As a leader, my heart is broken, but my spirit is inspired during this unprecedented time in our lives.
The fear of the long-term effect of this pandemic saddens me as I think about the families, seniors, and children who will be affected.
Fighting hunger and poverty has been core to the Community Action Partnership of Orange County’s mission since it began serving this community in 1965. We are no stranger to helping people through the toughest of times. We started at a time of civic upheaval and extreme poverty, yet the shockingly fast pace in which the tide turned due to COVID-19 meant we would have to make quick decisions, and rise to the occasion to meet the growing need for our neighbors facing the biggest crisis our nation has seen in our lifetime.
It started with our volunteer workforce. Annually, we see 18,000-plus volunteers who help pack 24,000 senior food boxes monthly.
Within two days, we had lost more than 500 volunteers. Corporations had quickly moved to a remote work model with recommendations of social distancing.
That left us with a conundrum. How do we still manage to pack senior food boxes plus emergency food boxes that would be needed as more people begin to seek food assistance?
The decision was to quickly re-deploy other team members to the food bank to assist. We focused on smaller groups, 25 and under at first. Individuals hearing about our need trickled in. We had a steady pace of smaller groups throughout the days. We had met our first challenge.
Then it seemed like a tsunami hit.
On Monday, March 16, 2020, before we opened our doors, there was already a line forming around the building eager for our food bank to begin. It was filled with seniors who were anxious to receive the shelf-stable items the monthly box provides despite the recommendation to self-isolate.
In the line were also our agency partners (soup kitchens, churches, shelters, pantries, etc.) who knew that they needed to stock up on food supplies.
Midday, we had to close our shopping floor because it had been cleared of food items. Food is going out at a record pace, but without private donations, we cannot replace our inventory.
The food industry is being challenged to keep our grocery stores supplied, so there is no surplus food, which is where we traditionally receive food donations. In lieu of food drives, we have encouraged those who want to help to do a virtual food drive, as every dollar raised is critical to obtaining more food.
Typically, we have about a two months’ supply of donated food supply, but over the course of the past week, we have been whittled down to about one week’s worth. We have always managed with the support of government grants to our food bank, but now was the time for increased private support. We confront a situation in which we need to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase truckloads of staple food items. While we receive funding from USDA and TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) but with little, in terms of reserves, our funder partnerships and donations became more critical.
The impact of COVID-19 will be felt for months to maybe years ahead.
Facing poverty during “normal circumstances” is already difficult. During a crisis, it becomes even more of a challenge, and hopelessness creeps in. Our family resource centers located in the areas of Anaheim and Orange provide the daily support system such as senior activities, youth programs, counseling, emergency food and more. Southwest Community Center in Santa Ana provides hot meals for those experiencing homelessness.
Due to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate, we chose to limit our operations there to only food distribution. This limitation leaves a vacuum for communities who desperately need reassurance. Our phone lines are still ringing with families desperate for help and referrals.
One thing we have seen is growing anxiety due to social isolation, and uncertainty COVID-19 has caused. Food insecurity is also taking on another level of impact psychologically, emotionally, and physically. Even those whose needs should be met, those who have WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) vouchers or CalFresh (Food stamps) are finding grocery store shelves empty, and the items that they are approved to buy are unavailable.
We are preparing to shoulder one of the biggest catastrophes our nation has seen in recent history that will undoubtedly put people who were already struggling to make ends meet in more profound despair. Rampant layoffs, empty grocery shelves, and uncertainty will permeate our society for weeks to come. Yet, we will rise and be there to meet this need.
We have always been about community action, and that’s what it will take.
All of us, together, working to ensure the Orange County community and those who have been there for us—the janitors, the cooks, the service industry—are not left behind. Our Orange County community will still prevail. If we remember to care and love for our neighbor as we do ourselves, we can all be Community Action.
Editor’s Note: Gregory Scott became CEO in 2018 of Garden Grove-based Community Action Partnership of Orange County, which aims to eliminate and prevent the causes of poverty. It reported $23.6 million in revenue for 2019.
For more information on how to help, go to www.capoc.org.
