One in 4 Bay Area residents might not know if they will always have enough food.

To help manage the expected increase in food insecurity during the holidays, Kaiser Permanente made multiple investments in the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano by providing funds for 540,000 meals.

The two organizations are partnering to feed families in need this holiday season.

Demands have increased due to increased costs of living and food. Kaiser Permanente leaders presented checks this week at two food bank sites in Concord and Fairfield.

“Nutritious food is essential to living a full and healthy life,” said Darryl Curry, Kaiser Permanente senior vice president and area manager for the Napa Solano area. “Kaiser Permanente is committed to investing in the community to make sure that more than 500,000 meals can be provided by the food bank during this holiday season. What that means to me is that this year, like in many years, families will sit down together at a table this holiday season and have a warm and healthy meal.”

Kaiser Permanente contributed $365,000 to the food bank in 2023. Of that amount, a grant of $270,000 supports healthy food distributions and an additional $95,000 grant from a Kaiser Permanente fund at the East Bay Community Foundation supports outreach to ensure that community members have access to CalFresh (California’s food stamp program) and Medi-Cal. The food bank recently kicked off its 3 Million Meals Campaign.

‘Health is our wealth’

Right before Christmas, volunteers sorted and packaged produce for upcoming holiday food distributions at sites in Fairfield and Concord.

According to the California Association of Food Banks, California produces nearly half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, but about 1 in 5 residents in the state are food insecure, which means they face limited or uncertain access to enough food to lead healthy, active lives.

“We believe that our health is our wealth,” said Kaiser Permanente Contra Costa County and Tri-Valley Service Area Community Health Manager Leslie Brown. “In order for you to be able to take care of your physical health, you need nutritious meals. It’s so important for people to have access to healthy food so they can take care of their physical health.”

Although the demand for food increases during the holidays, the need remains throughout the year. In fact, the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano provides more than 3.4 million meals each month.

“To our partners at Kaiser Permanente, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this generous donation,” said Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano Vice President of Finance Brian Morrow. “With this money, we will be able to provide 540,000 meals to our neighbors in need. We thank you so much and happy holidays!”

11