Surprises for those in need as unique local perks fill food distribution bags
CARPINTERIA, Calif. - The urgent need for food for many people living on the edge or recently jobless has brought long lines to the Food Bank distribution sites locally. If you look carefully you will see some bags have surprises.
Normally the volunteers load up pre-made bags of items such as pasta, sauce, peanut butter, tuna, soup and similar essentials.
In Carpinteria in the last month, they have also been getting surplus flowers from nearby growers, avocados, bags of fresh oranges and last week salsa made locally by Casa Hernandez.
It's a product that has found its way from a kitchen table in Carpinteria to stores like Vons, Albertsons and in a separate name, Salsa Especial is at Trader Joes.
David Hernandez, the company owner was on hand last Wednesday for the food distribution.
He said, it is a "home town recipe from my mom, Lupe. "
Hernandez remembers some tough times back in the day with his large family and a limited income.
"As a kid I remember that we needed help. It is kind of a payback and I am happy to do it," he said. "It was a longtime recipe that everybody who came to our house tasted. They all told my mother to do something with it."
Hernandez eventually got the business going and it has proven to be just what the visiting kids predicted. A very popular item.
"It's her legacy. Happy to share it with the community," he said.
On Wednesday Hernandez unloaded 42 cases, "I wanted to share it. What better place than to share it in my home town. "
The sauce were in jars. One was stuffed into the already packed bags. It added a hometown flavor and completed the package. "It is the local staple that they need so they get that variety," said Hernandez.
The children inside the cars were also treated to kids books from the Friends of the Carpinteria Library group.
The volunteers line up the cars in the State Park lot nearby.
There, some basic information is written down and then they move forward.
The distribution begins at 4:30 a.m.
All cars are loaded by the staff in just moments, and has the speed of a racing pit stop. The line moves very quickly.
Last week over 500 families were served.
The food distribution is coordinated by several organizations including The Food Bank of Santa Barbara County, The United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County - Carpinteria Unit, the Carpinteria Children's Project and the 93013 fund.
More information will be on NewsChannel 3, NewsChannel 12 and KKFX Fox 11 tonight.
Check back for more details on this story.
