By Clyde Noel

As rich as California is in agricultural resources, nearly four million Californians are hungry or live on the edge of hunger.

Speaking before the Los Altos Kiwanis Club last Tuesday, Mari Ellen Reynolds, director of development for the San Jose-based Second Harvest Food Bank, said the agency feeds 143,000 people a month and the need continues to grow.

“A lot of people think it’s immigration that’s causing hunger, but it’s the natural population growth that’s in need of food,” Reynolds said. “Right now, 70 percent of the people we supply food to are employable. Having two jobs doesn’t get it done, and we have seniors trying to live on $10,000 a year and don’t have enough money for food.”

Presently, 10,738 low-income seniors receive a weekly bag of groceries provided at 77 community sites through the Operation Brown Bag Program. This is an increase of 10 percent over last year. Each week, Brown Bag members receive an average of 19 pounds of food.

Most of the recipients are service people from restaurants, hotels and airports who have lost their jobs. Last December, Second Harvest fed 150,000 people; last month the figure rose to 190,000.

“Surprisingly, many people who were previous donors to Second Harvest have been laid off. They still try to give $10,” Reynolds said. “One dollar can pay for two meals to the hungry, so $10 could supply 20 people with food.”

Reynolds encouraged Kiwanis members to volunteer time and give a dollar. Donating money makes a vital contribution to the community.

Second Harvest is a national network of more than 200 food banks and food-rescue programs that distribute donated food to the needy. Food Bank Inc. of Santa Clara County was formed in 1974 and incorporated as a non-profit agency in 1979. In 1988 the San Mateo County Food Bank merged with the Food Bank of Santa Clara County to become the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Second Harvest maintains several programs to feed people.

Operation Brown Bag is a self-help program that provides low-income seniors with a weekly bag of groceries.

Family Harvest provides monthly groceries to low-income families with dependent children.

Partners in Need provides food assistance to low-income Food Bank volunteers.

Food Assistance provides a variety of grocery items to hundreds of non-profit agencies in Santa Clara and San Mateo county neighborhoods.

The hot meal programs at emergency food pantries and shelters serve a culturally diverse clientele of families with children and seniors.

Second Harvest is working with the U.S. Postal Service to collect cans of groceries on a food drive. “A can of food in one of their barrels will fill someone else’s tummy tomorrow,” Reynolds said. “We also need volunteers to help separate the food from cans of peanut butter.”