Feeding Santa Barbara

When COVID-19 hit Santa Barbara County, it not only stopped our way of life but irrevocably changed it for many. On March 9, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County initiated its Disaster Feeding Plan to help keep those most affected by the pandemic from going hungry. Since then, the nonprofit has been giving out 65,000-85,000 pounds of food a day, which so far totals seven million pounds of food distributed to residents from Carpinteria to San Luis Obispo, with 54 pickup locations in between. That is 60 percent more food than the Foodbank delivered the previous year.

With the help of contributions, the Foodbank has been able to provide fresh fruits and vegetables as 50 percent of each distribution, and with the aid of partners such as the National Guard, more than 115,000 boxes of food have been delivered to residents who are unable to leave the house, with 22,893 of those being seniors and families facing extreme hardship.

To keep up with county residents’ needs, the Foodbank added more than 1,400 new volunteers, who have put in more than 6,800 hours of work. 

Since May, I have been documenting the scope and scale of the Foodbank’s operation — from the volunteers who pick the fruit to the organizations they’ve partnered with to the nonprofit’s administration that keeps the food coming in and going out.

The following photo essay is a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to feed more than 100,000 people a week.