Care Packages On The Way To Victims of North Bay Wildfires
With donations from PG&E and Kaiser Permanente, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County is sending 200 care packages equating to 3,000 meals to residents affected by the fires in Napa and Sonoma counties. A donation from PG&E funded the food purchases, which employees of its Central Coast division will pack for shipment on Thursday, October 19.
“Our hearts go out to the families suffering through this horrific event,” said Rob Morse, Senior Manager of the Central Coast Division. “The PG&E employees here on the Central Coast are so thankful that in partnership with Second Harvest, we can provide some level of assistance to those impacted by the fires.” The care packages will contain pull-top canned meals, including chili, beef ravioli, tuna, and spaghetti, together with the plastic utensils and napkins. Kaiser Permanente is donating 2-ounce bottles of hand sanitizers to each package.
The Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa will receive the shipment and distribute the packages to people in evacuation centers and other emergency housing situations in Sonoma County.
As of Oct. 12, 2017 the 21 fires burning across the northern part of the state have destroyed more than 3,500 buildings and torched more than 191,000 acres — a collective area nearly the size of New York City. Tens of thousands of people have had to flee their homes. About 4,400 are in shelters and will not be able to go home for many days, officials said.
Other Bay Area food banks are also organizing aid to support the communities served by the Redwood Empire and Napa Valley Food Banks.
“Second Harvest Food Bank relies on people coming together and working alongside one another to help those in need,” said Jan Kamman, Second Harvest’s Director of Corporate and Community Relations. “That is the greatest strength of Santa Cruz County.”
Second Harvest learned first-hand how communities rally and mobilize in the critical hours and days after a disaster in the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake which devastated parts of Santa Cruz County. Second Harvest received as many food donations in the two weeks following that disaster as it normally did in a year. The donations fed those left homeless following the earthquake.
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Founded in 1972, Second Harvest Food Bank was the first food bank in California and the second in the nation. Its mission is to end hunger and malnutrition by educating and involving the community. Its network of 200 local agencies and programs feeds 55,000 people in Santa Cruz County every month. For every dollar donated, it provides four healthy meals. “Together we fight hunger all year long.” www.thefoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.