Bay Area food bank concerned about drop in donations as food insecurity grows

CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) -- Even on Christmas Eve, volunteers are busy filling food bags for distribution at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Official says the demand is up 20% just in the month of December.

"We serve enough food for 65,000 households every single month in Contra Costa and Solano counties. So, there are literally thousands of people who are worried about where their next meal is going to come from," explains Caitlin Sly, CEO of Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.

Sly says the food bank is now distributing 2.7 million meals every month. She says some of it is due to economics such as the Bay Area's high cost of living and inflation. But she adds, many people are still recovering from the pandemic.

"I think people have the feeling that the pandemic is over somehow. But we haven't seen the need go down. And so people are really still struggling, and need food," says Sly.

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Maxina Ingersol is a high school volunteer. She keeps coming back knowing the impact the food bank has on the local community.

"It was very surprising to me how many people, close to where I live, struggle with food insecurity. But I think it was also very surprising - at first, I thought it was just homeless people or people who are extremely poor. But it is people that have houses, people that have jobs," says Ingresol.

Charlene Clark is a regular volunteer. She's not at all surprised by the increase in food insecurity - even in affluent parts of Contra Costa County.

"It is just expensive all over. Housing is expensive. And I can see by the people coming in just how much they appreciate when you do hand out the food at the senior distributions, at the other distributions. There is a real need for it," says Clark, who lives in Concord, where the food bank is located.

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Sly says every dollar donated translates into two meals. But donations are down.

"The holidays are really a critical time. It is make or break for food banks," says Sly.

Sly says they are running a "3 Million Meal" campaign, with aim of raising enough money for 3 million meals by the end of the year. Otherwise, the food bank will face challenges in the new year.

"We have to make some tough decisions about what types of food we are able to distribute how much food we are able to distribute. We don't want to have to make those tough decisions," says Sly.

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