Fundraiser started to help with increased demand, fewer donations
The Windsor Service Alliance pantry is being severely strained by additional demand during shelter in place, and they have put out the call for assistance in the face of overwhelming demand.
“We are currently serving (over) 950 Windsor residents each week. WSA is currently serving an additional 326 people from surrounding areas who attend WUSD schools, we have had an increase in registration for emergency groceries in the last three weeks. Serving 1,276 people each week is double our normal capacity we are quickly depleting our food budget and our stored food. WSA needs money now to buy food,” says the opening paragraph of a newly launched GoFundMe campaign to help inject some cash into the rapidly depleting stores.
“Our service numbers are through the roof, WSA is serving more than three times the number of people we normally serve every Friday. This is our 28th year serving this community — we have never seen numbers like this,” said Doug Nicosia of the Windsor Service Alliance. “On April 17, WSA served 388 families, seniors and individuals comprising 1,406 people. On April 10, WSA served 332 families, seniors and individuals comprising 1,276 people.
“Since the shutdown, WSA has added over 200 new client numbers to our service database. These are mostly families and seniors. People who have never used our services before. WSA also reactivated client numbers not used in three or four years,” he concluded
According to the WSA, the county has told them to expect their service numbers to double each week. The goal for the fundraising campaign is $50,000, and as of the morning of April 22, $3,100 had been raised.
“WSA needs $250,000 to buy food to make it through to Christmas. This equals around $8,900 per week,” said Nicosia. “The $50,000 ask is to get the ball rolling and prove to the town, county, etc that the community supports our efforts and government needs to step up and help their residents.”
The WSA receives specific produce items free from the Redwood Empire Food Bank, all items on the staples list are bought by WSA at wholesale or cost plus 10%, and WSA spends on average $16.50 per family, every Friday. Due to the supply chains reacting to COVID-19, cost went up to $24.70 per family. They anticipate that on Friday, April 24, they will need to provide for 400 families, at a cost of $9,880. This total does not include items like eggs or meat.
“WSA has provided free groceries to any one in need for 28 years. We added 112 new seniors, comprising 165 people (61 singles, 52 couples) to the senior list. Not a single new client in this category qualifies for federal or state low-income services — we are their only source of free food,” Nicosia said. “We have added over seventy new families, comprising 294 people, who do not qualify for Federal or State low-income services — we are their only source of free food.
“WSA also added 42 families comprising 189 people, 14 couples under forty, and nine singles under 40 who stated they lost their jobs in service work, i.e. hotel maids, janitors, fast food, back-of house restaurant, school maintenance, wine tasting, clothing stores,” he continued. “WSA is set up to help anyone in need. We have never served this many people in a single week, four weeks in a row. This is our fifth week seeing our numbers explode. We have gone through our 40 foot container of dry goods. Last Friday we distributed over 14 tons of food. In addition, WSA gave out 1,600 take and heat full meals from Cuvee Catering, Chacho’s Catering, Gerard’s Paella and Walky Pig totaling another 6,000 pounds of food. But, please keep in mind, 34,000 pounds sounds like a lot, but that is only 78 pounds of food per family.”
In addition to increased demand, the WSA says donations of food are down 75%.
“Seventy percent of the 8,000 pounds of food we give out every week is gleaned from donor companies,” a statement from the WSA said. “Those donations have disappeared or become drastically reduced. REFB is providing WSA with 25% of what they normally portion out to us weekly from Feeding America and other sources. A huge reduction in free food when our numbers of clients continues to rise dramatically is forcing us to buy even more food to cover the difference.”
WSA is also receiving 10% or less of what they normally get free from Walmart. Normally, they receive 800 to 2000 pounds of produce, frozen meat and canned goods weekly from Walmart, but the WSA received only 75 pounds on April 17. In addition, other corporate donors have also reduced their offerings, with Safeway at 25% of normal, Raleys at 15% and Costeaux at 40% of bread/pastry. All are at 0% on any protein, dairy or dry groceries.
Other outlets like Costco, Grocery Outlet, Lola’s, Starbucks, McDonalds, Lepe’s, Whole Foods and Target have dropped to 0%.
However, that is not the only problem they are facing, as challenges from the town and county have further hindered their services.
“The town of Windsor just took away half our parking lot and fenced off the exit for roundabout construction storage on Monday. We do not know how we will do service for the rest of the year. Over 250 cars, parked, got food, and left the pantry between noon and 6 p.m. last Friday. We are expecting even more people in need this Friday and every Friday for the foreseeable future,” said Nicosia. “WSA has no full-time employees, we have one part-time employee and 50-plus volunteers. Every dollar WSA receives buys food, a small amount is spent on gas to transport it, upkeep on our ancient van, electricity to chill the food and rent to the Town of Windsor for the space to do service. We are a zero food waste provider with on-site composting and reuse of spent food distributed to farms, who then donate back the meat it feeds.
“(In addition), we have received just silly communications from the Emergency Director of Sonoma County after the town of Windsor directed us to them for funds,” he continued. “They basically told us the county expects us to see no increase in service numbers until the end of May and that they are sorry to hear we can’t serve our regular clients. Our numbers doubled four weeks ago and are now tripled. The county emergency staff is out of touch with the community it serves,” he finished.
