Through collaboration between the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and more than 330 community partners, 9.3 million pounds of food was distributed throughout the county in 2014. Half of that was fresh produce.
“The food bank thanks the community for supporting those in need of nutritious food and resources in our community,” said Eric Talkin, the food bank’s CEO, in a press release. “In collaboration with our 330 nonprofit partner agencies, we are able to reach a greater number of people who face food insecurity and offer them nutrition, education, and tools.”
Through programs such as Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies; Food Literacy in Preschool; Kid’s Farmers Market; Backpack Program; Teens Love Cooking; Grow Your Own Way; and Picnic in the park, the food bank has tried to educate children about high quality nutrition and healthy lifestyle, as well as provide the resources necessary to maintain these habits.
The Picnic in the Park program provided nearly 38,000 nutritious lunches to more than 2,650 children during the summer. In the fall, the food bank sponsored a partner summit that brought representatives from 40 local nonprofits together to talk about topics such as how to more effectively reach out to clients and innovative ways to partner with other organizations.
To support the food bank or learn more, visit foodbanksbc.org.
Staff writer Camillia Lanham compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via email at clanham@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 1-8, 2015.