IE food bank serves thousands through holiday food distributions

Feeding America Riverside San Bernardino and its network of community partners distributed thousands of turkeys and hams and holiday cheer to thousands of families this season via drive-through food distributions, the organization announced last week.

The distribution events took place on Nov. 22 and Dec. 13, providing local households with a whole turkey or ham, organizers said. The events also connected more families needing assistance to the FARSB partner network.

“Every year, our goal is to gather enough resources to bring holiday meals to local families and support our community partners,” FARSB CEO Carolyn Fajardo said in a statement. “However, we’re facing growing challenges as food and monetary donations continue to decline, making it increasingly difficult to meet the rising need.”

The FARSB network distributed 5,000 turkeys in November and nearly 6,300 turkeys and hams in December which were distributed to community members through their Community Partner network, according to the organization.

Partners in the distribution network include Rolling Start Inc., Disabled American Veterans Chapter 12, Hub City Church and the Inland Vineyard Christian Fellowship, according to FARSB. Each organization hosted its own food distributions, which made holiday meals accessible to families throughout the Inland Empire.

At FARSB’s warehouse, located at 2950 Jefferson St. Suite B in Riverside, 300 turkeys were distributed at the November drive-thru event, organizers said. Nearly 300 hams were distributed from the warehouse earlier this month.

Participating families registered online, then were greeted by FARSB board members, staff and volunteers who loaded the items into their vehicles, organizers said.

“This year’s distributions provided local families with the opportunity to create meaningful holiday memories while showcasing the impact of community support,” according to FARSB. The nonprofit “remains committed to alleviating hunger and offering hope, especially during the winter months when the need is elevated.”

FARSB began in 1980 as Survive Food Bank and today is the primary food source for over 250 local nonprofit organizations, distributing over 2.7 million pounds of food monthly to emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, high-need elementary schools, senior centers, after-school programs and more, according to the organization. FARSB assists over 1 million households each year. 

The organization’s website is feedingamericaie.org.

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