More people need help from food banks because of the coronavirus.
How are those foodbanks holding up with this increased demand?
More people need help from food banks because of the coronavirus.
How are those foodbanks holding up with this increased demand?
Action news now reporter jafet serrato spoke to the north state food bank.
(nats: forklift) stacks of food are being broken down - then packaged up.
"since march 14th about 200- thousand pounds of food has come to the north state food bank."
Program manager - thomas dearmore says they're giving away more food during the coronavirus pandemic.
(nats) "last year we did about 1 point 2 million pounds total through the year" this year they're on track double that.
(nats) that means double the effort to help people in need.
"we've had to rent a 26 foot truck just to pass out the extra food."
(standup:) all the food goes inside these boxes.
And if you're wondering why there's pictures of beer on them that's because they're all donated by the sierra nevada brewery company.
If the agency went out of their way to buy each and every box it would cost them up to 3-thousand dollars a month.
Every penny counts.
"any food that we purchase for distributions come from donations."
Since the stay at home order - lee wells has gone to every one of those distributions.
"when we do the events we get to get out there and really meet the people, talk with them" each box of food costs about 20 dollars.
(nats) "i think it relieves some of the pressure off them" (nats) "if i can work and pay my bills and help other people at the same time what a great situation that is."
North state food bank helps people in five northern california counties - butte - colusa - glenn - plumas and sierra counties.
Every May for the last 100 or so Mays - you could feel the excitement as you came upon the Glenn County Fairgrounds.
