The line begins forming at least 30 minutes before the Alameda County Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry arrives at an Oakland school to distribute free and nutritious ingredients to hungry families.
Mothers, grandmothers, brothers and sisters wait in line to get fresh fruits and vegetables and other pantry staples like bread, milk, cereal and eggs.
The mobile pantry is an important ingredient in helping sustain the one in five Alameda County families who are unsure about when and what their families will be eating for their next meal. WM is proud to say the pantry is made possible in part because of our support.
“We would not have this mobile pantry if WM had not donated the vehicle and helped us outfit it for our needs,” said Juan Orozco, Operations and Foundation Relations Officer for the Food Bank. “It has allowed us to expand our reach, and expand that reach rapidly.”
WM donated funds in 2014 to help the Food Bank purchase the vehicle and then worked with a vendor to have the truck customized to accommodate the distribution of perishable foods to various locations. Orozco said the truck does just that.
Before they had the truck, the Food Bank serviced about 1,200 people a month. Now, more than 3,000 people a month receive food from the mobile pantry as it visits locations at least four times a week throughout the county. It also provides fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy ingredients that were not provided during mobile deliveries in the past.
WM is proud of this investment. Not only are we helping our community, but we’re also reducing food waste!
