詹妮弗·k·森田著

2023年11月22日

萨克拉门托 State students and staff joined a team of community volunteers to give away nearly 2,000 holiday meals during the 河城食物银行’s (RFCB) annual Thanksgiving Food Distribution Nov. 17-18, 21.

在活动期间，食品银行在雅顿和中城的地点以及恩西纳高中的一个免下车场所提供了假日餐包，其中包括新鲜农产品、罐头食品、面包、鸡肉或杂货店礼品卡。

萨克拉门托 State volunteers included about 30 students and staff organized by the 社区参与中心 (CEC).

“A lot of students are food insecure themselves,” said Noel Mora, the CEC’s community partnership coordinator. “It’s students giving back, and sometimes it’s a community or population of people that they themselves identify with.

“That’s what makes it so powerful.”

由于低收入家庭难以支付食品和汽油等必需品的高成本，萨克拉门托和全国的饥饿人数都在上升。 萨克拉门托’s high rental prices have exacerbated the problem.

“We really do rely on the volunteers. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to distribute as much food as we do.” -- Tyra Willis, RCFB volunteer coordinator 

萨克州立大学的大四学生拉蒙·阿列塔和他的室友泰勒·多尔曼说，只要手头紧，他们就会从RCFB那里买食物。

“We have decent jobs, but sometimes we’re a paycheck or car problem away from being out for any extra spending for the next two weeks,” Dorman said.

Arrieta is a full-time student and works as a student assistant in the California Secretary of State’s office, but the internship is limited to 24 hours a week. 他和多曼都很感激能买到做节日大餐的食物。

“This is definitely something that really helps out, especially now during the holidays,” Arrieta said. “I’m stretched thin with all the responsibilities I have and the bills I have to pay.

“A little help goes a long way, especially for people like me who have to juggle a lot of things.”

Lines of people, including many families with children in strollers, moved steadily through the grounds of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Arden for several hours on Nov. 17.

第二天，恩西纳高中源源不断的车辆让食物银行的志愿者们忙着分发更多的食物。

The number of food-insecure households rose from 13.5 million to 17 million between 2021 and 2022, an 这是美国农业部十月的报告 shows.

2022年，RCFB为萨克拉门托地区的292033人提供了近250万磅的食物。

志愿者协调员泰拉·威利斯说，自2019冠状病毒病大流行以来，RCFB增长了30%。

在感恩节前的几天里，食品银行向1900个家庭分发了节日餐。 仅汽车外卖活动就吸引了大约900人。

“We serve about 300 to 400 households every day on average,” said Willis, a 囊状态 alumnus. “We have a staff of about 13 people, so a majority of the people that are making all this happen are volunteers.”

“We really do rely on the volunteers. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to distribute as much food as we do.”

威利斯说，RCFB还雇用了几名萨克州立大学的学生实习生，他们每周在正常的食品分发时间帮忙，并预先包装部分假日餐。

“It’s very rewarding to be involved because you come face to face with the people who depend on this food distribution,” CEC Director Ann Moylan said.

“This is how an anchor university responds to food insecurity. 我们和河城食品银行有长期的合作关系，他们和社区也有长期的合作关系。 他们有存在感。 They’re not just there on Thanksgiving.”

志愿者吉安娜·波特拉说，她妈妈总是在节日期间给低收入家庭买礼物。

“I grew up with that, so I like giving back,” said Potella, who guided people through the distribution line on Nov. 17. “A lot of people don’t speak fluent English, but you can see on their faces that they’re grateful to be able to come here and get a meal for their holiday.”

阿丽塔和多曼打算用他们收到的鸡肉和蔬菜做一顿简单的感恩节大餐。 Leftovers will go to Dorman’s family in Solano County.

“Food is a right, not a privilege,” Arrieta said. “Everyone should have access to good food.”