More households are turning to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County in California for help, with the organization already serving about 200,000 people in a year as grocery bills strain family budgets.
Those rising needs are colliding with a separate setback: the nonprofit said cuts wiped out $3 million in food and funding.
Here’s what to know
According to KSBY, the county food bank is assisting more families as food costs climb.
Laurel Alcantar, director of marketing for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, said the strain is visible in the community.
“Families in our community are having trouble purchasing food,” Alcantar noted. “Food prices have gone up 30% since 2020.”
Grants strategy officer Hannah Ryckman said the food bank has also been hit by sizable losses.
“We’ve been undergoing mass cuts, and these cuts have resulted in the loss of $3 million in food and funding for the food bank,” Ryckman said.
More background
At the same time, the group is working to keep both fresh food and longer-lasting pantry items available.
“What we have here are boxes of staple food items,” Alcantar added. “You have items like beans, canned meals and various shelf-stable foods families can use to make a meal.”
Shelf-stable foods can help people put together simple meals at home, while fresh food can be among the first things that become harder to afford when prices rise.
What’s being done?
A produce-focused sourcing program is part of that response.
“We have a Farm to Food Table program, which is allowing us to source more produce to serve to our neighbors,” Alcantar said.
Even with that effort, the food bank is still trying to keep shelves supplied and to continue handing out staple boxes to families around the county.
In practice, that includes offering produce alongside beans, canned meals, and other shelf-stable items people can use for meals at home.
The food bank said supporters can lend a helping hand by donating money, volunteering their time, or giving shelf-stable food. Donations to the Season of Hope campaign will provide food for families in need across the Central Coast during the holidays.
As its resources narrow and the number of people seeking help rises, the organization said it is continuing to look for ways to reach more families in Santa Barbara County.
“Our team is constantly looking for ways to innovate, best serve our needs,” Alcantar said.
Where can I learn more?
Elsewhere, hunger-relief groups are finding other ways to stretch supplies and get food to people who need it.
• In California, ExtraFood’s state-backed food recovery program redirects surplus food to neighbors in need.
• Worldwide, food banks provided 1.7 billion meals in 2023 while keeping edible food out of landfills.
• In Arkansas, a Kroger power outage after storms still yielded over 60,000 meals.
• A major food market and food bank recover food before landfills, routing it to neighbors.
• In Wisconsin, a food pantry partnered with community gardens and local farms to reduce waste.
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