MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors has approved $250,000 in support for the Food Bank for Monterey County, officials announced Friday.
The nonprofit agency has seen the number of people it serves quadruple since the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis hit.
“There are many nonprofit agencies on the front line of this crisis, but few directly meet basic needs for residents throughout the county the way the way the Food Bank can,” said John Phillips, Monterey County 2nd District supervisor. “The Food Bank appealed to the county for help when they were overwhelmed by those needing a source of food due to the recent, dramatic economic shift. Their shelves were bare. We have answered their call for help, and we hope others will as well.”
Each year Monterey County provides a modest amount of support for the Food Bank. The new money is in addition to those funds and will be taken from the county’s cannabis tax revenue account.
As the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis affect more people, the Food Bank has launched additional efforts that include working at school sites to provide staples and produce for families whose children receive take-and-go lunches and operating drive-through and seniors-only sites.