A California food bank that distributes more than 1 million pounds of food each year is asking residents for help after losing roughly $250,000 in federal support as need continues to climb.
Here's what to know
The Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency Food Bank, a public nonprofit agency, is seeking food and financial contributions through a new Tuolumne County drive called "Friends of the Food Bank." The campaign is meant to bring residents and businesses together in a local effort to fight hunger, according to The Union Democrat.
Donation barrels have also been set out at the food bank's Victoria Way location in Jamestown as part of the food collection push.
According to The Union Democrat, Kristy Moore, ATCAA's communications director, said, "To be a friend of the food bank, you can donate online with your credit card, or you can donate by check. You can also donate food, and that's what these barrels are about."
With grocery costs still high, the food bank is also seeing growing demand. Moore said the food bank distributes more than 1 million pounds of food and serves more than 7,000 residents each year.
ATCAA Food Bank Director Miko Daniels said in a news release that "federal cuts combined with rising food prices have made it more and more expensive for families to put food on the table," The Union Democrat reported.
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Over a five-year span, California grocery prices increased 26%, while the state's overall cost of living rose 23%, according to Consumer Price Index data cited by The Mercury News and the Orange County Register.
More background
According to Moore, the ATCAA food bank depended on federal Community Development Block Grant money for more than 15 years, but those funds are no longer allowed to go toward food banks. Losing that funding means the organization is out about $250,000 annually, even as other federal aid continues to decline.
The food bank has also been hit by cuts to TEFAP, the USDA's Emergency Food Assistance Program, which has long supplied it with staple commodities, Moore added.
"The quantities of everything we receive have been cut on average by 65%," she said, per The Union Democrat.
According to figures from Feeding America, ATCAA said 13.5% of Tuolumne County residents face food insecurity. It also said 40% of those residents earn too much to qualify for SNAP benefits, even though they still struggle to afford food.
Michelle Clark, assistant director of the county Health and Human Services Agency, said 6,586 people in Tuolumne County received a total of $1.98 million in CalFresh benefits in September, The Union Democrat reported.
ATCAA said new federal guidelines imposed on Oct. 1 may leave many more residents unable to qualify for SNAP.
What's being done?
ATCAA said people can become a Friend of the Food Bank starting at $5, with ways to donate money, give food, volunteer, and receive monthly updates.
The food bank is also continuing its existing distribution network. ATCAA said it acquires, transports, stores, and distributes food through direct distribution sites and partner pantries, while also offering bimonthly food distributions at no cost for households that qualify.
The agency said it works with schools, faith-based organizations, and other community groups, particularly in rural and underserved parts of Tuolumne County. ATCAA is also seeking more volunteers and business partners to help keep operations going.
Daniels said she hopes to expand services beyond immediate food relief by offering nutrition and cooking classes, along with year-round instruction in gardening and composting.
Those programs are intended to help residents stretch their budgets and build self-sufficiency over time.
According to The Union Democrat, ATCAA Executive Director Joseph Bors said, "Our Food Bank exists to help make sure no one in our community has to choose between food and other necessities."
Where can I learn more?
Food banks in California and beyond are trying a range of approaches to keep up as demand grows and funding wanes.
• In California, a state-backed initiative helps ExtraFood redirect surplus meals to families.
• A major food market and food bank recover produce before it gets there, diverting waste from landfills.
• At Midwest Food Bank, innovative tracking devices help drivers stretch fuel and deliver more meals.
• Around the world, food banks rescued meals from landfills while cutting methane pollution.
• In Arkansas, a grocery power outage led a food bank to serve over 60,000 meals.
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