Food bank receives sizable food donation
CALEXICO — Enough food to provide a meal for about 37,000 local families was donated to the Imperial Valley Food Bank on Wednesday by Goya Foods and Food 4 Less during the grocery store’s grand re-opening.
The 36,000 pounds of donated food items were purchased with the proceeds of the sale of Goya products during the preceding six months and also represented the initial installment of 1.5 million pounds of food Goya plans to donate to communities across the nation.
The significant donation also served as a reminder that Goya made good on its promise to use the sale proceeds for reducing hunger, an act that other entities often pledge to do but sometimes fail to follow through on, said Sara Griffen, food bank executive director.
“This is a very clear symbol that not only was that money taken for local hunger but it came back to our community,” Griffen said.
Food 4 Less also earned equal praise from Griffen on Wednesday for its commitment to providing local families with affordable and healthy food options and continuing to serve rural communities such as Calexico and El Centro, where store profits may not equal those made in metropolitan locations.
“In many neighborhoods, the only thing that stands between healthy people and a food desert is a committed grocery store that stays in that neighborhood,” she said.
The food donation also served to complement the festive atmosphere that accompanied the grand re-opening of the local Food 4 Less, which had originally opened in 2003.
In advance of its re-opening, the grocery store had renovated its interior space, added more fresh produce and a larger selection of organic products, as well as an expanded meat selection, said manager Jose Jauregui.
Recent changes have also resulted in approximately 90 percent of its produce being sourced from Valley growers.
Jauregui was one of several individuals who addressed the public during the grand re-opening. During his remarks he praised the work and commitment of his co-workers, 40 percent of whom have been employed there since its opening in 2003.
“Our goal, since day one, is to serve our community,” Jauregui said.
Since the store’s opening in 2003, it has been well supported by both city officials and the community, said Food 4 Less President Bryan Kaltenbach.
That strong bond was strengthened on Wednesday, when store officials presented a $1,000 check to the principal of Rockwood Elementary School.
That community bond was also reflected by the presence of several city council members and officials on Wednesday, as well as the positive customer feedback that the store has received through the years.
“When you look at the customers’ scores that this store gets, they’re some of the best in the company,” Kaltenbach said.
Calexico Councilman Bill Hodge said Wednesday’s grand re-opening was another sign of the city’s economic revitalization and that it would likely have a multiplying effect on surrounding businesses.
Hodge also said it was touching to see several of the event’s speakers recognize the commitment and hard work of the store’s employees.
“It was good that we could see them giving attention to the workers,” he said.
Wednesday’s sizable food donation was made on behalf of both Goya and Food 4 Less to Feeding San Diego as part of the Feeding America campaign.
In turn, Feeding San Diego, which includes IVFB as an affiliate, donated the food entirely to the local food bank.
“They’re giving us their blessing and just saying keep it here,” Griffen said.
Last year, the food bank distributed more than 4.3 million pounds of food, 48 percent of which came through the U.S. Department of Agriculture commodity program known as the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
Crops from local fields account for about 34 percent of food distributed at the food bank, a figure that corresponds with about 1.4 million pounds.
On a weekly basis, the local food bank also salvages about a quarter of a million pounds of perishable food items from a majority of the local grocery stores. Those items are then provided to local soup kitchens and shelters because of their short shelf life, Griffen said.
What had made Wednesday’s food donation all the more notable and appreciated was that it consisted of products with an extensive shelf life, such as canned beans and fruit, coffee, beverages and crackers.
“Shelf-stable food is very hard for us to find,” Griffen said. “It’ll get us through the summer.”