As part of the 2018 State Employees Food Drive and the continued spirit of giving, a team from CDFA’s Division of Inspection Services volunteered at the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services on December 20. The group helped with bagging fresh produce and sorting non-perishable food items.
CDFA chairs the annual Food Drive, which is showing strong momentum as it aims for a goal of 800,000 pounds of food for needy Californians. CDFA employees are demonstrating the Department’s commitment this season through a series of events.
Each year CDFA joins other agencies in placing barrels in common office spaces for donations, and each year the agency hosts “Coffee with the Secretary” to help fill those barrels. This year’s event, bringing CDFA employees together with Secretary Ross in a casual holiday atmosphere, resulted in generous donations of food and cash.
Prior to Thanksgiving CDFA employees donated more than 1,600 pounds of turkey to support the annual Turkey Drive. Turkeys were distributed by the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services and helped provide Thanksgiving dinner for many in the region.
The need for food in California is substantial. According to the California Association of Food Banks, 4.6 million Californians contend with food insecurity, which is defined as the occasional or constant lack of access to the food one needs for a healthy, active life. More than 1.7 million of those people are children. That need is what motivates California state employees to commit to this effort each and every year.