Demand is up for food in Monterey County

As many on the central coast look forward to a Thanksgiving feast Thursday, there are others who will turn to charitable groups for their meal. The Monterey County Food Bank serves over 100-thousand people a year — more than half are children. And right now demand is up for food in the county.

Food insecurities seem to be magnified more around the holidays, as many of the traditions coming up involve food. On top of that, the Food Bank for Monterey County is serving triple the amount of people than they normally do. One big reason for the increase in mouths to feed is because agriculture slows in the winter. Many ag jobs around the area are seasonal, so with people out of work, the food bank tries to pick up the slack. The food bank serves 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 4 children in the county. And on top of that, they rely 100-percent on donations.

“95-cents of every dollar that is donated to the food bank goes directly to food and programs. So that’s very important. We do everything we can to maximize those dollars that come in,” said Executive Director Melissa Kendrick.

150 agencies rely on the Food bank for Monterey County all year long. That means that virtually any place providing food for those in need is getting it from the Food Bank.

The food bank is always in need of volunteers and donations. You can find more information here.