DOWNEY — With gritty focus and determination, FoodHelp, a local food bank sponsored by Downey First Christian Church, swiftly reorganized its procedures to serve the increasing number of people facing food uncertainty during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Marty Fehn, director of the weekly Saturday distribution, said they experienced an immediate rush on the food bank after the stay-at-home order was issued last month.  The panic buying and empty shelves at regular grocery stores prompted many people to show up at the food bank.

Fehn estimates that 30 families showed up that first weekend “who came in and told me, ‘I just can’t find anything, so I’m just desperate.’”  Some people shared that they saw posts on Facebook saying the church was giving away food.

“That was concerning,” said Fehn, “because we’re not situated to handle the primary food market.  You know, we’re the secondary food market for those in need, so we looked at several conditions and we talked all week.”  One major problem was the ensuing disorder as the operation struggled to have people comply with safe social distancing.

“We made some procedural changes,” Fehn recounts, “we monitored food, and talked with those that we get food from throughout the week to see if we would still have food.  We made a decision Thursday that we would be open again that Saturday and we broke our all-time record, which was about 153 families, and shot up to 178. That didn’t hold long, because the following week we broke it again when we went up to 180.”

Fehn describes most of their “neighbors,” the people they serve, as the working poor and the elderly with limited resources.   Only a small percentage of those they serve are part of the homeless population. 

As business contracted and layoffs began, an increasing number of people sought help.  Last Saturday FoodHelp recorded 242 families receiving food assistance from this 16-year-old program.

“Our mission is to help as many as we can,” explains Beth Gendreau, a volunteer who helps on Fridays to prepare the weekly distribution.  “If there is a need, then God blesses us with the food and we hand it out to those who need it.”

The method of operation on Saturdays has changed significantly as safe social distancing is now standard practice for people who need to be in public.

Before the COVID-19 crisis, people seeking food assistance were able to check in and wait inside the church auditorium until it was their turn.  FoodHelp did not require any official documentation to receive food, but did keep a file with information on how many people were in each family and any special needs due to age or food allergies.  They also offered help with resumes for those seeking jobs, referrals for housing, medical services, etc.

Per government orders, the church auditorium is now closed to any gatherings.  The hundreds of people seeking assistance stand six feet apart in a line that goes around the church, down New Street, and turns the corner at Third Street.  Volunteers keep a list with minimal records, asking mainly, “How many in your family?”

Transitioning to social distancing was made easier because of a distinctive feature already in place at the regular Saturday distribution.  Volunteers with hand carts individually escort each family through the food pick-up area and then load the groceries in the recipient’s car.

“The volunteer pushing the cart will also help keep the separation as they go through and pick up their product,” explains Gendreau.

Friday Preparation

Preparation for Saturday distribution begins each Friday.  To speed up the process, volunteers now pre-package fresh produce in boxes.  As people and their carts come through the line on Saturday, a volunteer places a box on each cart   Any refrigerated items, like milk, cheese, meat, deli, are set out at a second station and also loaded on to the cart by a volunteer.  Various other items, canned goods, cereals, etc., are at a third location.  FoodHelp opens an hour earlier now, at 8:00 a.m. because of increased demand.

Fehn, who has been a volunteer with the group for 13 years, commends those who are the backbone of the operation.  “It’s wonderful, the outreach that we’ve had, and the courage that we’ve had.”

Gendreau likes to help with Friday preparation because it is easier to keep safe social distancing.  She is in the vulnerable category for those who might be affected by the Coronavirus.

 “We wear our masks, and we know that we can stay away from each other, while on Saturday there are a lot more people and it is more challenging to keep your distance.”  Gendreau often checks in early Saturday morning to see that everything is in order, but then slips away as more people arrive.

Fehn says high-schoolers were a very large part of the volunteer group on Saturdays until the health crisis developed.

“Parents are fearful for their kids,” he explains.  “They don’t want them to get sick.”  Nonetheless, Fehn says they always seem to have enough help. 

“I don’t know if it’s a testament to the community we live in,” Fehn reflects.  People often drop in and ask what they can do to help.  “So it says a lot about our community.”  He recounts that LA Regional Foodbank told him that most of their agencies were struggling to get enough volunteers.

The product available at FoodHelp comes from a variety of sources—some donated by markets like Aldi and WinCo, some from restaurants such as Porto’s Bakery and Cafe, and some purchased at the LA Regional Food Bank.  FoodHelp also welcomes individual food donations, but that amount has declined due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.  Schools and civic groups are no longer able to hold food drives.

Porto’s, a popular eatery across LA County, contributes regularly to the local Downey community.  With a smile, Gendreau reports that “Porto’s is still being very generous with their donations,” even as the restaurant has had to change its own operation.

Food arrives at FoodHelp by various means.  Volunteers in a bright yellow truck make daily trips to pick up donations from certain contributors.  Another truck makes weekly trips to the LA Regional Food Bank.  FoodHelp also receives a weekly delivery from a non-profit, Food Finders, that collects and distributes donated perishable food.

“Our suppliers have been wonderful, they really have,” affirms Fehn.  “There’s a real mobilization around this.”  Safe operation during the health crisis has created an unexpected need—additional cash.

 “The thing we’re struggling with the most now,” says Fehn, “are some actual hard costs that are increasing, but we don’t get any relief from.”  These include masks and gloves for the volunteers, and cleaners and disinfectants.  “With some of them being unavailable, they’re more expensive.”

Gas is also a problem, he continues.  “Our fuel costs are up a little, although fuel price is down.  We’ve had to do more pickups at various places, and when you have a delivery style truck, it’s not your most fuel-efficient vehicle on the market.”  There is also increased maintenance with greater use.

The little hand carts which help so much with social distancing during the distribution are also a source of increased costs.

“Those little carts are getting a lot more wear than they normally would,” Fehn reports  “We’re putting several hundred pounds on them all day long, back and forth, down the sidewalks and the blacktop, over to people’s cars. They only last a few months.”  Fehn counts replacement carts at about $70 each.  In light of these increasing expenditures, Fehn urges everyone who can to make a cash donation.  FoodHelp uses Breeze, a church management software, for donations.  Their website is https://downeyfirst.breezechms.com/give/online.  A menu allows the donor to designate FoodHelp as the recipient.

PTA H.E.L.P.S.

Downey’s other food bank, PTA H.E.L.P.S., has had to shut its doors for a while. The two food banks often work collaboratively on food drives and providing full Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for needy families during the holidays. 

A food packaging event sponsored by Downey Federal Credit Union for the past five years has also been cancelled due to the threat of Covid-19.  Gathering at the Warren High School gym, several hundred volunteers would work in assembly lines to combine lentils, beans, rice, and spices into packages that became a nutritious meals for a family of four when water was added.  The dry meals, with their long shelf life, were distributed among the various food banks.  The event cancellation this year represents over 50,000 family meals no longer available for distribution.

Despite their limitations, the PTA and the Downey Unified School District still offer support for those most in need.   

Cheryl Juarez, President of PTA H.E.L.P.S., says they are still supplying food to families “on an as-needed basis.” 

School Board member Martha Sodetani picks up weekly donations of bread from Porto’s every Wednesday which, along with other foods like peanut butter and canned tuna, is distributed to families living in hotels. 

“We also give them a gift card for groceries as well,” she says.  “They can get milk, eggs, and produce, or whatever they chose to get.”

Families of students who find themselves in crisis for whatever reason can also contact the TLC Family Resource Center of the Downey Unified School District.

Gendreau, a PTA member herself, also has permission to use some of the PTA’s collection of canned and boxed grocery items for those she knows to be homeless. 

“PTA H.E.L.P.S. is allowing me to go in and make up some bags—from the tuna, the pasta, the canned pasta, the chili and stuff, from their supply, to make sure the homeless are getting their needs,” she explains.  She delivers the bags to individuals she knows.

“A lot of them have can openers,” Gendreau explains, “and some have devices to heat them up.  Certain items you can’t eat cold.  It’s not as good, but it’s nourishment.”

Student meals from the school district are also helping with food shortages experienced by many families during this pandemic.  A bagged breakfast and lunch are available every school day for each student under 18 years.  There are eight distribution sites.

District spokesperson Ashley Greaney reports that approximately 3,600 to 4,500 students are being served each day.  With two meals provided for each student, that is almost 18,000 individual daily meals.  The food is from district sources and not from donations.

According to Greaney, food purchases for the meals have moved toward more shelf stable items due to lack of hot and cold holding facilities.  The district has not run out of food, but she reports that supply lines are becoming stressed. 

DUSD students are participating in distance learning through technology due to campuses being closed for the remainder of the school year. Given the unusual circumstances created by COVID-19, DUSD elected to continue these meals, which will help many families, through spring break.

“The situation is becoming dire,” Sodetani concludes.