FIND Food Bank, the desert’s regional food bank is helping bridge the meal gap in rural areas like the hi-desert.
News Channel 3’s Caitlin Thropay followed FIND Food Bank to their distribution site in Joshua Tree and explains why this site is so important to hundreds of families in need of food assistance.
“Thank God that they’re giving and helping,” Judith said. She relies on food from FIND Food Bank.
“Hunger is a community issue,” Yvonne Gates, remote distribution coordinator for FIND Food Bank told News Channel 3. “We all need to step up to the plate together and help out our neighbors,” Gates added.
According to FIND Food Bank, there’s increased food insecurity in rural areas like the hi-desert due to geographic isolation, lack of opportunities and limited resources.
Not only does Gates work for FIND Food Bank, but also she knows first hand the need for food because she lives in the hi-desert.
“It’s harder for us to find resources and if we do have resources there’s a significant more amount of travel time to secure that,” Gates said.
This distribution site is a central hub for people to get food.
“Joshua Tree is like the center,” gates explained. “Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley can come here as well as Wonder Valley and 29 Palms so it really helps those people that are living spread out,” she said.
This site first started at the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020.
“A lot of these people will wait over an hour to get this food,” Gates said.
Much of the food FIND Food Bank brings is fresh produce.
“There’s shelf stable items, dairy, meat so there’s a well balanced diet,” Gates said.
Gates shared her community is thankful to FIND Food Bank for bridging the meal-gap in the hi-desert.
To learn more about FIND Food Bank and their resources visit their website here: https://www.findfoodbank.org/
FIND Food Bank, the desert’s regional food bank is helping bridge the meal gap in rural areas like the hi-desert.
News Channel 3’s Caitlin Thropay followed FIND Food Bank to their distribution site in Joshua Tree and explains why this site is so important to hundreds of families in need of food assistance.
“Thank God that they’re giving and helping,” Judith said. She relies on food from FIND Food Bank.
Twice a month, a line of cars wrap around Joshua Tree Elementary School where FIND Food Bank serves up to 400 families. That’s about 1,300 people who are food insecure.
“Hunger is a community issue,” Yvonne Gates, remote distribution coordinator for FIND Food Bank told News Channel 3. “We all need to step up to the plate together and help out our neighbors,” Gates added.
According to FIND Food Bank, there’s increased food insecurity in rural areas like the hi-desert due to geographic isolation, lack of opportunities and limited resources.
Not only does Gates work for FIND Food Bank, but also she knows first hand the need for food because she lives in the hi-desert.
“It’s harder for us to find resources and if we do have resources there’s a significant more amount of travel time to secure that,” Gates said.
This distribution site is a central hub for people to get food.
“Joshua Tree is like the center,” gates explained. “Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley can come here as well as Wonder Valley and 29 Palms so it really helps those people that are living spread out,” she said.
This site first started at the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020.
“A lot of these people will wait over an hour to get this food,” Gates said.
Much of the food FIND Food Bank brings is fresh produce.
“There’s shelf stable items, dairy, meat so there’s a well balanced diet,” Gates said.
Gates shared her community is thankful to FIND Food Bank for bridging the meal-gap in the hi-desert.
