In the produce fridge at the Lompoc Food Pantry, shelves that are normally filled with fruits and vegetables have been empty for the past three weeks.
Staff and volunteers tell KSBY that ahead of the holidays this year, their demand has nearly tripled.
“During the holidays, it gets a little bit more crowded, the lines get longer,” said pantry coordinator Monique Luna.
Luna says every year, her team aims to distribute free turkeys to their clients, but just days ahead of Thanksgiving, their turkey donation bin sits empty.
“We have had one turkey donated so far,” Luna told KSBY. “I am looking to get in about 225 turkeys from Grocery Outlet, so I am looking forward to that, but that doesn’t cover nearly the amount of clients we have.”
On Monday, Food Pantry staff and volunteers were busy filling grocery bags and shopping carts with food for their clients.
“I sort through the fruits and vegetables on the day they come. I sort through them, make sure there is no bacteria on them, no mildew on them, or things that are out of the ordinary,” explained volunteer Beto Najera.
Najera says he began volunteering for the Food Pantry this past summer, and in the months since, he has seen the demand for groceries accelerate.
“We could always use turkeys. We are constantly getting new clients. I have heard it has been a lot more than previously before, so anything helps,” Najera added.
Luna says this past year, her team has been serving upwards of 1,000 clients every month.
“I am not sure what the reason is that is causing all this food insecurity, but I can tell you for sure that we do see new clients who have never been here before, never needed our services before, who are coming to us every day,” Luna said.
She says their grocery giveaways are completely donation-based, adding that along with the need for turkeys, the Lompoc Food Pantry is also seeking more fresh produce to offer to their clients.
“All we can do is keep doing our part by serving, getting the word out, and hoping that the community comes together, especially during the holidays, so we can see some of these families at least have some peace during the holidays and get to have that nice Thanksgiving meal,” Luna added.
She says the Food Pantry is also accepting donations of anything warm for the coming winter weather, including blankets, gloves and jackets.
You can help the Lompoc Food Pantry by bringing donations to their offices on Second Street, or by dropping by Lompoc Fire Station 1 to drop off non-perishable food items as part of KSBY’s annual Season of Hope food and toy drive.
KSBY news reporter Jacob Dizon will be there on Tuesday from 4-7 p.m., accepting those nonperishable food donations as well as donations of new, unwrapped toys for our neighbors in need this holiday season.
Donations to the Season of Hope will be accepted from now through December 15.
