‘Feeding the Frontline’ COVID-19 program reaches milestone, feeds 10,000th family

OXNARD, Calif. - What started as a pallet on the back of a pickup truck has now turned into a full force food and health care drive for farm workers and their families.

"Feeding the Frontlines" held its fifteenth food drive Saturday. Providing food and other resources to essential workers who otherwise would be without it.

"Farm workers are usually at work when a lot of the mainstream food distributions are happening," organizer and Port of Hueneme Community Outreach director Miguel Rodriguez said. "So they don’t have the time on a Wednesday at noon to be picking up their food."

Instead, Feeding the Frontline takes donated produce, grains and much more directly to the people who need it. And have now provided food to at least 10,000 families since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Providing more than 250,000 pounds of food.

"We bring it to the neighborhood," Rodriguez said. "We being it to the church. We bring it to the school. And we provide resources for them that they can use. Not only for personal hygiene but for their weekly food consumption.”

The program had humble beginnings and was started after a listening session by the Port of Hueneme. Listening to what Ventura County's most vulnerable residents had concerns about.

With the help of the Port of Hueneme and generation donations from Del Monte Fresh Produce, local restaurant Ruby’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar, and the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce Feeding the Frontline has become a valuable community resource.

More donation drives are planned for the near future.