California Ag Network

Tag: Central California Food Bank

  • The Wonderful Company Announces Over $1.5 Million in Funding for Central Valley Nonprofits and Schools

    The Wonderful Company, one of the largest and most philanthropic privately held companies in the United States, announced today the latest recipients of its Central Valley Community Grants program.

    Grounded in a place-based approach to philanthropy, the Wonderful Community Grants Program supports local nonprofit organizations and schools across California’s Central Valley, where more than 3,000 Wonderful employees live and work. This year, more than $1.5 million in grant funding has been awarded to 43 organizations, supporting initiatives focused on health and wellness, education, recreation, community beautification, art, and social services.

    Serving as a flagship initiative, Wonderful Community Grants is part of The Wonderful Company’s comprehensive commitment to the Central Valley. For more than 10 years, the company and its co-owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, along with their foundations, have invested more than $850 million in the region, driving long-term social, educational, and economic progress.

    “As rising healthcare costs, food insecurity, and reductions in public funding continue to strain the nonprofit sector, local organizations are being asked to do more with fewer resources,” shared Andy Anzaldo, chief operating officer of corporate social responsibility at The Wonderful Company. “The Wonderful Community Grants program reflects a longstanding commitment to place-based giving by supporting the organizations that form the backbone of healthy, resilient communities, ensuring the Central Valley continues to be a place of opportunity for generations to come.”

    The program serves organizations based in Avenal, Delano, Del Rey, Firebaugh, Lost Hills, Mendota, Sanger, Shafter, and Wasco, California.

    “Thanks to The Wonderful Company’s generous support, we have been able to open doors for our youth to learn, grow, and thrive,” said Rudy Matcham, club unit director of the Del Rey Boys & Girls Club of Fresno County. “Wonderful’s support has been instrumental in expanding programs like Triple Play: Daily Challenges and Healthy Habits, and in ensuring the successful launch of the Alebrijes program, where youth are encouraged to explore physical activity, nutrition, and cultural storytelling through hands-on learning, from the kitchen to the classroom.”

    Some of the 2025 recipients include:

    Delano

    • The Open Door Network: Funds will ensure the domestic violence center in Delano remains open and accessible to survivors of domestic violence

    • United Way of Central Eastern California: Funds the VITA program offering free tax return support and filings to the communities of Delano, Lost Hills, Shafter, and Wasco

    Del Rey

    • Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County: Provides after-school programming including mentoring, healthy habits/nutrition, physical activity, cultural arts, field trips, and leadership opportunities to underserved youth

    Firebaugh

    • Central California Food Bank: Distributes free, fresh produce and essential boxes to individuals and families in Delano, Firebaugh, and Avenal

    • Regents of the University of Southern California: Funds their Promotoras initiative to help increase health equity in the community

    Lost Hills

    • Links for Life: Funds a mobile mammogram clinic in the communities of Delano, Lost Hills, Shafter, and Wasco

    • Shoes That Fit: Provides low-income students in Delano, Shafter, Lost Hills, and Wasco with new shoes on a referral basis

    Mendota

    • Central California Food Bank: Supports the expansion of food distribution programs among families and residents facing food insecurity in Mendota and Del Rey Sanger

    • Aquarius Aquarium Institute: Funds the Teaching Tidepools program, bringing hands-on aquarium experiences and environmental lessons into classrooms

    • Valley PBS: Provides workshops on mechanical, chemical, electrical, and civil engineering to children in kindergarten through sixth grade in Firebaugh, Sanger, Mendota, and Wasco

    Shafter

    • 746 Sports Foundation: Provides summer camp recreational and learning activities for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade and continues to build on the partnership between The Wonderful Company and the Shafter Recreation & Parks District with the new The Wonderful Company Community Sports Complex

    • Vision y Compromisio: Funds promotoras to deliver trainings on CPR, healthy development, nutrition, and more to family, friend, and neighbor caregivers, as well as parent engagement workshops in Shafter and Wasco

    Wasco

    • Community Action Partnership of Kern: Distributes free, fresh produce in the communities of Wasco, Shafter, and Lost Hills

    • City of Wasco: Offer hands-on nutrition and meal-prep education during a two-month Summer Nutrition Program at the Wasco Police Activities League (PAL) facility.

    For more information about Wonderful Community Grants, visit www.wonderfulcommunitygrants.com.

    About Wonderful Community Grants

    The Wonderful Company and its co-owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, have a long-standing commitment to investing in the communities where their employees live and work, particularly in California’s Central Valley. In addition to the millions of dollars the Resnicks, along with their foundations and The Wonderful Company, invest in the Central Valley every year, the Wonderful Community Grants program provides critical funding to organizations impacting change throughout the area.

    Local governments, area nonprofits, schools, and faith-based organizations can apply for grants in the categories of health and wellness, recreation, art, social services, and community beautification for amounts of up to $50,000 for one year and up to $100,000 for two years. Funding may be used for program development, expansion, innovation, small-scale capital improvements, technology, or equipment. More information can be found at www.wonderfulcommunitygrants.com.

    About The Wonderful Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility

    The Wonderful Company and its co-owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, have a longstanding commitment to investing in the communities where their employees live and work, especially in California’s Central Valley, which is home to 3,000 employees. The Resnicks, along with their foundations and The Wonderful Company, have invested more than $2.5 billion in education, health and wellness, community development, and sustainability initiatives across the Central Valley, Fiji, and the world. To learn more about The Wonderful Company and its core values, visit csr.wonderful.com.

  • California Table Grape Growers Double Impact of Food Bank Donations

    California table grape growers are doubling the impact of each gift made to the Central California Food Bank between October 20-31 to help provide meals for families facing hunger across the Central Valley.

    October is California Farmer and Farmworker Month, a month-long acknowledgement of California’s hardworking farmers and farmworkers. In celebration of the hands that help feed us, every dollar donated during the two-week campaign, up to $15,000, will be matched by California table grape growers. The campaign is designed to raise awareness and provide essential support to sustain food distributions in the San Joaquin Valley. Specifically, funds raised will help strengthen Central California Food Bank’s Farmworker Community Partnership Program across Fresno, Kern, and Tulare Counties.

    Central California Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in Central California, serving Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare counties. In Central California, 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 3 children face food insecurity, which is the limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Through a network of more than 260 member partner agencies, Central California Food Bank distributes nutritious foods to over 320,000 people each month, including more than 100,000 children.

    The campaign is a demonstration of California table grape growers’ collective commitment to building thriving communities in the table grape growing regions. “The commission is a service-based organization, and this initiative is a reflection of the commitment of California table grape growers to the communities they live and work in,” said Ian LeMay, commission president.

    For more information about the campaign, please visit give.ccfoodbank.org/calgrapes.

  • Golden State Farm Credit Gives Back During Hunger Action Month

    Golden State Farm Credit (GSFC) is joining the fight against hunger this September in recognition of Hunger Action Month, by partnering with local food banks in the communities it serves.

    In partnership with CoBank’s matching efforts, GSFC has provided $5,000 each to North State Food Bank and Central California Food Bank, to help expand food access in rural communities throughout Northern and Central California. Furthermore, GSFC has also contributed an additional $10,000 to Central California Food Bank in support of its 12th Annual Feeding Families Fund Drive, hosted in partnership with GAR Bennett, where every dollar donated will receive a 50% match from GAR Bennett.

    Community members can also join the initiative by donating online throughout September or by visiting The Market in Fresno, on Friday, September 19, 2025. GSFC representatives will be on-site in the afternoon to present a check, which will help Central California Food Bank feed over 300,000 people each month throughout Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, and Kern counties.

    “GSFC remains deeply committed to supporting the rural communities that we serve, and no time is more important than Hunger Action Month,” said Rob Faris, president and CEO of Golden State Farm Credit. “47 million people in America face hunger every day, and we are proud to play even a small role in supporting solutions that further the mission of these local food banks.”

    In addition to financial contributions, GSFC employees made a direct impact in helping provide food access locally by volunteering their time earlier this month. As part of GSFC’s greater Hunger Action Month efforts, a team of staff members volunteered at a food distribution site in Chico, providing food boxes for 300 families throughout the community.

    About GSFC:

    Golden State Farm Credit (GSFC) is a lending institution of the Farm Credit System with offices in Northern and Central California that service the counties of Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Shasta, Trinity, Fresno, Kings and Tulare. The GSFC administrative office is located at 3013 Ceres Avenue, Chico, CA 95973. The Farm Credit System (System) is a nationwide network of borrower-owned lending institutions that provides loans, leases, and related services to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, agribusiness, agricultural and rural utility cooperatives, and Young, Beginning and Small Farmers nationwide. Congress established the System in 1916 to provide a reliable source of credit for the nation’s farmers and ranchers. Today, the System provides more than one-third of the credit needed by those who live and work in rural America. For more information about Golden State Farm Credit, call (530) 895-8698 or visit us online at www.goldenstatefarmcredit.com.

  • Fresno Madera Farm Credit and CoBank Announce $30,000 Donation to Central California Food Bank

    Fresno Madera Farm Credit and CoBank have jointly announced a $30,000 donation to Central California Food Bank’s Feeding Families Fund Drive. The donation will provide over 180,000 meals to rural residents of Central California, many of whom have limited access to full-service grocery stores and have been severely impacted by the rising cost of food.

    “With the challenge of rising food costs, we greatly appreciate the support from businesses like Fresno Madera Farm Credit as we work to feed more than 300,000 people per month,” said Kym Dildine, co-CEO for Central California Food Bank. “Thanks to this generous contribution, we can continue addressing the growing demand for food access in Central California.”

    The $30,000 donation was made possible by a matched donation from CoBank, Fresno Madera Farm Credit’s funding bank, which matched its $15,000 local contribution.

    “Fresno Madera Farm Credit’s partnership with the Central California Food Bank reflects our shared commitment to making a positive impact in Central Valley communities,” said Claire Trudo, senior relationship manager in CoBank’s Farm Credit Banking Group. “We are proud to support Fresno Madera’s unwavering commitment to Central California Food Banks’ mission.

    Fresno Madera Farm Credit timed its donation to coincide with the Feeding Families Fund Drive, which offered a 50% match from GAR Bennett for all contributions. The staff at Fresno Madera Farm Credit also volunteered Friday to help the food bank collect donations outside The Market grocery store on Herndon and West, resulting in a one-day total of over $614,000 with the GAR Bennett match.

    “There are many ways we can all support the communities in our area – we’ve always understood that addressing food insecurity is one of the best ways to fulfill this responsibility – so, we take great pride in our nine-year partnership with the Central California Food Bank,” said Fresno Madera Farm Credit CEO Keith Hesterberg. “Inflation and high interest rates have created challenges for everyone in our community and we appreciate the leadership role the food bank has played in creating visibility around food insecurity and how we can all have an impact.”

    About Fresno Madera Farm Credit:

    Founded in 1917, Fresno Madera Farm Credit is a farmer-owned cooperative and a proud member of the national Farm Credit System.  Located in one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, FMFC provides credit and financial services to farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses that grow, process, and market over 350 commodities that are shipped all over the United States, and the world. For more information about FMFC please visit fmfarmcredit.com, and for more information about the Farm Credit System, visit www.farmcredit.com.

    About CoBank:

    CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 76,000 farmers, ranchers, and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country. CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure, and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S., and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.