Second Harvest Food Bank needs help as demand skyrockets in wake of pandemic
Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin & Stanislaus Counties says demand for food is up by nearly 53 percent in nearly two weeks as more people lose their jobs because of the coronavirus.
And that comes as the Manteca-based agency is having a hard time getting its normal donations of rice and beans, canned goods, peanut butter, pasta, and other nonperishables from grocery chains and food companies. It is asking for financial donations so it can buy nonperishable food from other sources.
“These are foods that normally are donated by large grocery chains and other providers,” Second Harvest CEO Keenon Krick said Wednesday. “But they don’t have the supplies.”
He said Second Harvest is drawing down its inventory of nonperishable food to meet the rising demand and drop in donations. But he said that is only sustainable for 30 to 45 days unless Second Harvest can raise money and buy more food. He said his agency wants to raise about $100,000.
Krick said before people started losing their jobs because of the pandemic, Second Harvest was providing food pantries in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties with about 228,000 pounds of food per week. That number now is about 348,000 pounds, an increase of nearly 53 percent since March 16.
Krick and Second Harvest development director Jessica Vaughan said they expect demand to keep rising as more people lose their jobs.
Food pantries shuttering
Krick said before the pandemic, Second Harvest was supplying about 85 food pantries. But that number has fallen to 60 to 65 as pantries have temporarily closed as they have lost older volunteers, who are staying home to protect themselves, and the health-and-safety guidelines make it difficult for pantries to operate. Second Harvest provided food last year to feed 432,000 people.
Food banks across California are reporting they are feeding about twice as many families as workers are laid off, furloughed or have their hours cut because of the pandemic, said Lauren Lathan Reid, communications director for the California Association of Food Banks, which represents 41 food banks, including Second Harvest.
“We need immediate assistance right now,” said Lathan Reid, whose association represents all of the state’s large food banks except for a couple. “That (a spike in demand) is happening at food banks across the state.”
President Donald Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act on March 18, which, among other relief, provides $400 million to food banks participating in The Emergency Food Assistance Program. But that assistance, which Lathan Reid said may take some time to reach food banks, will not help Second Harvest. Krick said his agency does not belong to the program.
Food deliveries for seniors
And because so many seniors cannot get out of their homes to buy groceries, Second Harvest has started a food delivery program. It is for seniors in Manteca, Lathrop or Ripon in southern San Joaquin County and throughout Stanislaus County.
Volunteers will deliver food from Second Harvest as well as buy food at grocery stores on behalf of seniors. Seniors will have to reimburse the volunteers for the store-bought food, but there is no charge for food from Second Harvest. Seniors can sign up for the program through Love Our Neighbors at www.loveourneighbors.org/covid-get-help.
Second Harvest also is giving out boxes of food at its warehouse. A box has enough food to feed a family of four for about one week. You need to call ahead at 209-239-2091.
How to help
Financial donations to the Second Harvest’s COVID-19 Response Fund can be made at http://bit.ly/shfbcovid. The Modesto Sunrise Rotary, Manteca Sunrise Kiwanis, Compass Real Estate, Oak Valley Community Bank and Manteca Noon Rotary are raising money for this effort, according to Second Harvest. The donations will purchase nonperishable food.
Second Harvest also will need volunteers starting April 1 to work in its warehouse to bag food for its mobile fresh program, in which Second Harvest delivers produce and other food to areas of high need among its residents. Second Harvest has 75 to 100 volunteer shifts per week to fill, with each shift taking one-and-a-half to three hours. To volunteer, email Vaughan at jvaughan@secondharvest.org.
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
