Local volunteers converge on Heritage Park to help with KCAO food distribution

Kings Community Action Organization (KCAO), the county's federally designated anti-poverty agency, organized Friday morning's event, one of many Kings County food distributions this month – and probably not the last. Organizers say 509 families showed up Friday morning, and about 22,000 pounds of food was distributed, enough for about 1,800 individuals. Much of the food comes from the state's Emergency Food Program. KCAO also gets food from local packing houses and several other sources.  

Friday's volunteers came from a variety of sources, including local service clubs, churches, and other civic organizations, and no doubt others who just wanted to help. Every volunteer had a role to play. There were food baggers, loaders, and volunteers directing traffic as one by one, vehicles pulled into the parking lot, and accepted one or two bags of food.

Juan Martinez (right) KCAO's Nutrition, Education and Hunger Prevention Director, orchestrated Friday's Heritage Park food distribution event.

The guy in charge Friday morning, KCAO's Juan Martinez, the agency's Nutrition, Education and Hunger Prevention Director, praised the mostly volunteer effort. "It's been really positive. You know we've had a lot of people coming in to get food," he said. "We have people that you don't typically see coming to a distribution because of the need right now. We've seen an increase. But we've also seen an increase in volunteers."

Martinez admitted he wasn't sure how many volunteers would turn out Friday morning, but they did, about 30 of them, as a steady flow of vehicles rolled through the Heritage Park parking lot. They didn't have to wait long for their food bags as volunteers quickly deposited food bags in the trunks or back seats and then waived the drivers through.

"A lot of people see the need," said Martinez, who quickly moved from car to car, placing bags of food in the trunk or back seats. "We've received some food donations, time donations, and fund donations, which is really good because the community in Kings County really needs it, so it's been positive so far."

According to Martinez, Friday's food distribution certainly won't be the last. "As long as there is a need in the community, we're going to feed families."

Future food distributions will be held in Avenal on April 28 in the high school's parking lot from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Kettleman City has a distribution scheduled at 1 pm. to 3 p.m., and then in Stratford from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Both are scheduled for April 29. Hanford's Koinonia Church will host a distribution on April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon.