Yolo Food Bank

If we don’t place food first, we cannot learn, work, grow, or prosper.

Big Day of Giving 2023

Imagine you’re a parent of three; you have rent due at the end of the month, and you work two jobs just to make ends meet. Or, you're a senior with a limited income and a chronic illness causing costly medical bills. You decide to cut back on food because your health can only suffer for so long and you can't afford to miss rent another month. 

These are the tough decisions that people in your community make every single day. And while our community and government partners responded to this crisis at the onset three years ago, those programs and efforts are now drying up. The situation is only compounded now with soaring grocery prices, a high cost of living, and more recently, the end of CalFresh emergency allotments. 

This is where you come in. Your support during Big Day of Giving will launch Yolo Food Bank’s Food First initiative to fund the purchase of nutritious and culturally appropriate food for vulnerable populations in Yolo County. One hundred percent of your gift will go towards purchasing food for this effort.  

As we try to serve an ever-increasing number of people in need, our output of food is dramatically decreasing. At the peak of the pandemic, we were collecting and distributing 12 million pounds of food, thanks to generous donations, local grocers and our farming community. But this year, our supply is dwindling. We’re projected to collect and distribute 8 million pounds of food by the end of the year. This means Yolo Food Bank will strive to feed more than 21,000 monthly households with a 33% decrease in our food supply. 

If we don’t place food first, we cannot learn, work, grow, or prosper. Our youth need food first in order to grow and become our leaders of tomorrow. Parents need food first in order provide for their families. Food system workers need food first in order to sustain their hard work. All basic needs are vital, but access to food is undeniably the most essential need.

Food comes first, because without it, we cannot strive for a better tomorrow. YOU can help us create a more resilient and caring community here at home with your gift today.

About Us

For over 50 years, Yolo Food Bank has elevated the common good for the people and communities of Yolo County by reducing poverty and elevating food security. Founded as a volunteer-run backyard gleaning program, Yolo Food Bank is now a Feeding America partner serving the nutrition needs of more than 250,000 Yolo County households each year. 

Yolo Food Bank coordinates the recovery, collection, and storage of more than 8 million pounds of food annually from a network of grocers and retailers, farmers, processors, and distributors. Through collaborations with the private sector, governmental agencies, and 84 partner agencies countywide.

As the leading food assistance organization in the county, you can be confident that your support is a highly valued investment in the lives of thousands of individuals we serve per month throughout the region. These individuals and families depend on Yolo Food Bank every week to provide critical nourishment for themselves and their loved ones. With your support, we can strive to see a county where everyone has the resources they need to get by.