(From CDFA)
…and the results are in!
Photo courtesy of CDFA
Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced today the final results of the 2014-15 California State Employees Food Drive. The Food Drive raised more than 622,000 pounds for needy families and residents of the greater Sacramento area. California state employees donated more than $167,000 to purchase food products, 185,000 pounds of non-perishable food items, and 1,765 turkeys over the two-and-a-half month food drive.
“We are honored and grateful to work with the California state employees for this wonderful food drive,” said Blake Young, CEO of Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. “The compassion and enthusiasm the state employees showed for helping families in need went beyond our wildest dreams. This group effort will allow our organization to reach more families who struggle with food insecurity and access to healthy food.”
Food Drive coordinators and staff celebrate a successful year. From left: Blake Young, CEO – Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services; Peggy Marshall, Food Drive Coordinator – Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services; Marilyn Lluch, Food Drive Coordinator – California Environmental Protection Agency; Taylor Roschen, Statewide Food Drive Coordinator – California Department of Food and Agriculture (Source: Zsi Widman)
Nearly 100 state agencies, offices and departments participated in this year’s food drive. Employees hosted a variety of events and promotions ranging from bake sales to can-building competitions to encourage colleagues to donate. While all were successful, some agencies made a distinguished impact through their generous contributions:
- Highest Overall Donation Total – Board of Equalization with 126,687 lbs!
- Highest Cash Donation Total (non-rice) – Department of Education with $19,877 in donations!
- Highest Rice Donation Total – California Environmental Protection Agency with $6,852 in donations for the Rice Program!
Congratulations to each of these agencies and to everyone who participated for making this year’s Food Drive a resounding success! Due to the generosity of state employees, SFBFS will be able distribute the food collected from the Drive to those in need through a network of agencies and programs throughout the greater Sacramento area. To see a complete list of agency donations visit the State Employees Food Drive website: http://www.fooddrive.ca.gov/Summary.asp
The Food Drive was administered by Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. SFBFS was founded in Sacramento’s Oak Park community in 1976 and has worked for nearly 40 years to provide food, clothing and other services to those in need in the Sacramento area. SFBFS provides cost-free goods and services to over 150,000 men, women and children each month, operating three facilities with 45 staff members and more than 5,800 volunteers annually. SFBFS hosts a number of donation-oriented events including the Turkey Drive and the Run to Feed the Hungry, which takes place every year on Thanksgiving Day. To learn more about SFBFS, please visit their website at: http://www.sacramentofoodbank.org/index.php.