Since the pandemic, Atascadero Loaves and Fishes (ALF) has seen the need in the community continue to grow, with a nearly 40 percent increase last year.
ALF Board President Tim Eckles explained how hunger, the cost of food, and the need for donations exacerbate the community’s need.
The food pantry is sustained by their 80-plus volunteers and community support, with 2/3 of ALF’s funding coming directly from the local community and the other 30-40 percent from grants.
“This year we are needing to transfer from our reserves just to meet the need,” Eckles said.
Those reserves combined with volunteer support have kept ALF going during this time.
“Everyone is [a] volunteer but the tasks they perform are definitely work. They're valuable as in converted to dollars per hour valuable," Eckles said.
He added that to continue their efforts, they could use the following:
- Monetary donations
- In-kind donations
- Help to find a new facility
“We’ve been looking for an expanded facility for nearly five years… That space would not only allow us to operate more effectively but would actually save us money because we could store more food to back up our operation day-to-day,” Eckles said.
You can donate to ALF in person or online.
