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Today we kick off the annual Ukiah Daily Journal Holiday Food Bank Fund Drive to raise funds for the operation of the Ukiah Food Bank. We do this each year to help the Food Bank keep its doors open, pay the bills and keep the small staff in place. With COVID 19 making our world a very different place, we know that giving for many people this year will be difficult and yet the Food Bank is in high demand. In addition to the thousands of visits from senior citizens, veterans, families with children and the disabled, the Food Bank this year is seeing its customers increase among all our residents, including people who suddenly have found themselves unemployed. The Ukiah Food Bank’s operational costs remain the same and the goal for this year’s UDJ Holiday Fund Drive remains the same—$85,000. Last year’s donations totaled $90,670.

Between July 2019, and February 2020, the Ukiah Food Bank operated at a loss of $52,000. Historically the Food Bank has lost $2-$3,000 a month, but Ford Street has covered the budget shortfall by applying revenue generated from their Unity Village housing program and Ukiah Recovery Center SUDT programs.

The Food Bank provided 355 Thanksgiving Holiday baskets to local families this year and with the pandemic continuing to surge, they have been delivering to those in quarantine with the present number at 53.

The Food Bank contracts with Mendocino County Health and Human Resources to deliver free food to those in quarantine who have been identified as being in need.

Their reimbursement does not cover staff and transportation.

This year’s Kick Off Donors to the UDJ Holiday Food Bank Fund Drive include: Anonymous, $5,000; Mabel Albertson Foundation, $2,500; George & Ruth Bradford Foundation, $2,000; Dr. Stephen & Elizabeth Pasternak, $1,000; Mickey & Barbara Pope, $1,000; Marian Scherf, $1,000; Rachel Nichols, $600; Richard & Colleen Henderson, $500; Joel Levine, $500; JT & Jacqueline Williams, $500; Ukiah Natural Foods, $441; Daniel Hibshman, $150; Steve John, $100; Charles & Janet Pratt, $100; Tonia Widler, $100; Anonymous, $80; Karen Rifkin, $75; Rod & Debra Christensen, $50; Elizabeth Crook, $50; Kim Guilfoyle, $50; Rendy Smith, $50; Carol Dotson, $25; Joseph LittleMoon, $11.37 for a grand total of $15,882.37.

As we do each year, we will recognize every donation to the fund drive here in the Daily Journal as our way of saying thank you for your generosity (unless anonymity is requested). No donation is too small and we thank the community for all it has done in the past to keep this vital service going.

The goal for this year’s drive is $85,000, and donations can be mailed to or dropped off at the Ukiah Food Bank, 888 N. State St., or mailed to The Ukiah Daily Journal, 617 S. State St., Ukiah, CA 95482.