Latest news with #foodbank
CBS News
11 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Stockton Emergency Food Bank hit with fourth fire in just weeks
A fire has hit the Stockton Emergency Food Bank for the fourth time in roughly three weeks, crippling their operations. The Stockton Fire Department said flames from a grass fire spread to the building, burning a building as well as a storage crate and cardboard boxes in the loading area. The initial call came in around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Dr. Leonard Hansen, CEO of the food bank, says this is a gut punch to their daily operations. He's trying to figure out a way to clean this all up, get necessary and useful equipment cleaned and sanitized, and then still be up in the morning and hand out the food they give to families. Hansen said the food bank expects about 500 cars every single day. That includes people who need the food and 107 other sites and organizations that rely on the food bank to deliver. For Dr. Hansen and the community, this will be hard to overcome, and he feels that someone did this on purpose. In June, three fires occurred at the food bank within a week. "I can't explain the behavior, but this is not accidental," he said. "How do you take care of the people and the folks who depend on you, so you find a way?" These fires are still under investigation. Hansen says the city will send more engineers in the morning to check on the structure's integrity. During the third fire, surveillance video caught a suspect throwing an incendiary device into a pile of cardboard, burning through a shipping container with thousands of dollars worth of donations. Dr. Hansen says this is especially disheartening for San Joaquin County, which has roughly 83,000 people who are food insecure. Hansen said the food bank serves 88% of those people.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Japan Times
More kids going hungry during school holidays as food costs soar, survey finds
A growing number of children in single-parent households are eating two meals or fewer a day during school holidays, as rising food and utility prices place additional pressure on families already struggling to make ends meet, according to a survey by Tokyo-based nonprofit Good Neighbors Japan. The group surveyed 2,105 parents and guardians in early June, all of whom use its food bank program 'Good Gohan,' which distributes free groceries to low-income single-parent households. Around 96.1% of respondents were women, and 53.5% were in their 40s. Many families said the absence of school-provided lunches during long breaks leaves them unable to cover rising food costs. For 61.3% of respondents, household finances become 'much harder' during school holidays, while 36.4% reported that things become 'somewhat harder.' The most common coping mechanism at 62.9% was for parents to reduce their own food intake, with some noting that even their children had started holding back. 'I make meals only for the kids and live off their leftovers,' one parent wrote. 'My oldest son is in middle school and I feel awful that he tries not to eat too much.' Another wrote, 'Last winter break, I barely ate and collapsed from stomach pain. Now I try to at least eat once a day.' The survey also showed that the number of respondents saying that their children eat two meals or fewer a day during holidays was about 2.5 times higher than during the school term, at 32.2%. Ninety percent of respondents said it had become more difficult to prepare adequate meals compared with before recent inflation. The sharp rise in the price of rice was frequently cited as a major concern. 'Food prices are too high, at a time when they need nutrients most,' one parent wrote. 'I can't take time off to line up for discounted rice, and I'm afraid summer vegetable prices will soar too.' Good Neighbors Japan said many households face overlapping challenges of low income, unstable employment and limited time — with roughly half of survey respondents working nonregular jobs and earning less than ¥2 million ($13,400) annually. 'This issue puts both children's growth and parent's health at risk,' the group said in a statement. In response, the organization plans to expand food distribution during the upcoming summer break.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Central Texas Food Bank to distribute food in counties impacted by flooding
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Central Texas Food Bank, or CTFB, announced it would hold special emergency distributions for three counties impacted by the July 4 floods. BLOG: Search for missing continues July 10 as Texas community grieves CTFB said its first distribution would take place in Burnet County Friday from 1-2 p.m. at 549 East Farm-to-Market Road 243 in Bertram. The second distribution will take place Monday in Llano County from 4-6 p.m. at the Kingsland Community Center located at 3451 Rose Hill Drive. Travis County will also have daily distributions, with no fixed hours, at the Round Mountain Baptist Church at 14500 Round Mountain Road in Leander, according to CTFB. In San Saba, distributions will be held Saturday, July 12, from 1-2 p.m. at First Methodist Church San Saba, located at 204 W. Brown Street. The final location is in Andice on Tuesday, July 15, from 9 – 10 a.m. at Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church, located at 6571 FM 970. How to help local Texas communities impacted by flooding 'We recognize that in times like these, having access to nutritious food and clean water can help restore strength, stability, and a sense of normalcy during a time of crisis,' said Sari M. Vatske, Central Texas Food Bank president and CEO. As of Thursday, Travis County confirmed there have been seven people killed and 10 missing after the July 4 flooding event. Burnet County said five people were killed and one person is missing, which is Michael Phillips, the chief of the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Shania Twain supports Canadian food banks with cross-country campaign
Shania Twain performs at the Scotiabank Saddledome during the Calgary Stampede on Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) Before Shania Twain hit the stage at the Cavendish Beach Music Festival in P.E.I. this week, she made a quiet impact behind the scenes. The country music superstar donated $25,000 to a food bank in western Prince Edward Island. As her tour rolls across Canada, she's spreading that generosity coast to coast — with the Shania Twain Foundation helping fund 375,000 meals in partnership with Second Harvest. It comes at a time when nearly 10 million Canadians — including 2.5 million children — are facing food insecurity, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada. 'I was in disbelief,' said director Jenny DesRoches, director at the West Prince Caring Cupboard. 'This donation is going to provide a lot of healthy options for the families we feed.' In Tyne Valley, one of four rural communities served by the local organization, the need is growing. 'We are starting to feel the effects of rising prices and everything is getting more expensive,' said Barb Ramsey-DesRoches, board president. 'And unfortunately, wages don't keep up.' The food bank's shelves are stocked with staples like canned and boxed goods as well as hygiene products, but fresh food is harder to come by. Shania Twain donation From left: Jenny DesRoches, West Prince Caring Cupboard Volunteer Director; Shania Twain; and Susan Trail, West Prince Caring Cupboard Volunteer. (Tessa Harri Carroll) On average, 160 families rely on the West Price Caring Cupboard each month, with more than 5,000 repeat visitors a year. The donation will help fund healthier groceries, including milk, meat and eggs. DesRoches said asking for help is often a last resort for many, but the team works hard to make the space feel safe and supportive. 'Telling people, 'Well, don't give up. Yes, you may be hitting a rough spot right now, but we'll help you through it. You're doing the right thing. You're getting healthy food for your family.'' It's a volunteer-led organization, and for many who grew up with Twain's music, the donation was a morale boost. 'Summers growing up, I dressed up like Shania Twain and said, 'Man, I feel like a woman,' and do the karaokes,' said Pamela MacKinnon, board secretary. Shania Twain Parade Marshal Shania Twain rides a horse during the Calgary Stampede parade in Calgary, Alta., Friday, July 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Twain's donation in P.E.I. is part of a broader effort. One of her earlier stops was Calgary, where she served as parade marshal at the Stampede. She has also donated in Quebec City and Ottawa, with Toronto next, before her tour heads south for its U.S. leg.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Farm Share to distribute produce, canned goods in Tallahassee area
Farm Share, Florida's leading food nonprofit and the state's largest food bank, is distributing food to food-insecure Floridians in the Tallahassee area starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 12, at 2525 S. Monroe St., while supplies last. Recipients will receive fresh produce and non-perishable canned goods. Distributions are drive-thru only to minimize contact and to help ensure the safety of all parties. Attendees must arrive in a vehicle with a trunk or cargo bed. With more than 3.9 million families suffering from food insecurity throughout Florida, Farm Share meets the everyday hunger needs of Floridians by working hand-in-hand with local farmers to recover and redistribute produce that would otherwise be thrown away due to aesthetic imperfections. Farm Share also distributes food to the community through its network of soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, churches, and senior centers across Florida free of charge. To find a food pantry near you, visit This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Farm Share to distribute food in Tallahassee drive-thru July 12
