Together, we can respond to the hunger crisis our community is facing.
Big Day of Giving 2024
One in three households are food insecure in Yolo County, as reported in our recent "Yolo County Food Access Survey Report". With a 30 percent food insecurity rate, Yolo County is higher than both state and national benchmarks. Food insecurity is undeniably a symptom of poverty. Further exacerbating the issue, Yolo County, renowned for its agricultural abundance, currently stands as the most impoverished county with a poverty rate of 19.5 percent, as reported by the PPIC. Given Yolo County's ranking in food insecurity and poverty, one may assert that it is a county experiencing some of the highest need in California.
Food insecurity knows no boundaries; there are many faces to food insecurity and one can find themselves in a vulnerable situation in the blink of an eye. We hear stories from community members every day – they experience a life-changing circumstance such as the diagnosis of an illness or death in the family, leading the family to rely on food assistance. When you take into consideration the high cost of housing, energy and fuel, utilities, etc. families are letting us know they are barley getting by.
Recently, Yolo Food Bank took the first step in addressing the need unveiled from our survey report by convening elected officials, nonprofit partner agencies, corporate funders, and community leaders to discuss the state of food insecurity in our region in an effort to mobilize all actions for the betterment of our county.
Our survey also discovered that 20 percent of those living with food insecurity in our county are still not accessing available food assistance. But this is where you come in – this Big Day of Giving, you can help us respond to the hunger crises our community members are facing. It's going to take all of us!
With your support, Yolo Food Bank's next steps include:
Evaluate and ensure our food distributions are meeting the needs of our community members
Collaborate with a third party convener that will assemble a work group to address food insecurity regionally
Work with Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency to help increase CalFresh enrollment
Examine our outreach methods to reach more of those in need
Let's lessen the burden and come together to address the need, because when you take care of your neighbor, we transform our community into a more caring, healthy, and prosperous community for all.
For over 50 years, Yolo Food Bank has elevated the common good for the people and communities of Yolo County by reducing poverty and elevating food security. Founded as a volunteer-run backyard gleaning program, Yolo Food Bank is now a Feeding America partner serving the nutrition needs of more than 22,000 Yolo County households on a monthly basis.
Yolo Food Bank coordinates the recovery, collection, and storage of more than 10 million pounds of food annually from a network of grocers and retailers, farmers, processors, and distributors. Through collaborations with the private sector, governmental agencies, and more than 80 partner agencies countywide.
As the leading food assistance organization in the county, you can be confident that your support is a highly valued investment in the lives of thousands of individuals we serve per month throughout the region. These individuals and families depend on Yolo Food Bank every week to provide critical nourishment for themselves and their loved ones. With your support, we can strive to see a county where everyone has the resources they need to get by.
Giving Activity
Mission
Yolo Food Bank works as a community to meet the food and nutrition needs of Yolo County
Needs
Yolo Food Bank has been responding to a consistent increase in food assistance demand first triggered by the pandemic – and then, further exacerbated by the termination of safety net programs that were put in place during the pandemic. In the last few months, we continue to see record number of households to ever participate in our public food distributions since the height of the pandemic. We need your support as we continue to rise to the level of need in Yolo County.
Equity Statement
Yolo Food Bank advances food and nutrition security for the people of Yolo County. We are aware that food insecurity affects our Black, Indigenous and all People of Color (BIPOC) disproportionately and it is our mission to fill those gaps by prioritizing the most vulnerable populations at all times. We are embarking on a journey to build a more culturally responsive organization by listening and acknowledging the strengths and needs of our neighbors and partners, seeking feedback from our staff and volunteers, and modeling a culture of equitable service inside and outside of our organization.