Hunger Doesn't Take a Holiday

Wednesday, January 4, 2025

Photo Credits: FARSB

With the new year starting and the holiday season coming to an end, we want to take the time to be grateful for all that we have. It can be easy to forget that some community members don't have what we do, and that means our work isn't finished.

Hunger doesn't take a holiday, and the number of folks giving up other basic needs to afford enough food for themselves and their families is growing, and the need must be met.

FARSB aims to alleviate that hunger over the holiday season and throughout the entire year, in every way possible. That is why they have secured funding for another year of turkeys or hams for families who need assistance to create full holiday meals.

Holiday Distributions

Our 2024 holiday food distributions were held on Friday, November 22nd and Friday, December 13th at the FARSB Distribution Warehouse on Jefferson Street in Riverside, CA. With a record number of recipients ready to receive the food they need to serve their families this holiday season, they were able to serve 300 households at each event.

The drive-through setup allowed recipients to stay in their vehicle, confirm their registration, and get their turkey or ham placed into their vehicle with the help of staff and volunteers. Within the two-hour block, all 300 turkeys or hams were given out at each distribution for a total of 600 households served for both holidays!

Volunteer distributing flyers to recipients at holiday distributions.

Although the goal was to provide full meals for every household, securing sufficient funding was crucial to meeting families' needs. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the staff, they not only managed to supply whole turkeys or hams for the families but also went above and beyond to exceed expectations!

Each client received a full food box of shelf-stable items and a bag of produce with their turkey.

Recipients with their dog at a drive-through holiday distribution.

Impact

FARSB's drive-through holiday food distributions were a huge success, with households from all walks of life coming by to get a turkey and a box of shelf-stable food items for their holiday meal in November. This distribution ended up serving over 300 households in total.

Here is what recipients had to say about these particular distributions:

Wrap-Up

The holiday season is especially tough on those who don't have enough food to feed their families, but FARSB aims to be the light amongst the dim, bringing a bit of joy to those who are struggling with food insecurity. Hunger doesn't take a holiday, so neither do we!

If you'd like to learn more about our hunger relief programs and how to get involved, visit: FeedingIE.org/GetInvolved