Robert Soto and his wife made a stop at Community Food Bank of San Benito County late last week. He has been coming to the food bank for about two years after being disabled with a foot injury.
He sat in the driver’s seat of his family’s van as his wife packed away the groceries they received from the food bank.
“I can’t find work or anything else. This has helped us a lot,” Soto said. “We come here, and people – the help they’re giving – I wish we could do more for them, too.”
The recession has taken a particular toll on food security in this area. Since 2006, the number of people serviced by the Community Food Bank of San Benito County has doubled, said Charlie Rodriguez, the holiday food drive coordinator for the organization.
The ever-growing organization will help about 5,500 locals ensure they don’t go hungry during this year’s holidays.
Rodriguez said the organization this holiday season expects to give away 120,000 to 130,000 pounds of food.
Below is a video interview with Rodriguez and clips of local volunteers working at the food bank:
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As volunteers recently worked to pack Thanksgiving-related food and do other basic, necessary duties at Community Food Bank’s warehouse in Hollister late last week, Rodgriguez talked about the economy’s impact on San Benito County residents and how he expected the volume of residents served to spike again this winter. With expectations for more need, the organization itself likely will need some help of its own, in attracting additional volunteers.
These days, the food bank gets around 30 to 40 new applicants each week, Rodriguez said. He said for Thanksgiving, workers had been “doubling up bags” for the residents.
“We have an increase in volume,” Rodriguez said. “We actually have a lot of walk-ups that come once this time of year.”
The food bank probably needs about 200 volunteers throughout a week, or 30 to 50 on any given day, and he noted that interested residents can call the organization to sign up. While the organization had been busy preparing for Thanksgiving, it expects about triple its standard amount of business for Christmas.
It is a reflection of how strong the organization, founded in the mid-1980s, has become.
It is a good thing, too, because the need has grown in the community along with the food bank.
Rodriguez underscored that 74 percent of students in Hollister schools qualify for free or reduced lunch – a figure that is up about 20 percent from just a few years ago – and that “three or four” schools have 100 percent of students qualifying.
To volunteer or seek services from Community Food Bank of San Benito County, call 637-0340.
