Stanislaus-area folks get food and more amid coronavirus thanks to donors, businesses
Donors continue to help Stanislaus County people short of food and other items because of the coronavirus emergency. And a local company has doubled its staff to help assure that food is delivered.
The Modesto Bee’s latest roundup includes an anonymous donation of about $850,000 to the United Way of Stanislaus County, part of $15 million around California.
It features a Turlock couple donating their federal stimulus checks to the United Samaritans Foundation, a local food and clothing charity.
And a Ballico-based company, Ag Link, has a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand its produce-to-schools business to serve other recipients.
The details:
United Way donations
The United Way of Stanislaus County will use the donation to continue its work with residents affected by the economic slowdown brought by COVID-19. This includes food and household supplies, outreach to the homeless, and the 211 information line about social services.
“This gift is a tremendous boost to provide critical, timely relief in our community,” President and CEO Francine Foley said in a news release. “We know the current and long-term effects of the pandemic will require continued support as the level of need is unprecedented.”
The $15 million state total from this donor includes $6.6 million across all eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley.
Paying the stimulus forward
Turlock husband and wife Ram and Swarana Saini each donated their $1,200 federal stimulus checks to the United Samaritans Foundation. The nonprofit serves more than 300,000 meals annually through its Daily Bread lunch trucks to the working poor, homeless people and others in need in much of Stanislaus County.
Ram Saini said it was a privilege that he and his wife could help a nonprofit that feeds so many. The Sainis hope their example inspires others to give what they can to help the community during the pandemic.
Ag Link expands
Ag Link launched in 2012 as an online means of connecting farmers with school districts seeking healthy foods. It employed 15 people as of March, when COVID-19 emerged and soured the business.
Ag Link has since grown to 30 employees thanks to a $4.26 million contract with the USDA to help distribute emergency food supplies amid the pandemic.
This is part of about $1.2 billion worth of produce, meat and dairy products nationally through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. Ag Link and other distributors pay the food producers with the USDA money.
Ag Link’s contract runs through June but can be extended for two-month intervals throughout 2020. The company and its two partners are providing close to 4,000 boxes a day to food banks, schools and places where people can pick them up, mostly in the Valley.
‘Ripple effect’
Ag Link is partnering on the contract with Fresh Innovations, an apple producer based in Stockton, and Taylor Farms, a Salinas-based vegetable company.
“The way that USDA put this program together to use distributors as the leads was genius,” Ag Link co-owner Jana Nairn said in a news release. “It really will provide a ripple effect boost to the local economy with benefits to so many in the food supply chain while meeting the needs of the local food insecure population.”
One other tasty note: The Ag Link boxes include chicken cooked at the Tri-Tipery, a restaurant next to the Ballico headquarters.
Bee staff writer Kevin Valine contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 5:24 PM.
