Restaurants to donate proceeds for Food Bank
Community Food Bank of San Benito County – formerly called
Community Pantry – decided in January to become independent from
Second Harvest.
Restaurants to donate proceeds for Food Bank
Community Food Bank of San Benito County – formerly called Community Pantry – decided in January to become independent from Second Harvest.
While some final paperwork still must be finished, the change means the local group will have better access to grant funds and now will coordinate all fundraising activities, including an April 30 “Dining Out, Helping Out” event.
The organization made the announcement March 17 at the Hunger Fighter of the Year Awards that it is now independent.
“We’ve been working for it for three years,” said Mary Anne Hughes, the executive director of Community Food Bank, which changed the name to coincide with the switch. “Part of the whole move into this building and developing new programs has been with the intention of becoming a full-fledged food bank.”
Before applying to be independent, the food bank needed to reach a certain level of service and have enough storage capacity to serve the entire county. That includes freezer and refrigerator space, as well as space for dry and canned goods. The food bank staff and volunteers served 5,262 clients in March, handing out an average of 1,800 food bags a week.
“Being independent is going to mean access to more funding, not less,” said Franz Schneider, a board member for the food bank. “There are a whole lot of granting agencies that only grant to a food bank, and not other food agencies.”
The change gives staff and the board of directors the opportunity to tap into new grants from such agencies as the Packard Foundation and incorporate new programs, Hughes said.
“Instead of being a member of Second Harvest Watsonville, we are a partner distribution organization,” Hughes said.
Food items can still be purchased in bulk for reduced fees, Hughes said, and San Benito’s food bank is clustered with Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara and Modesto for purchasing purposes.
With the change also comes a need to coordinate food drives and fundraisers independent of Second Harvest.
“We had always done most of our own fundraising,” Schneider said. “Now that we are independent, it should be even stronger. I know people in this county tend to want to keep their money in the county.”
Residents can help by dining out at any one of seven local eateries on Thursday, April 30, and the meal will go a long way. A portion of the profits at seven San Benito County venues will go to the Community Food Bank as part of its “Dining Out, Helping Out” campaign.
Few San Benito restaurants participated in Second Harvest’s annual “Dining Out, Helping Out,” event in past years.
“In the past, we’ve had two or three so we figure this is a pretty good start,” Hughes said, of the seven restaurants signed on. “It’s been very big in Santa Cruz, but they concentrated on their area. We hope it will grow up to be something bigger.”
For the inaugural event, Hughes and her helpers have enlisted eateries that include higher-end sit-down restaurants, a take-out pizza place and even an ice cream shop.
“Most places are having some trouble,” Hughes said. “Thursday nights traditionally are a slower night. We want to help them and they can help us.”
While one restaurant is donating a flat fee, most are offering 10 percent of the profits for the day.
“Remember, we need all the help we can get out here with our unemployment rate going the way it is,” Hughes said. “It is important that we be here to help our neighbors.”
The next food drive to benefit Community Food Bank will be the National Association of Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive Saturday, May 9. To donate, residents can put a bag of nonperishable food items near their mailbox. The letter carriers will pick up the food and bring it to local food banks.
For more information, call 408-982-9738.
Participating restaurants include:
Margot’s Ice Cream Parlor, 211 Third St., in San Juan Bautista
Jardine’s Restaurant, 115 Third St., in San Juan Bautista
Inn at Tres Pinos, 6991 Airline Hwy., in Tres Pinos
Cafe Ella, 1709 Airline Hwy., in Hollister
San Juan Oaks, 32825 Union Road, in Hollister
Papa Murphy’s Pizza, 1740-B Airline Hwy., in Hollister
Dunneville Store, 5970 San Felipe Road, in Hollister
