Through its Tailgate and Emergency Assistance Food programs Community Action Agency of Butte County gave away 1.2 million pounds of food to people in need in 2019. This year the agency expects the need for food will more than double due to the economic hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We will easily blow past 2 million pounds this year,” said Tome Dearmore, food bank manger.
Dearmore said he knew it was going to be a high demand year when, just after the pandemic hit and California issued stay at home orders, the agency hosted a drive through food giveaway and “1,000 cars lined up” to receive goods.
“Many of those cars were big enough that more than one family was in them needing food,” said Dearmore.
While the need for food has slowed down a bit since people received their stimulus checks and the county began reopening so some people have been able to return to work, the demand remains high.
“The demand for commodities has more than doubled, leveled off, but isn’t coming down,” said Dearmore.
Commodity food distribution, which includes dry and canned goods, is done through the agency’s year-round Emergency Food Assistance Program. Distributions — typically done at churches, granges community centers and fire stations — are scheduled once a month in communities throughout Butte, Tehama, Colusa Plumas, Glenn and Sierra counties.
“The people who come for commodities self-certify they are in need and can get one box a month. There is no pre-registration. We provide the food and volunteers pack up boxes or bags at the distribution site and give them away,” said Dearmore.
While stay at home orders were in place the agency shifted weatherization program staff to the warehouse where they packed the commodities’ boxes for distribution at the various sites.
“I’d say about 80 percent of volunteers are in the at-risk age group. We wanted to keep getting food to people but we didn’t want to jeopardize anyone’s health so we pre-packed the commodities’ boxes. Volunteers are back doing it again, but we’re prepared in case there is a (virus) spike or we get locked down again to go back to running under COVID conditions,” said Dearmore.
The tailgate food distribution program operates from June through October and provides those in need with fresh produce. The produce is supplied through Donate Don’t Dump a cooperative program between the California Association of Food Banks and state farmers. The produce is delivered to the distribution sites where volunteers working in assembly-line style pack 15-20 pounds of produce into each box. The quantity of boxes given is based on family size. Families with up to three members receive one box. Families of four to six receive two boxes and families with seven or more members get three boxes. Again, just as with the Emergency Food Assistance Program, families self-certify need and pre-registration is not required.
“We get at least 250 families at the tailgate distributions. If there is any leftover produce we get it to other local agencies or food banks. We take the donations of these goods seriously. We are committed to being good steward and do not want to waste, throw anything away or have to call the pig farmer t o come and get spoiled food especially when we know people are hungry,” said Dearmore.
Community Action Agency of Butte County
Download a PDF of the Emergency Food Distribution Program 2020 schedule at https: //www. buttecaa. com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TEFAP-Distribution-Schedule-2020. pdf
Download a PDF of the Tailgate Food Distribution Program through October schedule at https: //www. buttecaa. com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020-Tailgate-Calendar. pdf
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