FIND Food Bank helps feed thousands at the Center Palm Springs

The Center Palm Springs serves the desert’s LGBT community, seniors, disabled and more, but it can’t do it alone.

When the Find Food truck pulls up at the Center in Palm Springs, volunteers get to work. Unloading boxes full of food, they stock the shelves in the Center’s NestEgg Food Bank to help feed hungry families and their pets.

Every Thursday, the Center provides a week’s worth of free groceries for up to 275 households. Feeding more than 14,000 families a year. Many people who stroll in are senior citizens or disabled.

“I don’t come for anything special. I come to see what they can give me. If there’s something special they’ll let me know,” said Dorothy Chapman of Cathedral City.

“I was just shocked. I never knew the need was so great,” said volunteer Marti Reese.

Clients get to pick out fresh produce, baked goods, eggs, meat, canned goods and dairy products and that’s because the Find Food Bank delivers 3,500 to 5,000 pounds of quality food to the Center every week at a low cost.

“Without them we wouldn’t be able to do what we do here,” said Paul Popowich, NestEgg Food Bank coordinator.

With help from Find, the center’s made some changes to become a healthier option food pantry. Last year only 20 percent of client groceries were made up of fresh vegetable and fruit. Now clients are walking away with 50 to 60 percent of fresh produce.

“Food is important, but good food is even better. We want to make sure they’re healthy. Providing them with healthier food options is going to let them live longer and healthier lives,” said Popowich.

The Center also focuses on providing clients with a sense of family.

“You always feel welcomed. The people here are so great,” said Chapman.

The Find Food Bank aims to help organizations like the Center eliminate hunger in the Coachella Valley, but it needs your help.

“They’re a giant warehouse operation that goes to grocery stores to get all of this food,” said Popowich. Any little donation helps them help us outreach to the community.”

“Without the food bank and FIND Food I don’t know what we would do,” said Chapman.

For more information about the Center, visit www.thecenterps.org