Yuma food bank asks for help amid rising food costs, 15% drop in donations
YUMA (AZFamily) — A Yuma food bank is asking the public for help on National Food Bank Day.
The Yuma Community Food Bank has had a tough summer. Its president and CEO, Shara Whitehead, said donations have dropped by 15% this year.
With donations decreasing, the food bank hopes community members will step up for Hunger Action Month this September.
Whitehead said people can take part in Hunger Action Month by donating food or their time volunteering at the food bank. Yuma Community Food Bank is also partnering with local restaurants each day. The proceeds of people’s meals will go back to help the food bank. The local businesses they’ve partnered with are on their Facebook page.
A community member, Francisco Cuevas, picked up his monthly food distribution on Friday. He said high food costs have been hurting his wallet, and any help he can get goes a long way.
“Everything is so high in the store. You go to the store and every time you go the prices go up, five cents, ten cents more. It’s never gonna stop,” he said.
It’s partly why the Yuma food bank can’t let up. They serve 300,000 individuals every year in Yuma and La Paz counties.
“We’re starting to see a reduction in people’s ability to donate,” said Whitehead. “We look forward to filling our calendar up with different activities that can raise awareness or raise funds.”
Whitehead said that simply spreading the word is an act of kindness for those who can’t donate.
“There are still a lot of people within Yuma who don’t know about the food bank. So we are trying to get the word out. If you happen to be that person that does need food and doesn’t know about the food bank, maybe one of your friends or family does and they can direct you to us,” said Whitehead.
If you’re interested in donating, click/tap here.
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