Reaching out
Californians seek ways to help others during pandemic
Story by Jolaine Collins
When COVID-19 struck a painful blow to California, it didn’t take long for people around the state—including those in the hard-hit rural community—to respond to support those who needed help. Here’s a look at some of those efforts.
Food banks get boost in support California farmers and agricultural businesses quickly responded to local food banks and organizations struggling to meet increased demand. The Farm to Family program beefed up its statewide efforts in a $15 million campaign that will distribute millions of pounds of food donated by farmers and ranchers to more than 40 food banks. A partnership between the state Department of Food and Agriculture and the California Association of Food Banks, Farm to Family works with nearly 130 farmers and has recently connected 200 additional farmers directly to local food banks. Family Meal provides food and employment In Sacramento, a chef-driven initiative called Family Meal has helped people in need while putting restaurant employees to work and keeping the food supply chain moving. Created as a partnership among five restaurants and supported by community donations and government funds, Family Meal was organized to supply free, pre-cooked meals during the shelter-in-place period. More than 50,000 meals were funded and served within the first two months of the program, and organizers are currently working to scale Family Meal statewide.
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July/August 2020
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