Coast Central Awards $25,000 to Food for People
Food for People was the recent recipient of a $25,000 grant from Coast Central Credit Union’s Community Investment Program, which made it possible for them to purchase a high capacity 2013 cargo van. This vehicle replaces an aging 16 year old van and will be used to collect donated food from grocery stores and farmers for use in the organization’s countywide hunger relief programs. Last year, Food for People’s part time driver collected a total of 509,191 lbs. of food from 18 local grocery stores and food retailers. These businesses are all regular food bank donors and their managers appreciate the opportunity to donate “close to pull date” food items for consumption by low income children, families and seniors, instead of paying to have it hauled away as trash.
The total of 509,191 lbs. of donated food collected from local stores represents 25% of the total 2.1 million pounds of food distributed through Food for People’s programs last year. It is valued at $1.69/lb. by Feeding America, the nationwide network of food banks, for a total value of $860,532.79. The estimated savings to the businesses in garbage costs is $38,698 per year, calculated at $.076/lb. according to current Humboldt Waste Management Authority rates. Food for People’s food recovery program also helps divert more than half a million pounds of waste each year from landfill, which is an added benefit for Humboldt County.
Anne Holcomb, Food for People’s Executive Director, expressed the organization’s appreciation. “We couldn’t be more grateful for the funding provided by Coast Central Credit Union and would like to extend our thanks to CCCU’s members and employees. It is such a relief to have a reliable, high capacity van that will meet our needs now and into the future. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with CCCU and the many businesses and farmers who donated over half a million pounds of food last year in support of our programs, which reach approximately 12,000 children, families and seniors countywide each month.”
“Food for People has been providing an important service to our community since 1979, and Coast Central is proud to be a key partner in helping the organization combat hunger and food insecurity in our county,” stated Dean Hart, Vice President of Marketing.
For more information about Food for People, call (707) 445-3166 or visit their website at www.foodforpeople.org. For more information on Coast Central programs, go to: coastccu.org/community/community-giving/.