Nonprofit finds budget increasing as families ask for more
support
Volunteers and staff at Community Food Bank of San Benito County
gave out enough food for more than 131,000 meals in September,
nearly double the food given out in the same month in 2008.
Nonprofit finds budget increasing as families ask for more support
Volunteers and staff at Community Food Bank of San Benito County gave out enough food for more than 131,000 meals in September, nearly double the food given out in the same month in 2008.
Since becoming the official food bank of San Benito County – a designation that opens the agency up to more funding opportunities – the number of families served and the number of agencies who receive food from the bank have increased.
“We have access to more funds, which is a wonderful thing,” said Mary Anne Hughes, the executive director of the Community Food Bank, formerly Community Pantry. “We are servicing 21 agencies in addition to our own brown-bag program. We are growing – we are not a great provider yet – but we are getting there.”
The nonprofit recently received a grant to hire a part-time staff member to help clients apply for food stamps.
In addition to the individuals who are serviced through the brown-bag and backpack programs, the Food Bank also divvies out food to such agencies as the Homeless Coalition of San Benito County (formerly the Homeless Task Force), Hollister Youth Alliance, Bridge of Hope, Emmaus House, Juvenile Hall, Fishes and Loaves and others.
Hughes said she had budgeted $750,000 worth of food for the quarter, but expenses were almost at $1,000,000.
One of the reasons for the increased need is that the individuals serviced by the brown-bag program, which gives out a bag or two of food based on family size, have come to use the program as more of a primary source of food than a supplement.
“We used to just be to fill in for them,” Hughes said. “They were getting food from other places or had money to buy what we didn’t offer them. But now it feels like this is [all] they get and we need to be able to give them more.”
Hughes said that the food bank has been serving an average of 1,436 families a week in 2009, up less than 50 people from the average for last year. But in the last six months more families have been showing up more than once a week to food distribution days.
“What I am noticing is that even though we don’t have a lot more people, we seem to be more of their diet than we used to be,” Hughes said. “We were always meant to be supplemental, but I think we have some clients that are living on what we are giving them. So we have to look again at what we provide each individual.”
This year, there was not a dip in the number of families visiting the food bank, either.
“We usually take a dip during the summer when workers are in the fields and the cannery is working, but we didn’t really dip,” Hughes said. “When everything is closed down, I think we will get another up tick.”
Although monetary donations and food donations within the community have been on track, Hughes said corporate donations, such as dented cans from grocery stores, are down.
“I think a lot of food preparers are now selling their dented things or excess to the secondary market, like the dollar stores,” she said. “We are not getting that corporate donation anymore and that’s a big issue to us.”
It has led to a lack of canned and dry goods, often a staple in the bags each week.
“We are getting lots of produce so in many ways, our bags are healthier,” she said, “but you can’t live on lettuce and bread.”
The Community Food Bank launched its holiday food drive this week, and barrels have been delivered to San Benito businesses, schools and other participating organizations. Last year nearly 80 groups participated in the holiday food drive, which collected about 250,000 pounds of food for the food bank.
Many of the staples that can be donated during the holiday food drive include brown rice, cereal and oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, soups, canned tuna and chicken, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, tomato sauce, chili, ground turkey, spaghetti and pasta sauce. During the holidays, donations of canned green beans, pumpkin pie mix, boxed stuffing and canned cranberry sauce are also requested.
In addition to the dry goods, Hughes said they are especially looking for donations of turkeys for the holidays.
“Thanksgiving is coming and we can’t afford to buy them,” she said. “We bought chickens and we usually use those for seniors or those who have small families. We are looking at 1,000 [turkeys], but it would be wonderful if people could have a turkey dinner.”
Monetary donations also go a long way at the Food Bank, and Hughes said for every $1 donated the staff and volunteers give out four meals.
“We now belong to a cluster of food banks with the counties around us,” she said.
The cluster can bid on donations around the country of six or eight semi-trucks of food that they can get for little more than the transportation costs.
“We can often buy things for 10 or 15 cents on the dollar in big volumes,” Hughes said. “It is way cheaper than most individuals can do. That has really been a boon to us.”
Though Hughes said she has some concerns about the growing need as the holiday season begins, she said she is looking at things long term.
“The next couple of months will be scary, but this is not a sprint,” she said. “This is going to be a marathon.”
One thing that keeps her optimistic is seeing the children involved in the backpack program, which provides nutritional snacks for kids during the school week.
“I hear the teachers telling me it is helping their children,” she said. “There is hope that we will find a different way going forward.”
To donate food, money or to volunteer at Community Food Bank, visit 1133 San Felipe Dr., call 637-0340 or visit www.communitypantry.com. Pat’s Place Thrift Shop, at 101 Fifth St., also supports the Community Food Bank. To donate to Pat’s or for more information, call 637-5500.
