Reports have been circulating locally that the free distributions of food coordinated by the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County are in jeopardy. Reporter Dan Stork spoke with the director of the food bank program, and learned that the situation is mixed…
Gerald Wilson, who runs the food bank program for the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County, told us that there is good news and bad news for his program. The good news is that he has an abundance of food available to be distributed throughout the County, due to the designation of the County by the Federal government as an area in need of help. The bad news is that the program has had to lay off drivers, putting the burden on affiliate agencies who hand the food out to come and get the food themselves. Locally, this change has caused one site–the Joshua Tree Community Center on Sunburst–to drop out of the program–there will be no distribution there in May. The site at the Copper Mountain Mesa Foundation in Joshua Tree has agreed to help fill the void. Wilson said, “They have volunteered to handle the clients from the Joshua Tree community center and we will increase their food allotment to accommodate any increase in client participation.” Wilson also said that a site has been added in Yucca Valley, at Pacific Clinics, that he is in talks with a prospective affiliate in Twentynine Palms, and that he would like to add sites in Morongo Valley and Yucca Valley–in addition to wanting to replace the site in Joshua Tree. Local churches or other organizations with an interest in participating can call Gerald Wilson at 909-723-1583 or visit the food bank’s new web site at sanbernardinofoodbank.org.
