MANTECA, Calif. — These days, many people think a dollar doesn’t go a long way, but it does at the food bank. They can stretch the dollar into at least 10 meals.
Maryann and Steve Shipman get the food moving from warehouse to kitchen table. They’re happily married and even happier to volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Greater Valley.
“We’re 70 and it just makes us feel good we can do that at this age,” said Maryann.
The Shipmans sort shipments, going through hundreds of pounds of food and tossing out what’s rotten.
“We probably ourselves produce anywhere from 50,000-60,000 pounds a month of just sorted fruits and vegetables,” explained Steve.
Second Harvest Food Bank serves eight counties and donations are what keeps the place going. It’s the occasional treats loaded into the drive-thru Mobile Fresh van that’re bound to be a hit with the kids.
“They‘ll go through and they’ll see things and sometimes we’ll have some wonderful things that we’re giving out. Just to see them perk up with that smile because maybe they can’t get that pastry because their parents are having to use their money for something else,” said Maryann.
For Steve, it wasn’t until he got put on traffic duty that he realized the true impact the food bank has on families.
“I had the opportunity to do traffic control here where we get anywhere between 300-400 cars on a Saturday. While cars were waiting for their turn, I had ladies and gentlemen get out of their cars and give me a hug just for being here to distribute food. They’re here from 6 p.m. the night before waiting to pick up food for themselves that will last them the whole month a lot of times,” said Steve.
Stand Against Hunger
California produces nearly half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, yet roughly 1 in 5 Californians – about 8.8 million – currently struggle with food insecurity. They go to bed every night not knowing where their next meal will come from. That includes single parents, children, elderly, veterans, and others in our community.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers of individuals seeking food services in our area has nearly doubled. Someone you know could be impacted by food insecurity – a neighbor, coworker or even a family member.
Join ABC10 in taking a Stand Against Hunger. From November 6 - December 17, we’re calling on our community to help raise money for seven local food banks to help them feed people in need this holiday season. Every dollar given ensures that another family has food for their table.
Learn more about Second Harvest of the Greater Valley and CLICK HERE TO DONATE.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Stand Against Hunger Campaign calls on community to help California families with food insecurity
