YOLO COUNTY, Calif. — Volunteers with the Yolo Food Bank are helping families put food on the table. It's a year-round effort that is especially important to the community during the holidays.
Each year, the Yolo Food Bank distributes 10 million pounds of food, including fresh fruits, vegetables and bread.
"I've been coming here for the last two and a half years or three since the pandemic started. These people are amazing. They have helped my family. They are always making sure that we are fed, that we are happy," said one food bank client. "They always greet you with happy smiles, with warm hearts."
Nearly 23,000 households are served every month in Yolo County. The effort wouldn't be possible without dedicated volunteers, like Kirsten Sellheim.
"I started right after the pandemic," she said. "My two older daughters and I started volunteering at the site and I just love it. It's really fun. I've made a lot of friends here and it's nice to be able to give back on a regular basis."
Kirsten's daughter, Josie Lundy, helps pack bags of food at the Winters High School distribution site.
"The people who come here, they appreciate it so much," said Josie. "Oftentimes we have people who come every week and they're just really nice, like they know you, they say hi. They're very happy that you're there."
Kirsten says there are still a lot of families dealing with food insecurity even after the pandemic.
"The pandemic I think really kicked off an increased need, but the increase has just continued," she said.
ABC10 met a woman named Marcela at a distribution in Winters who comes to get food for herself and neighbors.
"It's a senior building and a lot of them cannot come and pickup food so that's what I do. I take it and we share," Marcela said. "It makes me feel good."
The Yolo Food Bank says as our nation deals with high inflation, demand for food assistance in Yolo County is up 20%. They serve folks at more than 150 food distribution events per month around Yolo County. They provide food for people from all walks of life, including families, college students and the unhoused.
"There is nothing without the community. We all have to open our hearts and our arms to people from different countries and different communities and make them feel welcome," said Marcela.
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.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Stand Against Hunger Campaign calls on community to help California families with food insecurity
