Food Share is honored to have been recognized as a Central Coast Best Place to Work by the Pacific Coast Business Times for the second year in a row. The publication conducts an annual survey among employees in the Tri-Counties and then crunches the data to determine the best of the best. During the height of the pandemic, Food Share created an employee engagement committee that continues to meet monthly, open...
We’re thrilled to welcome Yissel Barajas, Chief Human Resources Officer for Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC) to Food Share’s Board of Directors. As part of her role at RAC and her personal passion, Yissel participates in community projects that impact the farm worker community. The daughter of farm workers, she has a personal commitment to health, housing, and other issues impacting the quality of life of the farm worker community. As part of her commitment to her...
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 food, yet so many people in our community can’t afford to buy it at the supermarket,” he notes. “Gleaning gets fresh food that would go to waste onto the tables of people who really need it.” Dave Orr Dave started gleaning with Food Share about eight years ago....
Leadership consultant Gloria Miele, Ph.D. lives in San Diego now, but the Camarillo native remains devoted to the county where she grew up—especially when it comes to Food Share of Ventura County. “I feel like I’m part of a long legacy of community supporters,” Miele said. “My mom was a Food Share volunteer in the ‘80s and would help with food distribution, back when it was mainly government cheese—those big blocks of Velveeta.”
Gloria with her mom and husband.
Congratulations to the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing, which recently beat out 89 other Airlift Wings across the United States to receive the Maj. Gen. Stanley F.H. Newman Award. The award is given annually to the most outstanding Air National Guard wing and was awarded in recognition of the 146th Airlift Wing’s exceptionally meritorious service supporting wildfire suppression and COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts. Service members from the 146th were initially stationed at Food Share...
Back in May, Monica White, Jennifer Caldwell, Chief Development Officer; Pam Castro, Agency Relations Manager, and Ed Skains, Facilities Coordinator competed on the Game Show Networks’ season five of America Says! The invitation to compete came via a fellow Feeding America food bank and was a great way to put the fun in fundraising! The four headed down to a studio in Burbank, and the “Food Share Squad”...
Food Share Ventura County was recognized this month by Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, for the excellent care and appreciation the organization has shown to its staff for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement came during Feeding America’s annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky, and was part of Feeding America’s “Network Celebrations,” a recognition of food banks that have performed in outstanding ways. Food Share is one of just...
Local Students Innovation Helps Homeless Population A group of enterprising 7th and 8th graders from Cabrillo Middle School have partnered with Food Share Ventura County in a project designed to make life a little easier for the county’s unhoused population but that could have an impact far beyond. Saanvi Joshi, Hendrix Lowder, Jane Kim, Jude Curtis, Izzy Quiroz, Maddie Wicks, Maverick Cheatham, and Aarana Khanavkar, all members of the school’s “Rusty Sailors” Robotics Club, are participating in the...
Staff Spotlight - Laura Thomson, Facilities & Food Safety Supervisor Laura, who first got to know the Food Share as a volunteer, has been responsible for ensuring our three warehouses are safe and sanitary for the past two and a half years. She led the charge in securing an AIB Certification, which involves a rigorous food safety inspection, ensuring that Food Share received the highest possible grade – Recognition of High Achievement – Superior. Why do...
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 pandemic to feed the increasing numbers of people seeking help. “I’m a survivor of domestic violence. It left me with PTSD and I have a lot of anxiety and depression. I ended up homeless on the streets for six months until I found a shelter in Santa Monica....
