CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) — In response to the likely lapse of SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown, White Pony Express is launching a massive food drive in Contra Costa County.
The nonprofit is a food recovery organization serving Contra Costa County. It gets fresh food daily from places like Whole Foods and Trader Joes and delivers it to around 110 nonprofits to distribute.
Leaders say they are already seeing longer lines at food distribution sites countywide and anticipate the need to grow.
Mary Franklin has volunteered at White Pony Express for around six years, helping to sort the incoming food.
She said even before the government shutdown, the demand for services is the highest she’s seen.
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“It’s dire. It’s awful. I also volunteer at a homeless community, and they’re scared to death. They get two meals a day, and they live on their SNAP benefits,” Franklin said. “They’re saying they’re just so afraid. ‘What do we do now? You only get 10 meals a week, and this is running out.’ I’m seeing that on the ground.”
White Pony Express CEO Eve Birge said the numbers confirm what Franklin says she’s witnessed.
“We’re already seeing hundreds of thousands of people, and now, 110,000 households are not going to have the benefits that they rely on for food,” she said.
White Pony Express said it’s always accepting donations, but through Nov. 30, it’s calling on community members who are able to double down on those donations.
“We’re inviting everybody to help us to bring food, to bring their time, to bring their donations,” Birge said.
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The nonprofit is asking for protein-rich items, like canned tuna, chicken, salmon, nut butters, beans, lentils, shelf-stable milk, canned soups, chili and other shelf-stable foods.
“White Pony Express operates seven days a week,” Birge said. “People can come and drop off food between 8 a.m. and, I would say, 3 p.m. every day. You can come right into our foyer, and we’ll direct you to our distribution center.”
The nonprofit is also accepting monetary donations.
For more information, you can head to its website here.
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