Food insecurity in San Luis Obispo County has been climbing since the COVID-19 pandemic, and to help combat it, the SLO Food Bank is participating in Hunger Action Month throughout September, organized by Feeding America.
SLO Food Bank Chief Executive Officer Garrett Olson told New Times that the fundraiser comes at a crucial time for local residents in need.
“We’re actually seeing an increase in 2023 over 2022. On our increase, right now it’s about 15 percent,” Olson said. “So by weight we’re providing about 18 percent more food to our community than we were this time last year.”
Olson said the recent increase in food insecurity came in three phases. The first was due to the pandemic, which was followed by inflation, and most recently in March, increased food assistance allotments from the federal government expired.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in February Congress ended the emergency allotments, which were part of a temporary strategy to help low-income individuals and families manage during the pandemic. The benefits are now back to their normal amounts.
“People went from having an adequate amount of federal assistance to help them make ends meet to a woefully deficient amount of assistance,” Olson said.
However, the SLO Food Bank is determined to go above and beyond to help those in need, he added, and working with Feeding America is an opportunity the organization is excited about.
Feeding America is a nonprofit organization that partners with food banks, food pantries, and local food programs to bring food to people facing hunger, according to its website.
“[Feeding America] provides resources and the opportunity of a larger platform to share our message, and this is the first year that we’ve leaned in and participated in Hunger Awareness Month,” Olson said.
To encourage donations, SLO Food Bank has a variety of events planned every day in September so community members can support their cause in a family-friendly way.
“We wanted to create a full month of activities to get our community involved in hunger relief and also to offer opportunities, whether it’s fundraising or doing other activities, such as cooking with no waste or learning about our recurring giving program or even just wearing orange on Sept. 15,” SLO Food Bank Development Coordinator Claire Levine said.
The food bank has partnered with local businesses in SLO County such as Chipotle in Paso Robles, which will donate 33 percent of sales when community members order online with the code “Q662EAN” or purchase in store with a printed or online flyer on Sept. 16.
Olson said that even if community members don’t choose to participate in the fundraiser, visiting participating shops is still a great way to show appreciation for local businesses.
“Checking in is a great opportunity to also say thank you to these businesses,” he said. “You know, they need to make ends meet too, and these are challenging times for everybody, and for these businesses to lean in and show their heart, it’d be lovely for people to go in.”
While fundraising with local businesses is a highlight of SLO Food Bank’s month of fun, it’s also the recipient of a match campaign. Donors such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers No. 639 are matching gifts up to $40,000 till the end of this month.
“So, we’ve got this $40,000 that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local and a handful of other really special donors provided us that our community can match,” Olson said. “So it doubles the impact of every dollar donated. It’s just a really exciting opportunity for us to be able to double the love during the month of September.”
For community members who can’t donate but still want to support the cause, SLO Food Bank scheduled specific events, such as wearing orange on Sept. 15, so everyone can feel included in the fight against food insecurity.
“[Wearing orange] is really about bringing that extra awareness as part of Feeding America’s larger campaign for Hunger Action Month,” Levine said.
Both Olson and Levine said the community can look forward to seeing this event yearly, as it’s been a blast so far.
“After this September, we’ll sit down and we’ll talk about what worked really well and what we could change for next year. But any opportunity for us to tell our story in the community and whether it results in people giving or people just being more aware, that’s a good thing for us,” Olson said.
Use #HungerActionDay to connect on social media. For more information, visit slofoodbank/events.
Fast fact
• CASS Winery and ArtSocial805 are joining forces on Sept. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. for community members to get their art on and paint while sipping on CASS Winery’s local selection at a Paint and Sip Class. Tickets are $55, and all supplies are included upon entry. Charcuterie boards are available for an extra charge. Visit slocal.com/events for more information or email campcass@casswines.com. Δ
Reach Staff Writer Samantha Herrera at sherrera@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Student Guide 2023.