Yuba Sutter Food Bank says $15,000 city allocation funded emergency distribution serving 2,350 people

Maria Ball, executive director of the Yuba Sutter Food Bank, told the council the organization used a $15,000 allocation from the city to support emergency food relief following delays in CalFresh benefits and a federal shutdown. She said the food bank organized a Saturday distribution in a Kmart parking lot that served about 2,350 individuals — representing roughly 650 families — in two hours; volunteers arrived as early as 4 a.m. to set up and assist.

"We served 2,350 individuals that represented 650 families in 2 hours' time," Ball said, thanking city staff and community volunteers for supporting the response. She noted the council had earmarked half the $15,000 to support an airman's market on Beale Air Force Base and said $7,500 will help establish a market that provides food and household items as a budget offset for airmen and base families.

Ball also described the food bank’s scale and operations: 11 staff, 26 direct distributions organized by the food bank, partnerships with roughly 50 local agencies, and food recovery volumes that rose from about 1.2 million pounds in 2023 to roughly 1.7–1.8 million pounds in 2025.

Councilmembers thanked Ball and discussed potential reuse of the Kmart building for food bank operations; no formal action was required. Staff and community members noted the airman's market and the food bank’s role in regional emergency response as ongoing partnerships.