Imperial Valley Food Bank nears goal
The Imperial Valley Food Bank (IVFB) announced that it has reached an important milestone raising 70 percent of the funds required toward a $6 million capital campaign goal to build a new 28,000 square foot facility to open in September 2018.
Building, feeding, thriving
The Campaign to Feed the Imperial Valley was launched two years ago to build a new food bank facility that will expand IVFB’s ability to store and provide nutritious food to over 20,000 Imperial County residents who are going hungry each month. To meet the $6 million goal, IVFB has needed to seek and receive investments from major foundations outside of Imperial County. The James Irvine Foundation, a statewide funder with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the David C. Copley Foundation in San Diego County have stepped up to support the campaign.
The James Irvine Foundation invested a $500,000 lead gift in October 2016 for the land purchase, recognizing that the Imperial Valley is woefully underfunded with only a few local foundations with limited assets, compared to over 750 in neighboring San Diego County.
Jeanne Sakamoto, director of Program Operations at The James Irvine Foundation said “The Imperial Valley Food Bank’s dedication to its region and the communities it serves is truly commendable. Imperial County is a considerably under-resourced region of the state, and requires the support of funding sources beyond the borders of the county to support critical needs. IVFB has the potential to achieve its capital campaign goals and expand its capacity and services, however it will need the support of foundations and other donors from outside the region to fully accomplish these objectives.”
Since that initial lead gift, IVFB has also received a grant of $75,000 from the David C. Copley Foundation in neighboring San Diego County, that shall be paid once the construction has begun.
Other local institutional support includes: $1 million gifts each from Rabobank, primary financier of the local agriculture industry, and the Imperial Irrigation District, the main energy provider for the Imperial Valley.
IVFB’s Executive Director Sara Griffen said, “With increased capacity at the new facility, IVFB will be able to accept and distribute more food, especially fresh produce and frozen goods, expand inventory, raise nutritional awareness, help people learn how to purchase foods wisely on a budget, and above all, provide food more cost effectively and efficiently to thousands of people in need, now and until food insecurity is eliminated in Imperial Valley.
We are extremely grateful to foundations like The James Irvine Foundation and the David C. Copley Foundation who recognized the dire need in Imperial Valley and were willing to make investments to the campaign, despite our being out of their geographic area. At 70 percent toward the $6 million campaign goal, we are on track and close to success. We plan to break ground in January 2018, and will hopefully move into our new home by September 2018. We’re thrilled with all of the support thus far, but we still have a little ways to go,” Griffen said.
Community in need
Imperial Valley is one of the most productive farming regions in the U.S., ranking in the top 10 percent of all agricultural sales; yet the number of children going hungry ranks among the worst 10 percent of all counties in the nation. Recent veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities also struggle with food insecurity. Nearly one-third of Imperial County residents live without the resources to access enough food to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.
Compared to the rest of California, Imperial County has:
Half the average medium household income,
The highest unemployment rate, and n Ranks dead last of 58 California counties in childhood poverty.
The Census Bureau’s 2015 estimate shows that 24 percent of Imperial County residents live in poverty. Families in poverty experience chronic hunger, as well as rising rates of obesity and nutrition-related diseases. Astoundingly, 78 percent of adults and 40 percent of children in the county are overweight or obese (SNAPEd County Profile). IVFB is at the forefront of the community’s efforts to ensure that all residents of Imperial County receive nutritious foods essential to sustain basic human needs, and education to improve their quality of life.
Expected results
The goal of the project is to increase food distribution to those most in need, from 4 million to 10 million pounds annually, ensuring that 70 percent of food distributed to low-income people includes lean meats, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and significant amounts of fruits and vegetables. With 10 million (vs. 4 million) pounds of healthy food to distribute, the estimated 41,229 impoverished Imperial County residents will receive an average of 242 pounds of food annually (20 pounds per month), thereby significantly reducing human hunger in Imperial County.
The IVFB’s abundance of fresh produce and healthy food — coupled with meaningful, inter-active nutrition education classes — will strongly mitigate, if not solve, the skyrocketing rates of Type 2 Diabetes, Cardio-Vascular Disease, Stroke, and Obesity in a community with few other resources to address such rampant health challenges.