Yolo Food Bank was established in January 1970 as a backyard gleaning program organized and run by volunteers. Over the next decade, this effort grew to become a food closet, but it was still a volunteer-operated organization. In 1988, the first employees were hired and the organization grew to become a true food bank, joining what is now known as the Feeding America network in the 1990s. Now propelled by more than 50 staff members and nearly 3,000 volunteers in the past year, Yolo Food Bank serves food security needs for the entirety of Yolo County, from food recovery warehouse and operations facilities in Woodland. The organization maintains compliance with all federal, state and county codes and laws, and is the exclusive Yolo County member of Feeding America, the USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program, and the California Association of Food Banks. Together with our network of nearly 200 partners, Yolo Food Bank is on track to distribute at least 12 million pounds of food this year, via 130 distributions each month in every corner of Yolo County. This includes Yolo Food Bank's direct distribution programs (Eat Well Yolo, Eat Home Yolo, and Kids Farmers Market), as well as via more than 80 nonprofit partner organizations countywide. As Yolo Food Bank emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, it is the organization's objective to pursue the development of an equitable, sustainable local food system to benefit the health and wellness of ALL Yolo County residents.
