MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — Jamie Mounce was one of hundreds at this pop-up food giveaway in Merced on Friday.

“It’s pretty hard. Even with two incomes, both of us bringing in incomes, it’s still pretty difficult. I’m still going paycheck to paycheck,” Mounce said.

Mounce receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, but her EBT card didn’t reload on November 1, putting stress on her already struggling family.

RELATED: Californians begin to see SNAP benefits return

“They’ve been cut and so has the, just prolonged of unknowing. Just the uncertainty is really, really hard,” Mounce said.

The impact is felt across the North Valley community.

“As I was pulling up today to see the extensive line all the way down the street, it pulls at your heartstrings,” Merced County School District superintendent Julianna Stocking said.

The Merced City School District is always looking for ways to help its students in and out of the classroom.

That’s why it donated food to the Merced County Food Bank in hopes of offering it to families with children in the district.

Officials say this pop-up food giveaway was important because Merced County ranks third in the state for kids facing food insecurity.

The event didn’t ask those receiving food for any form of identification, just lending a helping hand to those who need it most.

“The fact that you’re having to spend so much money just to provide a basic meal for your family is absolutely insane,” Merced County Food Bank director Joseph Hypes said.

The County Food Bank, which serves hundreds of thousands of people in the community each year, had volunteers eager to help.

“Food affects everybody. Hunger affects everybody. I mean, even the kids. You can have kids in sports, you can have kids in the arts, anything like that. If they’re not eating, they’re not being the best versions of themselves,” Hypes said.

The Merced County Food Bank is always looking for ways to help, from monetary donations to milk and eggs, they want to continue to feed the community.

You can find more resources that are available on the Merced County Food Bank website here.

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