We have teamed up with national nonprofit, The Farmlink Project, to provide over 9.5 tons of USDA supported organic produce to nine of MDUSD’s school food distribution sites, today, August 5th, 2020. An outstanding 925 boxes have been prepared for distribution, each containing 20 lbs of fresh, organic produce grown locally in the Salinas Valley. Thanks to a generous partnership with Yeti, they have donated coolers so the district can store the produce boxes until it is distributed.Â
MDUSD serves over 18,000 meals each week to families in need, and have been providing additional fresh food boxes for families to take home to supplement these meals. Not only does this addition food help fight hunger, but allows for redistribution of what would have been tons of wasted edible food. Fighting hunger and food waste during this pandemic and beyond go hand in hand, and this event is another step towards a healthier food system.Â
The Farmlink Project is a college student-run non-profit that provides seamless logistics to transport surplus produce from farms to food banks in need, restoring the jobs of farmworkers and truckers.Â
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Read the official press release below:
NONPROFITS EAT REAL AND FARMLINK PARTNER WITH MT. DIABLO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT & USDA TO DISTRIBUTE OVER 19,040 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE TO FAMILIES IN NEEDÂ
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 5, 2020
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BAY POINT, CA. (Aug. 5, 2020) – The COVID-19 crisis continues, and hunger in America is at an all time high. Many students depend on meals provided by their schools, and closures have challenged adequate access to fresh produce. The Farmlink project is a college student run non-profit that provides seamless logistics to transport surplus produce from farms to food banks in need, restoring the jobs of farmworkers and truckers. Eat REAL is a Public Health nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming food in K-12 schools, creating a healthier next generation and planet.
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The COVID-19 crisis has rendered many people jobless and food insecurity has grown exponentially, especially in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD). California based nonprofit, Eat REAL, and National nonprofit, The Farmlink Project, have teamed up to provide over 9.5 tons of USDA supported organic produce to nine of MDUSD’s school food distribution sites on August 5th, 2020.Â
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While the economic impacts of COVID-19 increase, so do the demands on critical school food programs. Each week the Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves over eighteen thousand meals to families in need. Farmlink and Eat REAL are working together to gather surplus produce from farmers and connect them with the school system food service providers.Â
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Farmlink and Eat REAL volunteers will distribute organic, local and seasonal produce and food kits, sourced from the Salinas Valley to families in the District. The food drive includes 952 boxes for MDUSD, at approx. 20 lbs of organic produce per box, including onions, cabbages, lettuce, stone fruits, squash, and various other vegetables. Transportation of produce is generously provided through Farmlink’s partnership with UBERFREIGHT. In support of this event, the outdoor manufacturing company, YETI, has donated coolers to keep produce fresh and refrigerated. This collaboration ensures that families will receive healthy, organic produce, which is even more important during the COVID crisis, as part of their meal distribution.Â
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This event reflects communities coming together to support those in need during COVID-19. While people go hungry, millions of pounds of food are wasted every day. This event is a step toward bettering the food systems in America, you will want to be a part of it. Â
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