Food Share Ventura County distributes record amount of food during pandemic

OXNARD, Calif. – Food Share, a local Ventura County hunger relief organization, distributed more than 26 million pounds of food to people in need during the last year.

The organization said it's the most the food they've distributed in its 43-year history.

“The numbers really show the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the health and economics of our community,” said Monica White, Food Share CEO. “To put some context around it, that’s the equivalent of feeding a sold-out Dodger Stadium three meals a day for the entire baseball season, plus the playoffs and the World Series.”

Food Share has seen an unprecedented increase in need over the last year due to the pandemic. The amount of households served by Food Share has doubled over the last year from 75,000 to 150,000. But even under normal circumstances, an estimated 1 in 6 people in Ventura County experiences food insecurity, Food Share said.

The organization held more than 330 emergency drive-thru food distributions, distributing more than 360,000 food boxes. As coronavirus cases continue to drop, White says increased demand for the services provided by Food Share will likely continue for the foreseeable future.

“While we celebrate the news of decreased COVID cases and increased vaccinations, we can’t stress enough that the vaccine doesn’t cure hunger,” White said. “Food Share continues to see the negative economic impact on the members of our community due to COVID-19. We anticipate needing to provide additional food support for many more months and years to come.”

Food Share is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, as well as the California Association of Food Banks. If you are in need of food, or if you are interested in donating or volunteering, click here.