CHICO — With grocery prices steadily increasing, many local food pantries have been struggling to stay stocked.
Butte County is filled with webs of food sharing services, but some have noticed a recent uptick in needs.
“I would say within the past six months I know the pantries are seeing very high numbers with the rising costs of food,” said Addie Walsh, the nonprofit partner manager with the Community Action Agency of Butte County.
Walsh works with the 530 Food Rescue Coalition, a partnership project between the Community Action Agency and Chico State’s Center for Healthy Communities.
The 530 Food Rescue Coalition works specifically with businesses and local groups to collect food that could otherwise go to waste. The group has been collecting food for about two and a half years, and has collected near 380,000 pounds of food.
“There has been a large uptick from what we’ve been hearing,” Walsh said. “We work with 65 nonprofit partners that we send food to and almost all of them have let us know and asked if there is anything else available. Even some of our food bank partners have been struggling to keep food on the shelf.”
Walsh said collections come mostly from restaurants, cafes, schools and farms.
Other food collection groups have begun to take off as well. Real estate salesperson Ed Booth with Coldwell Banker and his wife, Shanna Booth, recently launched the Purple People Feeder, a bag collection system for gathering food for those in need.
Booth said the idea was to work in tandem with the Chico Food Project, which collects blue bags of feed six times a year. Booth said the goal was to collect his purple bags on the months not covered by the Chico Food Project.
“My wife and I are pretty enthusiastic participants in that, and we decided that we would do this to try to fill the gaps,” Booth said.
Booth said his first pickup was in May when the Purple People Feeder received 103 pounds of food.
“Now we just want to expand because I think there is a real need,” Booth said. “Talking to people who have been to the food locker, they say that as soon as they stocked the shelves, it’s already almost empty, and that’s tough for me to think about.”
Booth said those interested in taking part in the Purple People Feeder project can call him at 530-433-4303. The remaining pickup dates for the Purple People Feeder bags will be July 20, Sept. 21 and Nov. 16.
Additionally, the North State Food Bank has two more drive-thru food distribution events scheduled in June with the next being held from 10 a.m. until noon on June 21 at the Biggs Community Hall located at 280 B Street in Biggs and the second being held from 10 a.m. until noon on June 28 in Magalia at the Pines Baptist Church at 14098 Skyway.
For the 530 Food Rescue, Walsh said those interested in volunteering can download the app which can be found on the Apple Store and other web store services. Walsh added that food businesses looking to donate surplus stock can contact the coalition at 530-285-5757.
“There is a big conversation happening right now around reducing food waste,” Walsh said. “I would say people can help by reducing household food waste by purchasing less or sharing with their neighbors and just being educated around the topic of food waste and know that it is happening when about 13% of our county is facing food insecurity.”
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