- Since 2018, more than 4.5 million pounds of food that would’ve gone to waste was redistributed to those in need.
- “Waste Hunger, not food collects uneaten food from local schools and gives it to those experiencing food insecurity.
- The next food distribution takes place on April 22.
- Additional food distribution events offered by the church outside of their “Waste Hunger, Not Food” program are available on their website.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On the fourth Tuesday of every month, volunteers with the Cain Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church comes together with Kern County Public Health to feed the community.
“Our church wants to help the community, we want to reach out to the community, and this is one of the community service products that we do,” said Robert Bradford, one of the food ministry volunteers.
He says the day starts as the truck driver picks up food from both the Bakersfield City School District and Greenfield School District.
“We receive the food and it comes in crates. We take it, we sort the food into their different commodities, as in vegetables in one pile, bread products in another pile, and so forth,” said Bradford. “And then once we get it all sorted out, then we redistribute it out to the community.”
This includes apples, carrots, milk, cheeseburgers, and more.
“I have three grandsons that come and stay with us, so I’m gonna get some goodies for them,” said Amy Asatourian, who participated in the distribution for the first time.
Some organizations lend a helping hand to increase the program’s reach.
“It helps because we can actually create bags for the families to go home with. And also they’re just quick snacks like carrots. You can just sit and snack on them,” said Shanita Ford, the CEO of Auntie Baby’s Family Childcare.
She uses this resource to supply families that walk through their doors.
“It means the world because there’s so many people that don’t know about this resource, so we branch it out through our childcare and branch it out onto the families and help the children and give them all the things that they might not be able to afford or know where to get it from,” said Genesis Carter, a teacher at Auntie Baby’s Family Childcare. “It helps them, their family, their brothers, everything. They can spread it and they can feel comfortable coming here and knowing that they can still be healthy and they don’t have to go out and make sacrifices to live a peaceful life.”
The next food distribution takes place on April 22 at 618 California Avenue.
Additional food distribution events offered by the church outside of their “Waste Hunger, Not Food” program are available on their website.
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