Our Story

In 2024, five organizations – the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, White Pony Express, Meals on Wheels Diablo Region, Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa, and St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County, all leaders in the fight against food insecurity - created the Food Security Collaborative of Contra Costa County. Each organization witnessed a growing and more urgent need to address the gaps in food access as COVID stimulus funding declined and the need in the community remained high. With rising inflation, an increase in individuals and families becoming unhoused, more income inequality, an aging senior population, they knew that only by working together could they more efficiently utilize their resources to better serve impacted populations.

Goals & Impact

To achieve the common goal of ending food insecurity, the Collaborative recognized that we first need to identify where gaps exist. We are currently developing a food security equity map to identify neighborhoods that have high food insecurity rates and a lack of services. Prior to the existence of the Collaborative, each organization was independently, assessing its services on their own, resulting in isolated and, at times, overlapping efforts. By working as one entity to map this data, the Collaborative will gain a comprehensive countywide view of service gaps, enabling coordinated efforts to address needs collectively and to more efficiently utilize resources.

This approach will have significant short-term and long-term impact the fight against food insecurity by:

  • Identifying where gaps exist and the population most impacted.

  • Creating a distribution strategy to ensure that people receive enough healthy food to remain nourished.

  • Providing more culturally relevant foods to a diverse population.

  • Securing sustainable funding to help eliminate food insecurity in Contra Costa County.

  • Leveraging the collective voices of funders, policymakers, and the community to impact the lives of those most in need, with the goal of ending hunger in Contra Costa.

Click here for more information or to get involved.