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A Year in Review
With the beginning of the new year, we thought we would look back at the changes of hunger in 2011:
44,000 of Your Neighbors are Hungry
- 2011 Need was the Highest Ever
- 1 in 6 were Hungry and Reached out for Help
- 400,000 incidents of Service were Reported
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The Season of Love
Contrary to popular belief, the hungry people in our community and across the nation are not just the homeless. Often those in need are employed, or live in a family with someone who is employed. These are the working poor, those who struggle to provide the daily essentials that so many of us take for granted. Your donation of $1 provides 7 nutritious meals to a neighbor in need.
Last year the Food Bank Coalition in partnership with Food 4 Less raised $10,000. This year they stretched the goal to $15,000. Food 4 Less locations in Atascadero, Paso Robles, and San Luis Obispo will be giving customers opportunities to donate by purchasing a pink heart. This paper heart symbolizes your commitment to help end hunger in your community. Although food donations are always appreciated, monetary donations are really the bread and butter that allow the Food Bank to maximize their effect.
Every little bit counts and no act of kindness is too small. Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give." The Food Bank has made it their mission to give back to those in need making sure that no one goes hungry. If you would like to join them, stop by your local Food 4 Less and purchase a heart at the check stand or drop of your non-perishable items at one of the SLO county locations.
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Harvest Bag
 * Photo Courtesy of Steve Miller, New Times
The program was started in South County by a group of women in 1979. In the early years, these tireless residents gleaned leftover produce from local farmers, and solicited food donations from local grocery stores and bakeries. In 2003, Harvest Bag joined forces with the Food Bank and is now one of our most successful programs.
The group established their first Wednesday morning food giveaway at Soto Field in Arroyo Grande that continues to this day. Now, 33 years later the group distributes food at 6 sites county-wide. Dozens of volunteers pack upwards of 700 bags of food for lines of people who show up each week.
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