With one in five Californians currently struggling with food insecurity, partnerships between farmers and food banks are an essential tool in fighting hunger. In commemoration of World Milk Day and June Dairy Month, the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) announced a partnership with Feeding American and the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) to provide access to nutritious dairy foods at sites serving families in need throughout the state.
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A pilot program announced during a June 1 donation event at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services in Sacramento, will provide five truckloads of cheese shreds in one-pound packages for distribution at 11 Feeding America and California Association of Food Bank sites. That’s more than 3 million servings or 3.6 million grams of protein to nourish families. Part of the CMAB’s #CADAIRY4GOOD, the pilot is phase one of an ongoing partnership with Feeding America that will deliver over $1 million in resources to food banks and feeding programs to source California dairy foods including cheese and fluid milk, one of the most requested and least donated items at food banks.
California Agriculture Secretary, Karen Ross, was onsite to help make the announcement, stating: “California dairy farmers have a long history of supporting the communities where they live and work. I’m pleased to join Real California Milk, Feeding America, and the California Association of Food Banks during dairy month to launch this partnership that provides products like cheese, a rich source of protein and other essential nutrients, to programs that serve families throughout the state.”
“Farmers feed people, it’s core to their personal values,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB. “California dairy farmers are passionate about nourishing communities everywhere with the wholesome goodness of milk. We’re grateful to Feeding America for support to expand the reach of these essential resources.”
The California cheese donation will be distributed to 11 food banks – Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Feeding San Diego, Orange County Food Bank, Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, Second Harvest Santa Cruz County, SLO Food Bank, Food Share of Ventura County, Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano, Central California Food Bank and Second Harvest of the Greater Valley. These food banks have 3,095 community partner distribution organizations, including soup kitchens and pantries, and collectively distributed nearly 360 million meals in 2021 alone.