’Tis the season for food drives. At local events, you’ll find barrels for donations of canned foods and other nonperishables, and several organizations will hold turkey drives, most with dates and locations to be announced closer to Thanksgiving. Tip: Keep a bag of nonperishables in your car so you have a can or two ready to drop into the donation bin. Also, fundraising is part of food-relief organizations’ mission, and monetary donations go much farther than bags full of food due to a group’s connections with other food-garnering networks. Here are some places and ways to donate this year.
Food Bank Of El Dorado County—Based in Cameron Park, this is the county’s primary food-recovery organization for donated food, distributing food via churches and other donation points throughout the region. The Food Bank accepts perishable and nonperishable food donations at its warehouse (4550 Business Park Drive, Cameron Park) Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. The food bank also can help businesses, churches, and other groups organize food drives. Monetary donations help the food bank spread the wealth even further, and the website makes donating easy. foodbankedc.org.
Feeding the Foothills—This organization serves Placer, Nevada, and El Dorado Counties. While it does not do in-person food drives or take product donations, it runs a regular online food drive that enables donors to shop and fund a variety of options ranging from a $5 produce bag or a $20 perishables box on up to $250 for 25 nonperishables boxes. A donation of $1 can create up to six meals. donate.feedingthefoothills.org/event/ftffooddrive
Upper Room Dining Hall—The Placerville-area community dining program serves a hot, nutritious meal to anyone who needs one, every day, at its hub (1868 Broadway, Placerville). Its mobile food trucks travel to Georgetown, Cameron Park, and Pollock Pines; its mobile program also brings meals to people unable to travel. Upper Room accepts perishable and nonperishable items at its Broadway site, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Its biggest needs: fresh produce, ground beef, and desserts. All prepared foods must be made in a licensed commercial kitchen and sealed in original packaging. It cannot accept homemade items or expired foods. Monetary donations also are tremendously helpful. upperroomdininghall.org
Twin Lakes Food Bank—Located in Folsom, Twin Lakes Food Bank serves El Dorado Hills and Granite Bay as well, providing food most weekdays at its primary location (327 Montrose Drive, Folsom). The food bank accepts donations there Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. till 11:30 (Monday) or noon, and cites a high need for canned main dishes (chili, ravioli), healthy cereals, oatmeal, canned meats, canned tomato products, canned broths, and nutritional drinks such as Ensure. Twin Lakes also gratefully accepts overflow from local gardeners’ harvests. Monetary donations are encouraged as well, via a simple website system. The organization estimates a donation of $25 buys 20 meals. twinlakesfoodbank.org
El Dorado Community Turkey Drive
The annual El Dorado Community Turkey Drive, organized with El Dorado Community Foundation, Kings Meats in Diamond Springs, and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, among others, has opened donation channels to fund distribution of hundreds of Thanksgiving turkeys. A $20 donation covers a turkey for one family; goal is $48,000 this year. Find a link via edcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate by typing “turkey” into the search bar, or visiting Kings Meats’ Facebook or Instagram pages, where you’ll find a QR code.