Eastern Santa Cruz Community Food Bank’s (ESCCFB) monthly free food distribution last Saturday was not like any typical distribution day. When volunteer workers arrived at the ESCCFB’s Harshaw Road location an hour before the Food Bank’s 8:30am opening, they were surprised to find 15 cars already lined up awaiting their allotments.
James Staudacher, the Food Bank’s long-serving president, wasn’t taken entirely by surprise.
“Usually we just have two or three people arriving early,” he said, “but this week our phone was ringing off the hook with folks asking about our program. Since the government is shut down and SNAP programs are on hold, we know there are more folks out there in need. We ordered more food last week, in preparation.”
The 15 early arrivals were just the beginning. Although the traffic slowed, a steady stream of local residents filed through, picking up 65% of what was ready by 9am. Between 8:30am and 10:30am, 11 volunteers prepared and gave out 98 bags in total, up 25% from the previous month.
The volunteers continued putting together extra bags and dug into items gathered for the December distribution. Before the day was out, all the tortillas were gone and several other items were in short supply, but no one had gone away empty handed.
Staudacher noted that ESCCFB operates differently from many other food banks.
“We run our program without help from the government so we don’t have the barriers created for some food banks,” he said. “Our donations and local grants fund 100% of our operations. I used to work for the Southern Arizona Food Bank where people had to qualify to receive help. Here we serve any residents who are experiencing food shortages.
“Nobody knows when this situation is going to end. As a result of what we have seen today, we will be making an emergency distribution Saturday, November 15, from 8:30am to 10:30am here at the Food Bank. This distribution will be limited to individuals and families that have lost their SNAP benefits for November. We need community support and donations.”
Gamma Leyva, one of the Food Bank’s longtime volunteers, talked about the value of the service they are providing.
“This is one of the great assets of our community,” he said. “People are in need. When that happens, this place consistently steps up.”
ESCCCFB, an all-volunteer organization, has served East Santa Cruz County residents with food insecurity since 1994. The Food Bank’s service area includes Patagonia, Sonoita, Elgin, Canelo, Rain Valley and Kino Springs. The Food Bank is located at 772 Harshaw Ave in Patagonia.
For information on how to donate funds or food items, or to assist the Food Bank in any way, contact Staudacher at info@escccfoodbank.org or (520) 302-4450. More information is also available at escccfoodbank.org