FIND Food Bank combats food insecurity with more than 300 monthly volunteers
Each month FIND Food Bank helps more than 85,000 people find relief from hunger with the help of more than 300 volunteers.
“Who we serve is the working class poor. It’s children, it’s seniors, it’s people dealing with health issues it’s our homeless population,” FIND Food Bank CEO Lisa Houston said.
From retailers, volunteers and distribution sites, the FIND Food Bank warehouse in Indio is packed with fresh and packaged foods ready to feed those in need.
“There’s a connotation that some of the food that we are giving out isn’t good food but that’s completely incorrect. The food that we are providing is all healthy,” FIND Food Bank volunteer coordinator Zack Musselman said.
each item that comes through this warehouse comes from stores that have either too much supply or the product has minor imperfections. officials with the organization say there is nothing wrong with the food because volunteers inspect everything that comes through here before its sent out.
“When we go through the produce section, we’re all looking for that perfect apple or we’re looking for the perfect bananas and that sort of thing. We are blessed because the retail stores actually donate [leftover] product to us,” Houston said.
Musselman said the warehouse houses more than 1 million pounds of food. He said the organization operates with about 30 staff members and without their volunteers they wouldn’t be able to move the majority of what they receive from their more than 100 distribution sites.
