Chico, CA – Community food banks are experiencing a heightened demand for meals due to the impact of COVID-19 and the job losses created by California’s “Stay at Home” order. In an effort to lend a hand, Golden State Farm Credit partnered with CoBank to donate a total of $20,000 to the following food banks: Central California Food Bank (CCFB), Kings Community Action Organization (KCAO), North State Food Bank, and the Salvation Army Redding Corps.
Since California’s Covid-19 “Stay at Home” mandate went into effect, the state’s food banks have seen a tremendous increase in demands. CCFB, which serves Fresno, Madera, Kings, Kern, and Tulare counties, normally serves 280,000 people a month. Currently, they are experiencing a 50 to 100 percent increase in demand. CCFB reports that 25 percent of recipients are first-time users of their services. In April, KCAO increased the number of distributions to Kings County from six deliveries per month to 18. The North State Food Bank, providing assistance to Butte, Glenn, Plumas, and Tehama counties has doubled the amount of food being dispersed and the Salvation Army Redding Corps is providing aid to twice the number of Shasta County residents than it served before the crisis.
Together, Golden State Farm Credit and CoBank donated $5,000 to each food bank for a total of $20,000. The donations will help sustain current food bank programs and allow these organizations to address the additional challenges that have arisen since the mandate was enacted.
“The contributions will provide relief to the local communities impacted by the pandemic,” states Rob Faris, Golden State Farm Credit’s president and chief executive officer. “All of the employees and volunteers at these organizations are amazing and creating positive change for those experiencing great hardship.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for communities across the country,” said Brendan Ronayne, regional president, CoBank. “Now more than ever it is important for organizations like ours to step up and provide assistance where we can. CoBank is proud to partner with Golden State Farm Credit in these efforts.”
Kym Dildine, chief administrative officer of CCFB, said “We are grateful for the support of Golden State Farm Credit, CoBank, and the greater agriculture community who continuously give of themselves to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities.”
“KCAO is committed to serving the communities of Kings County and with the gracious support of Golden State Farm Credit and CoBank we are able to reach more families in this unprecedented time,” added Jeff Garner, executive director, KCAO.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our communities the Community Action Agency’s North State Food Bank will continue to serve the needs of families. Golden State Farm Credit and CoBank have always been valued community partners and we appreciate their increased support during this crisis,” said Thomas Dearmore, community service manager for the Community Action Agency’s North State Food Bank.
Each of these organizations is putting forth tremendous effort to meet the needs of local residents. Golden State Farm Credit and CoBank are proud to support these ongoing efforts to fight hunger and care for those less fortunate.
Photos supplied, courtesy of CCFB.
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Golden State Farm Credit is a premier employer and borrower-owned cooperative, dedicated to providing reliable credit and financial services to rural agricultural communities located in Northern and Central California. Golden State Farm Credit is focused on helping agriculturalist reach their goals with mortgage and commercial loans, competitive interest rates, equipment leasing, appraisal services, and a special lending program for Tomorrow’s Farmers. Find out more about Golden State Farm Credit at www.goldenstatefarmcredit.com/or call 800.834.8698.