BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — “I don’t do it [for] the money. I do it because I love what I do.” Freddy Jimenez has worked with CAPK Food Bank since 2001. Now, he says the food bank needs more volunteers to keep up with demand.
- Video shows CAPK Food Bank delivery driver Freddy Jimenez driving along his regular route to the biweekly distribution at New Life Church. He says he's worked with the Food Bank since 2001, and the community inspires him to keep doing what he loves.
- CAPK Food Bank says their food travels all across Kern County. In addition to their own food distributions, they say they have 176 agency partners. As the demand for food increases, they say they need more volunteers to sustain their distribution efforts and to expand outreach.
- The food distribution at New Life Church happens the first and third Wednesdays from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., but CAPK says people start lining up hours ahead of time. On Wednesday, they said they expected to give out at least 500 boxes of food.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Community Action Partnership of Kern, or CAPK, provides community outreach services all across Kern County, and among their services is a food bank based in Bakersfield. 23ABC's Grace Laverriere visited the food bank and rode along with one of their delivery drivers. CAPK says the demand for food has gone up in recent years, and now the food bank needs more volunteers.
“Right now, it’s nothing…this line goes around the building,” Freddy Jimenez said.
Just before 7:00 a.m. on a Wednesday, dozens of cars have already spent hours waiting for CAPK Food Bank’s biweekly distribution.
“3:00, 4:00 in the morning and they start the line right here,” Jimenez said.
Freddy Jimenez slowly pulls his delivery truck into the New Life Church parking lot. In the back, he has eleven pallets of fresh food stocked and ready to unload.
“They really appreciate it when they receive the food, you know," Jimenez said. "That’s why I’m still here. To help the community.”
Jimenez says he's worked with the Food Bank for over 20 years, first as a volunteer, and now as a full-time driver bringing food to all areas of Kern.
“I’m still here…I’m still here," he says as he drives along his delivery route. "I love it, you know, what I do.”
He tells me before working with CAPK, he spent time working in fields. In the two decades since he started working in the warehouse, he says he’s learned valuable skills, including how to operate machinery.
“I didn’t know how to do nothing. I only worked in the fields," Jimenez said. "When they give me the opportunity to come and do all this, I say, ‘Wow, I’m blessed.’”
Jimenez is one of six full-time drivers for the Food Bank who travels county-wide to distribute food. The Food Bank says they have eleven delivery trucks to support the food distribution services in every Kern County community, but they say they need at least three more drivers to sustain their efforts.
Jimenez says in recent years, he's seen a rise in demand for food as prices increase and Kern County's population grows, and he needs more volunteers both in and out of the warehouse.
“At least, at least for volunteers right now, 20, 30 people a day,” Jimenez said.
As Jimenez drives along his route to the church, waving and smiling, he says the community is what drives him.
“I see two, three people who say, ‘Thank you, I needed this.’ That gives me more power to be here,” he says.
Once Jimenez unloaded the truck at New Life Church, he had to head back to the Food Bank to reload and make it to his next distribution in Mojave. He says right now, even just a few more volunteer drivers would help.
If you would like to volunteer at the food bank or as a delivery driver, CAPK says to reach out via email to foodbankar@capk.org.CAPK Food Bank's website has a map of every food distribution location. For more detailed information and assistance, CAPK says to call 211.
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