PHOTO BY PHILIP JOHNSON
MANTECA — It’s cruelly ironic that in the Central Valley where agriculture is the leading industry, more than one quarter of children don’t have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food.
Shirley Perreira, CEO of Watts Equipment, Inc. in Manteca, said she was shocked the first time she volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties and saw how many people go hungry.
“You get a sense of our community that we live in and how many people are struggling to find their next meal,” Perreira said. “The need was much greater than I had ever thought.”
According to a 2012 study by Kidsdata.org, 56,060 children in San Joaquin County, or 27.9 percent, live in food insecure households. In Stanislaus County, the number was 43,360, or 29.5 percent.
Second Harvest is a nonprofit food collection and distribution organization that serves both counties. It partners with 102 food pantries. In all, 365,000 people in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties benefit from Second Harvest each year.
The organization serves anyone who can provide documentation that proves low-income status.
In addition to its food pantry, Second Harvest has a new fresh-food truck. It began serving Manteca in February. Service in Lathrop was added in March and Tracy was added in June.
“It will make the entire process a lot more efficient,” Vaughan said of the new vehicle which looks like a mobile catering truck.
The setup will eliminate the need for loading and unloading at each of Second Harvest’s sites. It will also alleviate some strain for volunteers who will no longer need to bend over to hoist 25-pound grocery bags filled with fresh produce.
The truck was purchased for $115,000 in February from money raised through Second Harvest’s Empty Bowls event. However, additional money is needed to keep the mobile pantry running.
The cost of produce is covered for the time being thanks to a $25,000 combined donation from Sutter Tracy Community Hospital and the Tracy Hospital Foundation. Second Harvest staff is able to buy produce at a reduced rate by purchasing seconds, or produce that can’t be sold to stores because of blemishes.
“It’s wonderful produce,” said Jessica Vaughan, development coordinator at Second Harvest.
Second Harvest’s next big fundraiser is the 7th Annual Chili Pot Cook-Off, Aug. 8.
Funds raised at that event help pay for overall operational costs and projects for Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties.
A panel of judges will award first, second and third places to chefs. There’s also a people’s choice award up for grabs. The winner of that prize is determined by popular vote.
“The people that win, they just get so excited,” said Vaughan.
The cook-off starts at 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Manteca Transit Center. Ten dollars buys all-you-can-eat chili from 15 local chefs.
Businesses interested in supporting Second Harvest can donate money, make in-kind donations or volunteer at any time.
Companies that donate $1,000 for the produce truck, for example, get their logo on the side and back of the truck. The funds will pay for maintenance and gas.
Watts Equipment’s Perreira first visited Second Harvest seven years ago when her business secured the food bank as a client. Out of curiosity, she volunteered her time to learn what the operation was all about.
The hours she spent there helped evolve Watts’ relationship with the nonprofit. During that first visit, Perreira said she noticed some electric pallet jacks that weren’t in the best condition. Watts promptly donated two brand-new ones.
Watts is a sponsor of the upcoming chili cook-off, and the company helps take care of the food bank’s equipment needs.
“If they need rentals or anything we usually donate them,” Perreria said, adding her company deeply discounts repair costs as well. “We try to do as much as we can to keep their costs low.”
Part of the appeal for Watts, according to Perreira is Second Harvests’ broad customer base. Not only does the nonprofit donate food to local schools, it also helps senior citizens who need food assistance. Watts also likes that Second Harvest serves the region rather than one community.
“Everything they do, we try to be a part of it,” Perreira.
More information is available at www.localfoodbank.org
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