By: The Yolo Community Foundation has announced a $25,000 donation to the Yolo Food Bank’s Food First initiative and a $5,000 donation to Meals on Wheels Yolo County. These donations are in response to substantial food insecurity in Yolo County, in light of interrupted federal funding. The Yolo Community Foundation invites local community members to join it in supporting the incredible nonprofits that are responding to food insecurity in Yolo County.
In Yolo County, 27,000 individuals rely on CalFresh benefits to help put food on the table. As federal changes to SNAP/CalFresh continue to unfold, many families remain uncertain about their access to consistent nutrition. That’s why the Yolo Food Bank, its nonprofit network, and collaboration among county leaders, nonprofits, and caring residents are more essential than ever. Through the new Food First initiative, the Yolo Food Bank and Yolo County are working hand in hand with local nonprofits, grocery retailers, farmers, and volunteers to ensure that no one in our community is left behind.
According to Yolo Food Bank Executive Director Karen Baker, “We are seeing anywhere from a 20-30% increase in the food insecure community members attending our distributions and contacting nonprofits throughout the region. This situation has been so stressful for our neighbors, and the Yolo County community is responding –they are leaning in to help!”
This week, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved $225,000 in one-time tobacco settlement funds to provide immediate food security relief and authorized an agreement with Yolo Food Bank to deliver this critical support. In just a few days, the local community has rallied to raise another $150,000. The Yolo Community Foundation’s partners at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation have committed $100,000 towards efforts in the Sacramento Region. Many individual donors have also contributed.
Meals on Wheels Yolo County Executive Director Joy Cohan shared, “Thanks to this $5,000 donation from Yolo Community Foundation, Meals on Wheels Yolo County will be able to provide temporary relief for the more than 217 seniors awaiting meals on our quickly expanding waitlist. At a time when the population of older adults is growing rapidly, a combination of constricted government funding for MOW Yolo and the uncertainties of food assistance interruptions for these individuals have created an ‘imperfect’ storm of anxiety and deprivation for these vulnerable seniors.”
The Yolo Community Foundation invites all community members to join in this effort. Learn more about and give to the Yolo Food Bank’s Food First initiative at https://yolofoodbank.org/foodfirst/. To research the many local nonprofits that address food insecurity, please visit www.bigdayofgiving.org/yolocounty. Click “See Yolo Causes” to filter by mission category, like Food, Agriculture, & Nutrition or Human Services.
