Families affected by September 1 Storm receive emergency food assistance from IVFB
NILAND – Families severely impacted by the extensive damage caused from “September 1st Storm” received emergency food assistance from the Imperial Valley Food Bank (IVFB) as early as Saturday, September 2.
“Our staff quickly saw the need and brought out emergency food boxes, hydration drinks and water bottles that Saturday afternoon,” said Alba Sanchez, IVFB Director of Programs.
Food Bank staff worked with the Imperial County Department of Social Services (DSS) and members of the NorthEnd Alliance 111 to ensure the emergency food and drinks were distributed to residents at the Niland Fire Department on Saturday afternoon.
Beyond the weekend aid, the IVFB also held an impromptu drive thru and walk-up food distribution Tuesday morning in response to the continued need in the area, explained Sanchez.
“Our volunteers and staff served 150 families Tuesday morning during our distribution at the Niland Chamber of Commerce,” Sanchez shared.
The distributed food included tuna, diced tomatoes, apple sauce, mixed fruit, milk, nectarines, hazelnuts, grapes, flour tortillas, frozen chicken breast, fresh strawberries, and hydration drinks, along with bags of rice, beans, and split peas.
Tuesday’s distribution in Niland also informed the food bank staff of the unique needs of Slab City residents also recovering from the September 1st Storm.
“We knew there were several residents who could not drive out to the Niland Chamber of Commerce for food on Tuesday, so we decided to hold a separate food distribution in Slab City on Wednesday morning,” Sanchez said.
Volunteers and food bank staff distributed the same types of commodities given in Niland to more than 65 Slab City residents on Wednesday.
To ensure as many local families as possible received emergency food assistance, the food bank also sent an additional 168 emergency food boxes to Niland on Thursday, September 7.
Food Bank’s partner agency NorthEnd Alliance 111 distributed the boxes of food to residents from 11AM to 1PM at the Niland Fire Department on Thursday.
“As we conclude our emergency food assistance efforts for the families affected by the September 1st Storm, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated staff, volunteers, partners, and the resilient residents of Niland and Slab City,” Sanchez said. “While the storm may have passed, our commitment to helping our neighbors endures.”
The IVFB is the central food distribution center for Imperial County and aims to provide reliable food assistance to community members experiencing food emergencies. The recent emergency food distributions were made possible through a collaborative effort with the Imperial County Office of Emergency Services.