Our Neighbors’ Stories – Your Impact

Excess crops are an essential source of fresh food for our neighbors. In 2024, 101,643 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables were gathered through 184 gleaning events — all thanks...

Jeff Dietz is the Food Pantry Coordinator at River Community Church, overseeing donations, volunteer coordination, and weekly pantry operations. Under his leadership, the pantry serves over 700 people each week,...

Ten years ago, when Lisa moved to Simi Valley as a single mother of two young children, life was uncertain. After losing her job, she found herself in a situation...

Bob Kinseth collects food for eight families in his community, including single mothers, elderly neighbors, and children who have recently lost a parent. “Having access to this food makes their...

Roger Crump collects food for a few people in his community, including family members, friends, and neighbors facing severe challenges—some are homeless, some live in housing programs, and one has...

Four years ago, Jose Fernandez visited our Pantry Partner Adelante Conejo Comunidad for community service hours but quickly found a deeper purpose volunteering at their community marketplace. “It’s been really...

Leslie Saloki has been volunteering at Food Share for about a year, often bringing her high school son along. “I feel like food and shelter are the most essential things...

At EP Foster Elementary, where 92% of students come from low-income families, site director Daniel Flores knows the struggle many families face. “If they can’t eat, they can’t learn,” he...

At Food Share’s College Park drive-thru food distribution, we met two neighbors waiting patiently in line: Cecilio and Chuys. Though their stories are different, both shared the same concern many...

“I love working here, it’s a blast. I just wish I had found it sooner.” That’s how Janie sums up her experience volunteering with Food Share and her words say...

On a recent weekday at College Park in Oxnard, hundreds of cars lined up, waiting patiently for a Food Share distribution to begin. Among them was Lupe Fernandez, a mother...

What keeps someone coming back to volunteer for over a decade? For Kim Dallape, it’s simple: people. Kim has been volunteering with Food Share since 2014, showing up month after...

At nearly 89 years old, Herb shows no signs of slowing down. A dedicated volunteer with Food Share since 2018, Herb spends his Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays helping assemble senior...

For the past 17 years, Jerry Mendelsohn has been a familiar face at Food Share — packing produce boxes in the warehouse, helping distribute food at College Park, and supporting...

We met Rachel, mom of four children, at the River Pantry in Ventura. Like many families in Ventura County, she works hard to stay afloat, but rising costs and unexpected...

Kia is a mother of three — two girls and a boy, ages three, 19 months, and 11 years. “I’m a stay-at-home mom. Although my husband works, it's still not...

Living with a disability and relying on a fixed income, this Ventura County resident faces an impossible balancing act each month—choosing between gas, electricity, and groceries. “It’s an everyday occurrence,”...

At 75, Louise from Port Hueneme had always worked hard to stay independent. But when degenerative wrist pain forced her to stop her part-time job and federal benefits were cut,...

For Valerie, a student at a local high school, Food Share has become a steady source of comfort and nourishment for her family. Living with her mom and four siblings,...

“It’s hard to ask for help—so I’m thankful when help shows up.” At 73, Pat has lived a full life marked by service, survival, and resilience. We met him recently...

Lena's thirteen year old son, Roman, talks about how important the food they receive from Food Share is to his family.

For Lena, a full-time student at Oxnard College, pursuing her education is both a personal dream and a promise to her four children. "I want my kids to see me...

Dave Orr, a volunteer who runs Food Share's gleaning program, is passionate about saving crops from being wasted. "We are so lucky to live in an area with abundant fresh...

Those names and faces belong to our friends and neighbors. Because, on the front line of hunger relief, we have learned that the reason people require help is as varied as the people we serve.

Stacy is a store manager at a Trader Joe’s in Ventura County. One of her responsibilities is to ensure food that’s approaching its sell-by date, but is still good to...

Gina Howey, and her husband, Walter Burstein, were busy family doctors in Ventura County before they went into semi-retirement and began volunteering with Food Share in 2020. They stopped to...

Jessie is a client at Still Water’s Pantry in Simi Valley.  I live with my husband and we also have one of our older granddaughters living with us, along with...

Gina is a client at Still Water’s Pantry in Simi Valley.  I've lived in Simi Valley for approximately 15 years. I'm a single mom of five kids, three biological and...

Dave Orr, a volunteer who runs Food Share's gleaning program, is passionate about saving crops from being wasted. "We are so lucky to live in an area with abundant fresh...

Traci's Story Traci has volunteered at the pantry throughout the pandemic. Traci is a volunteer at Still Water Pantry and has been one of a small group working throughout the...

25 years of service and counting! Dave Bratz is one of the most beloved and dedicated members of the Food Share family. He’s served Food Share for 25 years, as...