The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County’s director of operations issued an email to its staff on Nov. 16 that detailed the amount of food the entity delivered to local relief organizations as well the number of donations received for the annual holiday food drive. The email, which the Foodbank shared with the Sun, showed how the organization is currently short on its projected goals for the upcoming Thanksgiving week and needs for more than 1,000 turkeys.
The Sun’s advertising director, Kimberly Rosa, learned of the Foodbank’s needs during a recent visit, she said. She quickly obtained a donation bin and issued a challenge to Sun readers.
“We’re challenging them to see how many times we can fill our barrel before Thanksgiving,” Rosa said. “Thanksgiving is a time of year to be thankful, and a time to give back.”
Non-perishable food items can be donated at the Sun—located at 2540 Skyway Drive, suite A, Santa Maria—during regular hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Foodbank has a list of food items it needs on the organization’s website, foodbanksbc.org.
The donation bins are currently located at businesses and organizations across the county, explained the Foodbank’s Community Leadership Coordinator Darlene Chavez, who said that donations of non-perishable foods are helpful during the holiday season, as well as monetary donations either through the Foodbank’s website or where there are bins, like at the Sun.
“This is neighbors helping neighbors,” Chavez said. “You may not think your neighbor needs help, but everybody needs a little help sometimes, and just a little help can go a long way.”
Those hoping to donate frozen turkeys or chickens can bring them directly to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Maria location, 409 W. Foster Road in Santa Maria or at participating Albertsons, Vons, and Foodmaxx stores, which have bins and will hold frozen food donations in freezers until the Foodbank arrives to pick them up.
Chavez said that those who don’t have the time to shop and fill the bin at the Sun or elsewhere could help immensely with monetary donations. The Foodbank is able to stretch each dollar donated into eight meals for locals in need.
“It’s winter and it’s colder out, and so more homeless people come to the shelters, which is what we want them to do, so there is more of a need there,” Chavez said. “The food that comes into the barrels goes directly to the Foodbank, and then goes immediately to our nonprofits. The food that we purchase takes longer to get here, but every contribution helps.”
More information is available through the Foodbank at 937-3422 or foodbanksbc.org. More information is available through the Sun at 347-1968.
This article appears in Nov 19-26, 2015.
