Volunteers with the Redwood Empire Food Bank help fill the gap. Each month, the Food Bank distributes staples enough for about 40,000 people. Much goes to working families that can't afford enough groceries to get them through the month. The regional Food Bank, which distributes food to community agencies in Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties, employs 10 people. But the work involved in accepting, processing and sending out about 4 million pounds of food a year requires hundreds of helpers.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the operation.
Tons of the food comes from markets that reject it because the package was damaged, the label torn or the can dented. Entire cases of juice are shipped to the Food Bank if a single container leaks. Those salvaged items must be inspected and sorted, perhaps cleaned off. Volunteers also package bulk foods such as rice, beans and cereals. They stock shelves.