The Kern County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday unanimously approved a proclamation designating November and December 2025 as the "Kern County Cares" canned food drive, an annual effort to collect food and donations for the Golden Empire Gleaners.

Supervisor Jeff Flores introduced the proclamation and the board voted to adopt it. The drive will run Monday, Nov. 3, 2025 through Friday, Dec. 26, 2025; donated food and funds will be delivered to Golden Empire Gleaners in early January to restock the nonprofit’s shelves.

Debbie Powers, executive director of Golden Empire Gleaners, described the organization’s work and current needs, saying, "Every can, every dollar collected through this drive helps us feed thousands of families and seniors across our community." Powers and county staff asked county departments to participate in the friendly department‑level competition that funds and collects canned goods for the Gleaners.

County staff noted results from the last campaign: 27 county departments participated in a 2024 campaign and together raised $32,462 and collected 211,000 pounds of food, with a combined total of 276,000 pounds of donations reported through the county’s efforts.

Karina Wilson, identified in the meeting as an administrative coordinator at the Department of Human Services and the county’s lead for the campaign, told the board departments were already beginning to organize collections and that the county will report back in January with the winning department and final totals.

The board’s proclamation asks county departments and the public to support the drive; the Board of Supervisors adopted the proclamation by unanimous vote.