South Bay charity tries to keep up with increasing number of hungry families

Workers at Sacred Heart Community Service say the growing need among hungry families in the South Bay right now is like nothing they’ve ever seen.

With just over two weeks until Thanksgiving, the nonprofit agency said it can’t even pivot into holiday mode because the immediate need is so great – need created by the ongoing government shutdown and questions over federal food assistance funding.

“We’re working double duty right now,” Sacred Heart Community Service Executive Director Poncho Guevara said.

Guevara said some donors and volunteers who have helped provide for the needy in years past are now finding themselves in need. He also said between the government shutdown, the economy, and the ongoing battle over federal food assistance funding, the need right now is worse than the pandemic years.

“This is not like other things that we’ve seen, like the pandemic or the economy going down,” he said. “This is something different.”

People like Adrian Mancilla said it’s not for lack of trying. He has a job, but he still can’t make ends meet. Maria Vasquez said it’s unimaginably difficult right now.

Usually when November rolls around, Sacred Heart finds itself in the middle of its annual Thanksgiving drive, collecting turkeys and raising money for holiday food boxes. But the agency said this year it can’t completely pivot to that strategy because the immediate need is so large.

“Our goal was about 4,000, but we’re already seeing those numbers trickle up, especially on a normal weekday like today,” Guevara said.

Guevara said his agency is normally the safety net for the safety net. Right now, it’s all hands on deck as Sacred Heart vows to continue feeding the hungry, no matter how big the challenges become.

Source: NBC Bay Area