Bay Area food banks seeing increased demand and less support
At Bay Area food banks, there is a lot riding on the holiday season.
First of all, the need is greater across the board, said Caitlin Sly, the CEO of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
"We typically see a 20% increase in the amount of people who come to utilize our services during the holiday season," she said.
Secondly, in her food bank's case, half of the private support they take in comes throughout November and December, which sets the tone for the following year.
"It's a critical time. It really is a make-or-break time for food banks throughout the Bay Area," she said.
More so this year than ever before. The need is up, but leaders of the food banks said federal support and community donations are down.
Earlier this holiday season, the heads of the five food banks in the region came together for the first time ever to collectively sound the alarm.
"Right now, we're in a situation in which we have to do a lot more with a lot less resources," said Regi Young, the Executive Director of the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
"This is a problem that deserves the attention of our elected leaders. This is a call to action and a call to care. Every hour and every dollar – It does make a difference," said Tanis Crosby, the Executive Director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.
Sly said food insecurity affects more people than meets the eye. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano provides 2.7 million meals on a monthly basis.
"We serve a lot of older adults who are on fixed incomes, and with cost of living rising, they can't keep up," Sly said. "A lot of working families that are just not making enough to make ends meet. A lot of children."
She said her food bank has a goal they're hoping to meet by the end of the year.
"Our goal is to raise enough funds for 3 million meals by the end of the year. We're about halfway there," she said. "But, we're about $1 million behind where we were last year."