WE’RE HIGHLIGHTING NONPROFITS. AND AS WE GEAR UP FOR OUR ANNUAL TURKEY DRIVE AND OUR RUN TO FEED THE HUNGRY, WE’RE CELEBRATING THE MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY BY SACRAMENTO FOOD BANK AND FAMILY SERVICES OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY’S 1.4 MILLION PEOPLE, 330,000 PEOPLE A MONTH RECEIVE FOOD RESOURCES THROUGH THE FOOD BANK AND ITS PARTNERS. AND THE NEED HAS ONLY GROWN BECAUSE OF THE SHUTDOWN. KCRA 3’S LEE ANNE DENYER SHARES. WHAT’S CHANGED AND WHAT STAYED THE SAME THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION’S MANY YEARS OF SERVICE. AT SACRAMENTO FOOD BANK AND FAMILY SERVICES, THERE IS ALWAYS FOOD TO GET OUT TO PEOPLE IN NEED. IT SERVED FAMILIES FOR DECADES. CURRENTLY, WE ARE FEEDING ROUGHLY 332,000 PEOPLE PER MONTH. AND JUST TO GIVE CONTEXT, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE PROVIDING FOOD TO ABOUT 150,000 PEOPLE A MONTH. BLAKE YOUNG IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE ORGANIZATION. HE’S WATCHED IT AND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY SURGE OVER THE YEARS. I STARTED AS A VOLUNTEER AND MET FATHER MADIGAN YEARS AND YEARS AGO, AND HE ASKED ME TO CONSIDER COMING TO WORK FOR HIM, AND I DID, AND THAT WAS 29 YEARS AGO. FATHER DAN MADIGAN BECAME PASTOR OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHOLIC CHURCH IN SACRAMENTO IN 1976. FEEDING THE CITY’S HUNGRY A PRIORITY TO HIM. ALL RIGHT, THAT PRIORITY EVOLVED INTO SACRAMENTO FOOD BANK AND FAMILY SERVICES. YOU KNOW, THERE’S A PICTURE OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE ARE WORKING. YEAH, THEY MAY BE WORKING, BUT THEY’RE WORKING IN A WAGE THAT I THINK IS NO GOOD. AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO COLLECTING FOOD, DISTRIBUTING IT SOMETIMES BY THE TRUCKLOAD THROUGH THE YEARS TO SACRAMENTO AND DURING WHATEVER CHALLENGES THAT HAVE FOLLOWED. BUT AS THE BUSINESS GREW, AS THE DEMAND FOR FOOD RESOURCES GREW, WE BECAME THE FOOD BANK FOR THE COUNTY. AND WE’VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, PART OF IT IS, IS WE’VE JUST BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE SO MUCH COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT THAT’S ALLOWED US TO GROW AND HOPEFULLY TRY TO MEET THE NEED. YOUNG SAYS IT’S THE SCALE OF THE OPERATION HERE THAT’S CHANGED MOST DRAMATICALLY, BUT THAT THE SPIRIT OF THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO HELP THEIR NEIGHBORS REMAINS A CONSTANT. I JUST THINK THIS YEAR PEOPLE ARE COMING TOGETHER MORE, MORE THAN I’VE EVER SEEN. AND THAT REALLY WARMS YOUR HEART. BUT IT REALLY IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THE DEMAND THAT PEOPLE NEED FOOD. IN SACRAMENTO, LEE ANNE DENYER KCRA THREE NEWS. AND RIGHT NOW, THE FOOD BANK SAYS WHAT THEY NEED THE MOST IS CASH DONATIONS FOR EVERY DOLLAR DONATED. THE ORGANIZATION CAN PROVIDE THREE MEALS TO SOMEONE IN NEED. KCRA THREE HAS ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE FOOD BANK. AGAIN, FOR OUR ANNUAL TURKEY DRIVE AT CAL EXPO. THAT’S COMING UP ON FRIDAY. TURKEYS CAN’T BE DROPPED OFF FROM 7 A.M. TO 7 P.M. AT THE MAIN GATE. MONETA
After decades of service, Sacramento Food Bank continues to see increased demand
Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services is feeding 332,000 people monthly, a spokesperson said, a significant increase from pre-pandemic numbers, as community support remains strong.
Updated: 6:55 PM PST Nov 12, 2025
Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services is a pillar of the Sacramento area, feeding individuals and families across the region for decades.Currently, the organization is feeding 332,000 people monthly, a significant increase from the 150,000 served before the pandemic, said Blake Young, president and CEO of Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. “Food banks across the country have grown and, quite frankly, become a huge safety net for our nation’s vulnerable folks,” he said. Young started as a volunteer at the food bank 29 years ago after being asked by its founder, Father Dan Madigan, to become his director of operations. The food bank dates back to 1976; As pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Sacramento, Madigan prioritized feeding the city’s hungry. His efforts in time evolved into the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. “As the business grew, as the demand for food resources grew, we became the food bank for the county,” Young said. “We’ve just been blessed to have so much community support that that’s allowed us to grow and hopefully try to meet the need.”Young noted that the most dramatic change throughout his tenure with the organization is the scale at which it operates. The food bank partners with roughly 120 organizations to distribute food and resources to families, children and seniors.Despite the challenges, Young emphasized the community’s unwavering spirit and willingness to help. “I just think this year, people are coming together more. More than I’ve ever seen and that really warms your heart,” he said. “But it really highlights the demand. That people need food.”Right now, the food bank says it needs cash donations the most. For every donated dollar, Young said, the organization can provide three meals to someone in need. “Our philosophy is that a well-nourished community is a more productive and happy community,” Young said. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”KCRA has partnered with the food bank again for the annual Turkey Drive at Cal Expo, where turkeys can be dropped off from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at the main gate.70 Years of Service | See more stories about organizations that are making a difference in Northern CaliforniaSee more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services is a pillar of the Sacramento area, feeding individuals and families across the region for decades.
Currently, the organization is feeding 332,000 people monthly, a significant increase from the 150,000 served before the pandemic, said Blake Young, president and CEO of Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.
“Food banks across the country have grown and, quite frankly, become a huge safety net for our nation’s vulnerable folks,” he said.
Young started as a volunteer at the food bank 29 years ago after being asked by its founder, Father Dan Madigan, to become his director of operations.
The food bank dates back to 1976; As pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Sacramento, Madigan prioritized feeding the city’s hungry. His efforts in time evolved into the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.
“As the business grew, as the demand for food resources grew, we became the food bank for the county,” Young said. “We’ve just been blessed to have so much community support that that’s allowed us to grow and hopefully try to meet the need.”
Young noted that the most dramatic change throughout his tenure with the organization is the scale at which it operates. The food bank partners with roughly 120 organizations to distribute food and resources to families, children and seniors.
Despite the challenges, Young emphasized the community’s unwavering spirit and willingness to help.
“I just think this year, people are coming together more. More than I’ve ever seen and that really warms your heart,” he said. “But it really highlights the demand. That people need food.”
Right now, the food bank says it needs cash donations the most. For every donated dollar, Young said, the organization can provide three meals to someone in need.
“Our philosophy is that a well-nourished community is a more productive and happy community,” Young said. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”
KCRA has partnered with the food bank again for the annual Turkey Drive at Cal Expo, where turkeys can be dropped off from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at the main gate.
70 Years of Service | See more stories about organizations that are making a difference in Northern California
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel