In February, I shared how grants from the Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s Impact Fund — made possible by donations from our community — expanded purchasing credits for Yolo Food Bank’s partner agencies, advancing our commitment to strengthen food security in Yolo County.
Today, I’d like to share how those investments and other coordinated efforts are working together to expand access to nutritious food across the county.
Through the Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s support of Yolo Food Bank’s school-based distributions, community food boxes, farm partnerships, and gleaning efforts, thousands of pounds of fresh produce and staple foods are reaching families each month. Since last July, volunteers and farmers recovered 492,512 pounds of food, with dozens of new farm partners joining the effort and expanded coordination across Yolo County.
One dimension that I find especially interesting is how interconnected this work is: Produce gleaned from local farms is now appearing in Yolo Food Bank’s partner agency store, meaning the same system that provides flexible purchasing power to agencies is also strengthened by expanded local food recovery. Each investment reinforces another part of the network!
This is the kind of ecosystem-level impact the Foundation aims to support in advancing health equity in our community: data-informed strategies, strong local partnerships, and practical investments that build long-term capacity. When these efforts align, they strengthen the entire food system.
Make Your Impact
Support efforts like this with a gift to the Impact Fund. You can also join the Impact Collaborative, a network of people who care about this community and want to make a difference alongside others who feel the same.