Food Security Fundraising

OUR STORY

The Family Resource Center of the Redwoods Food Bank has experienced significant growth in recent years. What started as a small food pantry has now evolved into a fully-fledged food bank, equipped with expanded resources and capabilities to better serve our community. In 2021, the Family Resource Center of the Redwoods launched a mobile pantry that brings the nourishment and support of our services directly to Gasquet, Klamath and Smith River. With this transformative expansion, we are breaking down barriers and ensuring that no one in our rural community is left behind. We are making sure that all Del Norte and Tribal Lands families have access to the fresh, healthy, nutritious food they need and deserve. Our choice-based model allows clients to select the foods they wish. This creates a dignified experience for clients, allows for cultural and dietary food needs to be met, and minimizes food waste.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

Food security means reliable access to nutritious, culturally relevant food for all people to live an active, healthy life. During the pandemic, families and individuals experienced an increased financial burden and decreased access to food as they navigated layoffs, lost of jobs, children home from school, and supply challenges at grocery stores. While we consider ourselves in the recovery and resiliency phase after the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our community members live in a chronic state of emergency. All of us have felt the effects of inflation; the rising cost of food this year is an emergency all on its own. Important supplement food benefits that were distributed during the pandemic have ended, and we immediately saw an increase in families needing our support. 

WHO WE SERVE

Our pantries mainly serve low and moderate income clients, with 99% of our clients living below 80% of the federal poverty level. Pacific Pantry & the Mobile Pantry has proven to be an asset to the community, filling a need for increased access to quality food for low-income residents. Over the past couple of months, we have seen an influx of new clients and our distribution numbers have been on the rise. The Family Resource Center Food Bank is instrumental in providing food to Del Norte Mission Possible's weekly food distributions. The Food Bank is actively expanding its Partner Pantries network to ensure fair and equitable food distribution across the community. 

HELP FEED OUR FAMILIES

The Pacific Pantry and Mobile Pantry are currently funded through state and federal grants through California Department of Social Services. In 2023, the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) through the City of Crescent City ended leaving a gap in funding for the Food Bank. We need supplemental funding to keep our pantries stocked.  We've done this before!  From November 2019-December 2019 we launched a fundraising campaign that helped us raise $30,000. 

It takes approximately $12,000/month to keep our pantry stocked. We still need your help while we navigate the difficult world of unstable grant funding. Please help us to work at our top capacity and serve all members of our Del Norte and Tribal Lands community.

HEALTHY OPTIONS

At the Family Resource Center Food Bank, we source local and organic foods whenever possible, supporting local producers while delivering healthy food to our clients. When possible we carry locally caught fish, Rumiano’s cheese and butter; Alexandre Farms milk, eggs, & yogurt; Ocean Air Produce; Woodhaven & Prairie Companion meats as well as products from other local producers and community members. Buying local provides healthy, nutritious foods to our clients while also supporting our local businesses. 

$25 TO SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD IN THE FOOD BANK

The Family Resource Center Food Bank prioritizes sourcing local, nutritious food for our pantries. A $25 donation provides approximately 10 pounds of local food in addition to shelf stable goods to each individual to nourish the community we serve

$50 TO SUPPORT A FAMILY

Households are able to visit the Pacific Pantry or the Mobile Pantry once a month and choose a number of items based on household size. It takes approximately $50 to cover the food for a family of 4 visit to the pantry.  Please consider sponsoring the food for families as a one time donation or as monthly donation.

$100 TO SPONSOR A SHELF IN THE PANTRY

Consider sponsoring a shelf at $100 to supply essential shelf-stable and local products at the Food Bank. Your donation helps us bridge funding gaps by purchasing bulk wholesale food while also supporting local producers in Del Norte and Tribal Lands.