazon Foundation will donate 0.5% of your purchases to the Food Bank!

5. Fundraise for the Food Bank: Give nutritious food without lifting a can by encouraging others to contribute to your virtual food drive. 

6. Go ice-skating:  For every ticket that is collected at the Walnut Creek on Ice rink, Contra Costa Oncology will make a donation to the Food Bank. 

7. Service your HVAC: Perfect Star Heating and Air Conditioning is donating $10 for every tune-up performed through January 31st.

               

Guest Blog: My behind-the-scenes experience at a food distribution

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Enid is part of the Donor Services team at the Food Bank and was happy to get a chance to help out at a food distribution. She shared her experience with others within the organization; here’s what she had to say:

Recently I got an opportunity to get out of the office to participate in distributions for our Food For Children and Food Assistance Program in Antioch. The first thing I noticed was how much work went into setting up and disassembling a single distribution. I was impressed to see that everything worked like a well-oiled machine, from taking out the tables from their custom place in the van to bagging the bread and produce in a production line, to putting up the shade canopies.

The volunteers were an integral part of the whole process, from setting up tables to bagging non-perishables to give out. Most of these volunteers are regulars and knew exactly how things should be run and helped me understand what to do. One volunteer told me they come to help but stay for the camaraderie.

It was really good for me to see and interact with the people we all work so hard to feed. It puts things in perspective.

I would be remiss without saying that none of this would happen as efficiently and effectively without Julie and Mullie. Together, they have worked at the Food Bank for a combined 54 years (!) and are a fantastic duo. The food distribution worked so smoothly because of their expertise at what they do. I’m really glad I had this opportunity.

Change lives one kind act at a time

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In the midst of elections and the fast-approaching holiday season, we encourage our supporters to step back, take a deep breath and remember you have the power to help create the kind of community you want to live in. You can change lives–one kind act at a time.

This season, 1 in 8 of your neighbors will not have enough money to buy groceries, let alone a holiday meal. Sally is just one of the many people you can help. She’s a senior citizen raising her 17-year-old grandson on her own. She shared with us the questions she often asks herself: “What are we going to have to eat? Will we have enough money to get it? It is so helpful that we don’t have to worry about getting turkey or ham for the holidays because otherwise, we wouldn’t have a meal.”

There is nothing like the feeling you get when you help others. Are you ready to make a difference? There are different ways you can make an impact:

Working together we will become a better and stronger community. Food has the power to unify us; let your neighbors in need know you care.

Local artists lend their talent to fight hunger

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Anyone who has ever attended an Empty Bowls in the last 10 years can tell you that selecting the perfect keepsake bowl is like a mini treasure hunt. Ever wondered who is making these beautiful hand-crafted bowls?

This year alone, we have had over 600 bowls donated to us by a generous mix of local artists, ceramic/pottery students and instructors, and classroom volunteers. We are so thankful to all of those who support the Food Bank by donating the materials, labor and time to create these functional pieces of art. These bowls are meaningful mementoes that remind the attendees of the thousands of local people who battle hunger daily.

Lucy Snow, Ceramic Instructor at Los Medanos Community College, recently dropped off their contribution of 100 bowls! After four years of sculpting and glazing, she’s looking forward to attending Empty Bowls next weekend for the first time. She believes this partnership between the Food Bank and her school is mutually beneficial and “powerful.” She expanded, “Our volunteers are excited to help.  It’s a chance to get their artwork out there for a great cause.”

It’s the kindness of others that allow us to help the food-insecure people within Contra Costa and Solano counties. We are thankful that we can count on our supporters time and time again.

Thanks to the following schools, artists and studios:

Cheryl Wolff Ceramics
Clay Creations
Color Me Mine Lafayette
Color Me Mine Walnut Creek
Contra Costa College
Los Medanos College
The Mad Potters
MAKE
Play with Clay
Red Ox Clay Studio
Richmond Art Center
Solano Community College
Toni Gates
Erik Scollon
Walnut Creek Clay Art Guild

Proposed Public Charge Rule Would Undermine Efforts to Fight Hunger and Poverty

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CONCORD, September 23, 2018 — The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano strongly opposes the proposed public charge rule announced this weekend by the Department of Homeland Security. This proposal would make it extremely difficult for many immigrants to come to the U.S. or receive green cards if they are determined likely to become a “public charge,” which would include using public benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as CalFresh).

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This proposed rule targets low-income immigrant families that legally access benefits to help meet their basic needs, but it has had widespread chilling effect throughout the immigrant community. Over the past month, 1 in 5 individuals approached by the Food Bank’s SNAP outreach workers have declined to apply for food assistance due to immigration fears.

Our staff have even heard from naturalized U.S. citizens – who would never be impacted by this policy – asking to terminate SNAP benefits for themselves and their citizen children out of fear that it may affect their immigration status. Whether this proposal directly targets them or not, the threat of public charge is forcing immigrants to make impossible choices between keeping their families together and accessing vital programs that safeguard their health and well-being.

Only 71.8% of eligible Californians actually use SNAP benefits, and anti-immigrant proposals like this threaten our local efforts to improve program access and participation. Every $1 in SNAP generates $1.79 in economic activity, and the program has long-term benefits for participating children’s health and economic outcomes. Public charge threatens the nutrition, health and shared prosperity of our communities.

The Food Bank has joined the national Protecting Immigrant Families campaign to help mobilize the public to condemn this attack on our nation’s health and well-being. We will soon share model comments to submit to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. We urge you to join us in denouncing this mean-spirited proposal, which will undermine decades of progress in reducing hunger in this country.

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La norma propuesta de Carga Pública quebrantaría los esfuerzos para combatir el hambre y la pobreza

El Banco de Comida de Contra Costa y Solano se opone fuertemente a la propuesta de ley cargo público, anunciada por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. Esta propuesta haría que sea extremadamente difícil para muchos inmigrantes venir a Los Estados Unidos o recibir tarjetas de residencia si se determina que se convertirán en una carga pública, lo que incluiría el uso de beneficios públicos como el programa de nutrición suplementaria (SNAP, también conocido como CalFresh.)

Esta nueva propuesta se dirige a las familias de inmigrantes de bajos ingresos que tienen acceso legalmente a los beneficios para ayudar a satisfacer sus necesidades básicas, pero tiene un efecto de escalofrió generalizado en toda la comunidad inmigrante. Durante el último mes, 1 de cada 5 individuos a los que se acercaron los trabajadores de programa SNAP del Banco de Comida se han negado a solicitar asistencia alimentaria debido a los temores de inmigración.

Nuestro personal incluso ha escuchado a ciudadanos estadounidenses naturalizados, que nunca se verán afectados por esta política, pidiendo que se terminen los beneficios de SNAP para ellos y sus hijos ciudadanos por temor a que pueda afectar a su estado migratorio. Si esta propuesta se dirige directamente a ellos o no, la amenaza de la carga publica está forzando a los inmigrantes a tomar decisiones entre mantener a sus familias unidas y tener acceso a programas vitales para proteger su salud y bienestar.

Solo 71.8% de los Californianos elegibles realmente usan los beneficios de SNAP, y las propuestas antiinmigrantes como esta amenazan nuestros esfuerzos locales para mejorar el acceso y la participación en el programa. Cada $1 en SNAP genera $1.79 en actividad económica y el programa tiene beneficios a largo plazo para la salud y los resultados económicos de los niños participantes. La carga pública amenaza la nutrición, la salud y la prosperidad de nuestras comunidades.

El Banco de Comida se ha unido a la Protecting Immigrant Families Campaign para ayudar a movilizar al público para condenar este ataque a la salud y el bienestar de nuestra nación. Pronto compartiremos los comentarios modelo para presentarlos al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. Le invitamos a que se una a nosotros para denunciar esta propuesta, que quebrantaría décadas de progreso en la reducción del hambre en el país.

Featured Partner: Loaves and Fishes Contra Costa

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It’s no easy task distributing 22 MILLION pounds of food a year, which is why we have developed partnerships with 180 nonprofit organizations serving our community. One such agency partner is Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa.

We have been collaborating with Loaves and Fishes since they opened up their doors in the early 1980’s. Along with our other partner agencies, they help us get the food into the hands of those who need it the most. They provide drop-in lunches Monday through Friday to anyone needing a home-cooked balanced meal. Most of the food they prepare and serve in their five community dining rooms within Contra Costa County comes from the Food Bank.

The Kitchen Manager and Chef for Loaves and Fishes, James Porter, comes to our Concord warehouse and picks up the needed food every week. He typically leaves with fresh produce, canned goods, bread and healthy grains.

For those of you who have been to our annual Empty Bowls event before, you might be surprised to find out that the delicious 15-bean soup served is actually made by Chef James. He was nice enough to write down the recipe that is normally stored in his head and we are featuring it this month.

We are proud of our 30+ year partnership with Loaves and Fishes. They continue to do amazing work that improves the lives of our community members in need.

Your support is helping fire victims

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The Food Bank’s efforts to help during Northern California’s unprecedented fire season have been ongoing. The unpredictable nature of fire means things change quickly, but we have a team helping whenever and wherever we can be of assistance.

In case you missed our prior updates, you can catch up by checking our Facebook posts on August 9, August 24 and August 31. Though the CARR fire is finally 100% contained, the devastation remains and many residents remain displaced. One of our staff members deployed to the area reported back that “people are tired–VERY TIRED, the air is bad and smells of toxic chemicals.” She explained that even though the conditions are really hard–with an almost unbearable combination of heat and poor air quality–people are so very thankful that we are there for them.

Early on, we sent CalFresh outreach workers to the Redding area to help people affected by the fires apply for Disaster CalFresh. This federal program helps victims meet the temporary nutritional needs within a 30-day period following a natural disaster. Many of the people we met with were initially unclear about the benefits and assumed that they would not qualify because they aren’t eligible for traditional CalFresh. After we dispelled myths and clarified half-truths, people were surprised and relieved at the potential for benefits. Many spoke of complete loss and while CalFresh won’t replace everything in their refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, they were grateful for our outreach assistance.

Moving forward, here’s the latest update on our fire relief efforts:

  • Late last week it was decided that we’d continue weekly food distributions to Dignity Health Connected Living agencies through October to assist in the CARR fire recovery AND continue weekly food distributions to two low-income schools in Shasta County.
    • We are receiving, processing and transporting emergency boxes from Feeding America, as well as donations of cereal and shelf-stable groceries from Kellogg’s and C&S Wholesale Grocers.
    • We are donating and sending produce to the affected area.
  • We are continuing to send staff to oversee these distributions in Redding.
  • We are also communicating with agencies serving the Shasta and Siskiyou counties to see how we can help with the Delta fire AND with officials in Napa County to offer aid with the Snell Fire. 

It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we all work together for a common goal. Whether it’s fighting chronic hunger, or responding to a natural disaster, the Food Bank is prepared to help our neighbors get the food they need.

 

 

Students serving students

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Before the Fairfield Police Activity League (PAL), a community service club, opened the doors to their food pantry three years ago, area middle school and high school students experienced hunger long after the last class bell rang. Thanks to the dedication of students wanting to be a part of the solution and financial donations from supporters like you, this “for students by students” pantry is changing lives.

On the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month, the PAL student volunteers open their pantry to students and their families. The volunteers are in charge of marketing, stocking the pantry, and conducting food demos using recipes they hand out. (See their latest recipe below.) The students and families are encouraged to try new things with the taste tests and the demos–but ultimately they may take what they want.

Coming to the pantry is a way for students to help their families relieve some of the stress that comes with not having enough money or food to eat. As each student takes their one or two bags of groceries, they are often heard talking about how they “like helping their moms out” because they realize mom can then spend money on other basic unmet needs.

Heather Sanderson, the PAL Coordinator and staff member shared with us, “The pantry is a nonjudgmental way for the students to get food. It is better that it is ran by young people so they feel safe. The students try hard to make sure that any local student who might need items, knows that it is here –and feels welcome to visit.”

The student volunteers believe that without the food pantry, there would be more kids getting in trouble. Nazjha, a volunteer and high school senior, explained, “You’re not yourself when you’re hungry. It’s tough to make decisions.” And Chloe, a newer volunteer and freshman, added, “When you’re hungry, it’s like a whole other person is controlling you.”

When asked what they’d like to say to the Food Bank supporters, the student volunteers collectively offered, “We thank them and appreciate them and don’t know what it would be like without the food pantry.”

The Fairfield PAL pantry is looking for more student volunteers to do marketing and food demos. Students can earn hours for school or other programs–but most just do it to give back and strengthen our community.  To inquire about the volunteer position(s) or for more information about the program, please contact Heather at [email protected].

Get the PAL recipe for 2 Ingredient Dole Whip.

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[email protected]

Concord Location
P: 925-676-7543
F: 925-671-7933

Fairfield Location
P: 707-421-9777
F: 707-421-0205

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Concord Warehouse
Monday - Thursday: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
Friday: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Saturday - Sunday:  8:00 am - 3:30 pm

Fairfield Warehouse
Monday through Friday: 7:00 am - 3:30 pm
Saturdays by appointment

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