Central California Food Bank
Give them nourishment today so they can thrive tomorrow
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs work to address both the issues of food insecurity and the lack of access to healthy foods in California's Central Valley. It is hard to imagine that one of the top agriculture-producing regions in the nation also has one of the highest levels of food insecurity. In fact, the Fresno region has the fifth highest food hardship rate in the nation, as ranked by the Food Research and Action Center. One in four adults and one in three children in the Central Valley do not have sufficient access to food. The region suffers from chronically high unemployment and poverty. Unemployment recently hit 9.5% - twice that of state and national averages, and 25% of the population lives below the federal poverty level. Furthermore, rural residents of Central California face the added challenge of limited geographical access to foods that are healthy. We reduce hunger and increase access to healthy foods by distributing food directly to the low-income and rural communities that need it most.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Neighborhood Market
Farmer’s market-style distribution providing fresh fruits and vegetables to destitute communities in the Central Valley at no cost. A typical market might include spinach and romaine lettuce, strawberries, plums, zucchini, carrots, potatoes and more.
Mobile Pantry
Distributes fresh produce out of a self-contained vehicle that is equipped to distribute food wherever it can stop its wheels. The Mobile Pantry truck travels to remote locations to distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to people in need in rural communities.
BackPack Program
A supplemental nutrition program which provides children at-risk of hunger a backpack of shelf-stable, kid-friendly foods to take home every Friday during the school year, which serves 699 students at nine elementary schools in Fresno, Madera, and Tulare Counties.
CalFresh Outreach
A program offering education and assistance to low-income families in Kings and Madera Counties in applying for federal food programs such as CalFresh (formerly SNAP)
USDA Emergency Food Assistance
We distribute government-supplied food commodities through 47 partner agencies in Fresno County
Pantry Program
We provide food for distributions in collaboration with over 220 partner agencies throughout the Central Valley, including schools, nonprofits, community centers, and faith-based organizations.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Feeding America 1995
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of meals served or provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Neighborhood Market
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of meals provided based on the number of pounds of food distributed (Meal conversion = 1.2 pounds per 1 meal)
Total pounds of food rescued
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of pounds of food rescued through our retail rescue program. We pick up food from local grocery retailers, preventing this food from going into a landfill and getting it to those in need.
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of people served annually through our programs.
Number of snacks served for students participating in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
BackPack Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of children served each week through our children's BackPack Program. Children who are at-risk of or experiencing hunger will receive a backpack full of food every Friday to take home.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Central California Food Bank aims to reduce hunger and increase access to healthy foods through our direct service programs and partner pantry programs. We seek to serve low-income families with children, seniors, immigrants, veterans, and college students who are under-served and disadvantaged by poverty, food insecurity, and the lack of access to healthy foods. Our goal is to bridge the meal gap by providing supplemental food assistance throughout Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, and Kern Counties. Our vision is a hunger-free Central California.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We fight hunger by gathering and distributing food through a network of over 220 partner agencies. As a Feeding America member food bank, we engage in partnerships that advance self-sufficiency and advocate for hunger-related issues. Community Food Bank offers several types of distributions in order to make food accessible to those experiencing food hardship.
Pantry Program: We collaborate with over 220 partner agencies to provide food for distributions administered throughout Fresno, Madera, Kings, Kern, and Tulare Counties. Our trucks drop off the food at a scheduled time and the partner agency organizes volunteers to facilitate the distribution.
Neighborhood Market Program: Farmers market-style distribution providing mainly fresh produce to destitute areas of Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare Counties.
Mobile Pantry Program: Operated out of a self-contained vehicle, the Mobile Pantry truck is equipped to distribute food anywhere it can stop its wheels, and can access remote locations to distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to rural communities.
BackPack Program: Supplemental food program for children who are experiencing or at-risk of hunger while school is not session, which provides participants with a backpack containing high-quality food on Fridays to last through the weekend.
CalFresh Outreach Program: A comprehensive outreach program offering education and application assistance to low-income families and individuals in applying for the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program: Food acquired from the federal government is distributed through 47 partner agencies within Fresno County.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Through our partnerships, community support, staff and volunteers, and other resources and assets, we are able to efficiently buy and transport produce at less than $0.10 per pound. With an amazing food acquisitions and programs staff, we work with local farmers, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and community centers to acquire and distribute food in high-need areas throughout the Central Valley. We distribute food in specific neighborhoods designated as low-income census tracts by the U.S. Census Bureau in order to make the greatest impact.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Established in Fresno in 1992 by a local chapter of the United Way, Community Food Bank has been dedicated to feeding the hungry in local communities since its inception. We have experienced tremendous growth in the last 25 years, and now serve the five counties of Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, and Kern. We operate multiple food distribution and outreach programs which, combined, distribute approximately 40 million pounds of food each year. Through our direct service distributions and partner pantry programs, we serve more than 280,000 people each month, 90,000 of whom are children. When we moved into our current warehouse in 2007, we were sourcing and distributing just over seven million pounds of food annually. In the past year, we acquired and distributed nearly 40 million pounds. We are excited to achieve this growth, but have pushed our current facility and infrastructure past its capacity. In order to close the meal gap in our five county service area by 2025, we need to distribute 80 million pounds annually - which is impossible in our current facility and with our current resources. The future of Community Food Bank's mission hinges on expanding our capacity through investments in a new warehouse, expanded distributed capacity, and sustained operational growth. Philanthropy will be essential for the successful implementation of an extended reach and expanded programs that will address a critical community need and better fulfill our mission.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Central California Food Bank
Board of directorsas of 04/11/2023
Joel Brownell
Valley Children's Hospital
Term: 2017 - 2023
Brian Decker
Colliers International
Joel Brownell
Valley Children's Hospital
Bill Littlewood
Dowling Aaron Incorporated
Lori Berger
AgBiome Innovations
Cory Pasek
Utility Trailer Sales of Central Ca, Inc.
Adriana Cervantes-Gonzalez
CSU Bakersfield
Sydney Stout
Olam International
Peter Vang
Thiesen Dueker Financial Consulting Group
Joe Baker
Enterprise Rent A Car
Justin Emmi
Bank of the West
Peter Allbright
Woolffarming, LLC
Julie Olson-Buchanan
California State University, Fresno
Kelly Lilles
Sante Health Systems
Manav Sidhu
UCSF Fresno and VA Hospital
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
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Sexual orientation
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Disability
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