Grant Helps Complete FIND’s Expansion, Disaster Resiliency and Educational Programs    

INDIO, Calif., Jan. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bank of America has awarded a $500,000 grant to FIND Regional Food Bank to help complete its capital campaign for a new 40,000 square-foot warehouse on its Food Security Campus. The largest food bank and distribution center in the region, FIND Regional Food Bank’s new facility provides nearly three times the space to meet record-level demand.

Announced at FIND’s annual State of Hunger address for major stakeholders, the BofA grant helps fund a state-of-the-art facility that will house extensive cold storage for fresh produce, and a fully sustainable rooftop solar array that together serves as a key part of FIND’s disaster response and resiliency plan. This grant, which also helps fund workforce development training in the new warehouse, is in addition to nearly $200,000 in grants from BofA to FIND over the past 5 years.

“Today’s food banks provide so much more than a meal. Organizations like FIND Regional Food Bank are community hubs for wellness, wrap around services and even workforce training that collectively help people overcome barriers to economic mobility,” said Sherri Anderson, BofA Inland Empire president. “Our support helps FIND grow the space it needs to serve more neighbors, while building the resilience required to keep fresh food flowing during emergencies, when communities are at their most vulnerable.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Bank of America for their generous support of FIND Regional Food Bank,” said Debbie Espinosa, President & CEO of FIND Regional Food Bank. “This grant not only completes our capital campaign for our new warehouse and Workforce Development Training Center, but it also strengthens our ability to provide fresh food, educational programs, and critical disaster-resilient infrastructure to the communities we serve. With this support, we can continue to meet rising demand to serve the over 100 nonprofit community organizations, and ensure that every person in need across our region has access to nutritious food and the resources to build a healthier, more stable future.”

Nearly 11% of Inland Empire residents experience food insecurity, including one in six children in San Bernardino County and one in seven in Riverside County. As demand for its services tripled during the pandemic, FIND outgrew its current facility, exceeding its storage capacity by 80%. Its initial operations included a 35,000 square foot space and three additional leased warehouses across a 100-mile radius.

The newly opened second warehouse with expanded cold storage and refrigeration enables FIND to increase fresh produce distribution by 60% – meeting rising demand while eliminating remote storage costs and ensuring emergency food supplies remain local for rapid response in future crises.

Today, FIND provides over 20 million pounds of food annually to the region’s major soup kitchens, food pantries, religious organizations, and nonprofits, collectively serving 125,000 people each month through a network of 155 distribution sites.

Bank of America has supported FIND Regional Food Bank and its parent Feeding America nonprofit for decades. Most recently, BofA committed $250 million to help address hunger nationwide, including grants and employee volunteer hours to help local food banks meet rising demand.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving nearly 70 million clients with approximately 3,600 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 59 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

Reporters may contact

Colleen Haggerty, Bank of America
Phone: 1.213.621.7414
colleen.haggerty@bofa.com

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation

The post BofA Awards $500,000 Grant to FIND Regional Food Bank appeared first on FIND Food Bank.

Community leaders, donors, nonprofit partners, and elected officials gathered in Indian Wells for FIND’s annual Guardians Breakfast. The event focused on educating stakeholders about hunger in Riverside County and highlighting how community support is helping families in need.

News Channel 3’s Meteorologist Katie Boer emceed the event.

FIND leadership said the event is designed to bring together organizations, cities, and donors to ensure residents are not left behind as economic pressures continue to rise. Leaders emphasized that collaboration across sectors is critical to keeping support systems strong for the long term.

Organizers noted that many families are struggling to make ends meet due to rising costs, making access to food assistance and other support services more important than ever. They stressed that food banks and nonprofit organizations play a key role in helping families not only survive but work toward stability.

During the event, FIND received a $500,000 donation from Bank of America. Leaders said the funding will help the organization continue distributing food to families across Riverside County.

One speaker shared her personal experience growing up in a low-income household where food assistance was a necessary resource. She said food insecurity is more common than many people realize and emphasized the importance of removing the stigma around seeking help. She also shared that access to food support played a role in helping her family move forward and inspired her continued involvement with FIND.

According to FIND, the organization recorded more than 1.5 million client interactions last year and distributed over 20 million pounds of food through mobile markets and partner organizations. FIND said more families are attending food distributions locally, with lines often growing longer as need increases.

The event also highlighted challenges food banks are facing nationwide, including reductions in food assistance benefits that are affecting communities across the country.

Looking ahead, FIND leaders said continued donations, volunteer support, and community partnerships will be critical to meeting demand. The organization also promoted its upcoming FIND Food Bank Telethon, presented by NewsChannel 3, which takes place May 1 and aims to raise funds to help feed families across the Coachella Valley.

FIND said community support will remain essential as the organization works to address hunger today and in the future.

Contact the Volunteer Programs Department to sign up to become a homebound delivery driver at 760-542-2176 ext. 132 or email volunteers@findfoodbank.org  

For more information on the FIND Regional Food Bank, including how to help, click here.

The post FIND Food Bank highlights growing need at annual Guardians Breakfast appeared first on FIND Food Bank.

FIND Food Bank received a $37,000 donation generated by Tuscan Friendsgiving, a sold-out culinary fundraiser hosted at Miralon in Palm Springs. The funds are expected to help provide more than 150,000 meals for local families during the holiday season.

Organizers said planning for the event began in February, when Jamie and Lance Huante, working alongside Jeri Wilson, coordinated efforts to bring the fundraiser to Miralon. Months of planning and tireless work followed, ultimately culminating in an event centered on food, culture and community giving.

The fundraiser featured renowned Italian chef Sandra Lotti, founder of the Toscana Saporita Cooking School in Tuscany, Italy. Organizers said they were fortunate to have Lotti travel to Palm Springs to lead the hands-on culinary experience, bringing an authentic taste of Tuscany to the Coachella Valley.

One hundred guests attended the cooking event at Miralon’s Demo Kitchen and Pavilion inside The Miralon Club. After the class, guests gathered at the MiraBar and The Hub, where they sampled and purchased specialty olive oils from Temecula Olive Oil Company. Many attendees were first-time visitors to Miralon, traveling from areas including Orange County, and some had previously attended Lotti’s cooking school in Italy.

FIND Regional Food Bank, the Coachella Valley’s regional food bank, distributes food through a network of community partners and sources supplies through donations, purchased goods and federal nutrition programs such as TEFA, The Emergency Food Assistance Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In a statement provided to News Channel 3, FIND Food Bank addressed the broader context of food insecurity and federal nutrition support:

“We are thankful for lawmakers working together to reopen the government and ensure stability for our neighbors facing hunger. With the President expected to sign the legislation, today’s vote brings us closer to ensuring that federal employees will receive their paychecks and critical nutrition programs like SNAP/CalFresh, WIC, and TEFAP can continue supporting families who rely on them to put food on the table. While we’re relieved that individuals at risk of starvation are much closer to counting on their benefits again, this remains a very challenging moment for neighbors navigating continued uncertainty and rapidly changing information. Food insecurity continues to impact too many of our community members, and FIND Regional Food Bank remains committed to providing essential food access and connecting people to programs like SNAP/CalFresh to help stabilize their households.”

Miralon, developed by Freehold Communities, is a 309-acre master-planned “agrihood” in Palm Springs that emphasizes sustainability, community engagement and access to fresh food. A signature feature of the development is the transformation of a former 18-hole golf course into working olive groves, community gardens and walking trails throughout the neighborhood.

Organizers said the success of Tuscan Friendsgiving shows how collaboration and community-driven events can translate into meaningful support for families facing food insecurity across the Coachella Valley.

For more information on A Tuscan Friendsgiving, visit this link. For more information on FIND Regional Food Bank, and how you can help families in the Coachella Valley, visit this link.

The post Tuscan Friendsgiving raises more than $37K for FIND Regional Food Bank appeared first on FIND Food Bank.

The event, one of the most attended games of the season, involves fans throwing teddy bears onto the ice after the Firebirds’ first goal. Local first responders collect the stuffed animals to distribute to children in need throughout the Coachella Valley. Last year’s toss generated 15,287 teddy bears.

The December 19th game will also mark the final night of the Firebirds One Valley Foundation’s Season of Giving canned food drive, which benefits Find Food Bank. Donation drop-offs have been available throughout the arena since November and will still be up through the December 19th game.

Find Food Bank has reported increased demand this year, with need typically rising 40% during the holiday season. The organization is seeking shelf-stable donations, including canned vegetables, beans, pasta, rice, and proteins. According to food bank leaders, more families are facing difficult choices between essential medications, bills, and groceries.

Donation barrels are currently placed throughout Acrisure Arena for fans attending Firebirds games and events. The food bank has also issued a call for volunteers to help meet increased demand in the coming months.

The post Firebirds to Host Annual Teddy Bear Toss and Food Drive Finale appeared first on FIND Food Bank.

“The numbers of people who are suffering from food insecurity are growing,” Tragesser says.

A similar situation was unfolding at the east end of the valley, where the Mecca-based Galilee Center has been distributing 500 food boxes a week, double its weekly count from last year, according to Claudia Castorena, who co-founded the food bank with Gloria Gomez in 2010.

Food insecurity, defined as the inability to purchase enough food to adequately meet one’s basic needs, is increasing across the Coachella Valley along with the incidence of hunger, according to Debbie Espinosa, president and CEO of FIND Regional Food Bank in Indio.

Espinosa is keenly aware of food insecurity across the valley because FIND serves as the primary food supplier to over 120 food pantries and homeless shelters from Desert Hot Springs to North Shore. FIND is the primary supplier of free food for the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, Martha’s Village & Kitchen, the Galilee Center, and well-known food pantries at The Center in Palm Springs, College of the Desert, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, and Catholic Charities in the East Valley.

From its recently expanded warehouse facilities in Indio, FIND has distributed more than 20 million pounds of food in the past year. “This translates to approximately 16.5 million meals,” Espinosa says, noting that FIND also deployed 22 mobile pantries to “food deserts” in the region, which do not have a local food pantry, or areas with an intensive amount of food-insecure people.

FIND documented 168,241 client interactions valleywide in October, up 34.6 percent from a year earlier.

In the Coachella and Morongo valleys alone, more than 50,000 people rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), called CalFresh in California, Espinosa says.

The numbers of individuals and families struggling to meet their basic food needs intensified across the Coachella Valley during the 43-day government shutdown, from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, when the federal government suspended funding for SNAP/CalFresh. The modern iteration of America’s historic food stamp program provides qualifying recipients with EBT cards, which they can use to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and poultry, as well as seeds and plants for growing their own food.

Food insecurity was on the rise across the Coachella Valley even before the government shutdown, however, and it’s likely to continue into next year and beyond as growing numbers of individuals and families struggle to make ends meet with paychecks that fail to keep up with the escalating costs of housing, insurance, utilities, groceries, and inflation.

According to the most recent data from HARC Inc., the Coachella Valley’s local data source for nonprofits, 29 percent of Coachella Valley adults have spent less money on food because they needed to prioritize other basic needs, such as healthcare, housing, transportation, or utilities. “This equates to more than 98,500 people cutting back on food purchases due to financial strain,” says HARC CEO Jenna LeComte-Hinely, Ph.D. “The pinch is even more difficult for families with children — 39 percent of households with children had to spend less money on food in order to afford these basic expenses.”

But although SNAP/CalFresh is extremely helpful, the program is designed to deliver only supplemental food assistance and does not provide recipients with enough support to cover the cost of all their food needs. Espinosa says many CalFresh recipients wind up going to food banks to gather the additional food they need.

Many CalFresh recipients exhausted their food benefits weeks before the government shutdown, Espinosa says, and had to rely on local food pantries. “We’re not only seeing more people, but existing clients who are coming more often,” she says.

Even as food insecurity has increased, the Trump administration has made significant cutbacks in federal funds for food banks as well as SNAP.

In spring, the Trump administration slashed $500 million in funding for the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, which purchases and delivers U.S.-produced meat, dairy products, eggs, and fresh produce to food banks across the country, including FIND Regional Food Bank in Indio. The $500 million cutback amounts to about a quarter of the funding that the USDA program received in 2024. “This cutback alone affects every food pantry and homeless shelter in the Coachella Valley because the majority of them depend on FIND for the majority of their food supply,” Espinosa says. “We all work together to address food insecurity with FIND serving as the regional hub for receiving donated and government food from across the country into our area, then deploying this food out to local food banks, food pantries, and homeless shelters.”

A ProPublica report in October noted that the cutbacks resulted in at least 94 million pounds of food lost across the country. The Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, reduces SNAP funding by 20 percent, or $186 billion, over the next decade, while imposing additional work requirements and other restrictions on the people who can receive SNAP benefits.

CalFresh delivered more than $12.5 billion in food assistance to an average of 5.5 million food insecure Californians in 3.3 million households in the 2024–25 fiscal year, according to a report from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. As the federal government continues to scale back its support, FIND and other regional food banks must look to the state as well as private donors to make up for shortfalls.

Meanwhile, homeless shelters, churches, and nonprofit organizations are stepping up their efforts to address the burgeoning food insecurity in the Coachella Valley.

For example, Coachella Valley Rescue Mission in Indio is increasingly providing meals for food-insecure families in addition to homeless people who live at the shelter, according to Scott Wolf, the Rescue Mission’s development director.

“Not only are we serving well over 300,000 meals a year to the residents who stay with us in our programs and the people who stay in our emergency shelter,” Wolf says. “We also hand out about 125 to 150 food boxes to food-insecure families in our community each week.” He adds that the demand for food boxes has increased significantly in recent months.

Martha’s Village & Kitchen in Indio is providing food pantry services that distribute about 3,000 meals each month for individuals and families, says Rosa E. Verduzco-Ruiz, chief operating officer.

“Our pantry serves individuals and families who have a home and access to a kitchen,” Verduzco-Ruiz says. “Clients may access the pantry up to three times per month, and each visit provides three meals for three days for every household member listed.”

Martha’s Village also operates a hot meal program. “On average, this program services around 8,000 hot meals per month,” Verduzco-Ruiz says.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino has partnered with Catholic Charities of San Bernardino & Riverside Counties and the Knights of Columbus to gather and deliver food donations for Coachella Valley residents suffering from food insecurity, says Jesse Gonzalez, Catholic Charities’ chief operating officer.

Each box of food, called Matthew’s Harvest, contains four meals for a family of four, Gonzalez says, noting that enough food for 5,760 meals was delivered to four parish locations across the Coachella Valley in November: St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church in Desert Hot Springs, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Palm Springs, St. Louis Catholic Church in Cathedral City, and Mission San Juan Diego in North Shore. 

Food-insecure families in Desert Hot Springs will also be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, Tragesser says, citing donations of 500 turkeys from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, 300 turkeys from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, and shelf-stable trimmings from Xavier Preparatory High School in Palm Desert.

Numerous groups from across the Coachella Valley received turkeys from the Morongo tribe, including the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, St. Elizabeth’s Food Pantry, and First Community Baptist Church in Desert Hot Springs.

The Morongo tribe also delivered 200 turkeys to the Palm Springs Unified School District to help students and their families enjoy a meaningful holiday meal together. According to a news release, the Morongo tribe gave away 15,000 turkeys to nonprofit groups, churches, and charities in the Coachella Valley and across Southern California as part of its 39th annual Thanksgiving outreach program.

“The roots of Morongo’s Thanksgiving outreach program stretch back decades to a time when our tribe sought to help others even as we struggled in face of adversity,” Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin says in a statement. “This year, we continue to honor our Tribe’s legacy of giving to others by providing tens of thousands of holiday meals to those who are struggling across the region.”

Rotary Clubs have also been doing their part to address the food crisis. The Palm Desert Rotary Club’s Angels of Service program, which past club President Ricardo Loretta launched in 2020 during the pandemic, has also worked out special arrangements to purchase food at a discount from Albertsons, which it delivers every two weeks to several well-known food pantries, including Food Now, College of the Desert, California State University, San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, and the Joslyn Center. These deliveries supplement what these pantries receive from FIND, and add a wider variety of food for clients, Espinosa says.

Loretta, who has also served on the board of the directors of the Galilee Center since 2012, says the food insecurity crisis is widespread in the valley and is affecting everyone from college students to senior citizens. For many local college students, he says, the only food they eat is what they can pick up from campus food pantries.

Even Indian Wells, which has long been one of the most affluent cities in the valley, has somewhere from 150 to 200 food-insecure residents, Loretta says, citing food pantry registrations.

Palm Desert Rotary Club’s Angels of Service has had to broaden its purchases to include pet food, which it donates to food banks because some seniors will sacrifice their own food to feed their pets, Loretta says: “They go without eating and feed their pets because they don’t have the money to buy both types of food.”

Why Are So Many People Hungry in the Coachella Valley?

Forty-two million people — or one in eight Americans — receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, including more than 50,000 in the Coachella and Morongo valleys.

More than one in five Coachella Valley adults worry whether their food will run out before they have money to buy more, according to Jenna LeComte-Hinely, Ph.D., CEO of HARC Inc., the Coachella Valley’s local data source for nonprofits.

Food insecurity is even worse for families with children; 46 percent of Coachella Valley children live in households with food insecurity concern, says LeComte-Hinely, citing a 2022 HARC survey.

This begs the question: Why are so many people suffering from food insecurity in the Coachella Valley and across the country?

The reasons include wages that haven’t kept pace with inflation, and the rising cost of housing, utilities, and insurance, according to experts in food insecurity.

“For the majority of Americans, inflation has outpaced wage growth over the past four decades, thereby reducing a household’s overall purchasing power, meaning they can’t afford the same basket of goods they used to be able to afford decades ago,” says Kurt Schwabe, Ph.D., a professor of environmental economics and policy at the University of California, Riverside.

Schwabe, who also serves as chairman of Feeding America of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, which is part of the Feeding America national food bank network, says many Americans work in jobs with low pay or limited or unstable hours.

This scenario is particularly common in the Coachella Valley, where many people work in seasonal, relatively low-paying jobs in tourism and agriculture that do not include health insurance or paid sick leave. “This means if they get sick or pregnant, or if they have to take care of someone who becomes sick or pregnant, they can lose their job or have to pay high prices to get these services,” Schwabe says.

The rising cost of housing is also causing growing numbers of people in the Coachella Valley to experience food insecurity.

“Food banks are one of the best defense mechanisms against homelessness,” says Debbie Espinosa, president and  CEO of FIND Regional Food Bank in Indio. “People will go without food to pay the rent and utilities because they don’t want to be homeless. Providing them food helps them continue to pay for their housing.”

To understand the magnitude of food insecurity in the Coachella Valley, consider the Palm Springs Unified School District. “Ninety-five percent of our students are socioeconomically disadvantaged and would qualify for free or reduced meals,” says Joan L. Boiko, the district’s coordinator of communications and community outreach.

As a Community Eligible Provision (CEP) district, PSUSD provides free breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all students. “We qualified (and continue to qualify) for this provision for the last several years,” Boiko says, adding that students who want dinner at school can receive it about 30 minutes before the end of the school day.

Approximately 80 percent of students in the Desert Sands Unified School District have critical needs and qualify for free or reduced price meals. “All students in our district eat for free, regardless of family income, ensuring that no child goes hungry,” Desert Sands says in a written statement. “While we haven’t seen indications of the food crisis getting worse, our meal participation has remained steady and stable over the last month, reinforcing our essential role in addressing community food security through education.”

The Coachella Valley’s latest food insecurity statistics will be included in HARC’s 2025 Community Health Survey, to be released in late February.

How You Can Help

Food banks and pantries can use monetary contributions as well as donations of nonperishable foods, and many also need volunteers to help pack and deliver food.

Vania Otiura, a junior at Palm Desert High School, has been volunteering as a Youth Advisory Commission Ambassador for FIND Regional Food Bank in Indio for the past three years.

“We give FIND ideas on how we can apply the fight against hunger at the youth level,” says Otiura, who serves FIND with ambassadors from other valley high schools.

The students have been battling stigma associated with food insecurity. Most people, including children, are embarrassed to talk about food insecurity. “I would say at least 60 percent of our students are in line every day for a school-provided breakfast or lunch,” Otiura says. “That tells us these meals are basic resources that our student campus needs.”

Otiura and her fellow ambassadors came up with the idea last year of including discussions and information about food insecurity on Palm Desert High School’s weekly Aztec Newscast, which is shared with students online through YouTube.

“One of the main ideas we share is that the resource of FIND Regional Food Bank is out there for everyone,” Otiura says, adding that it’s helpful to educate students about the importance of budgeting and knowing how to find food pantry resources when they go to college.

Debbie Espinosa, FIND’s president and CEO, says she developed the youth ambassador program to educate students about the realities of systemic hunger and give them opportunities to develop their skills as community leaders. Ambassadors are selected for their willingness to go above and beyond to speak out and serve their community.

The following organizations offer opportunities to volunteer:

• Catholic Charities
• Coachella Valley Rescue Mission
• FIND Regional Food Bank
• Food Now
• Martha’s Village & Kitchen

Teresa Rocha, who works in the Life, Dignity and Justice Department of the Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, also recommends that people contact their local churches to inquire about volunteer opportunities to address the food insecurity crisis.

Where to Obtain Food Donations

FIND Regional Food Bank in Indio has an online search tool that can help you identify the nearest food pantry. Type in your address and the website will pinpoint the location of the closest food pantry. More than 120 food pantries are available across the Coachella Valley.

Senior citizens can also apply for food assistance through the Mizell Center in Palm Springs, which is the only Meals on Wheels provider in the Coachella Valley. Mizell delivers meals to seniors from Whitewater to Thermal through the Meals on the Wheels program. “We are contracted through the Riverside County Office on Aging as part of their senior nutrition program,” says Rob Wheeler, Mizell’s executive director, adding that he has seen an increase in phone calls from seniors seeking food assistance.

Mizell also provides group lunches at the center as part of its nutritional outreach services in addition to delivering meals to four other senior centers in the valley. Seniors can sign up through Mizell to participate in the “congregate meals” program. “There is a suggested donation of $3 for lunch, but the donation is not mandatory for those of limited means,” Wheeler says.

Many seniors enjoy coming to Mizell to have lunch with other seniors. “The social connection part is huge,” Wheeler said. “We have people who live alone. They live on fixed income. They don’t have family or friends in the valley and the only social connection they have is at Mizell.”

The post Hunger Is on the Rise in the Coachella Valley appeared first on FIND Food Bank.

Organizers said distribution events are open to the public and students.

News Channel 3 is attending the next distribution event on Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Desert Hot Springs Campus located at 11625 West Dr. Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240.

Stay with us for continuing coverage.

The post College of the Desert and FIND Food Bank partner for food distribution events appeared first on FIND Food Bank.

Due to the intense heat and seasonality of the region, the desert community faces increased challenges as many working families experience job losses and children are home for summer break, losing access to school meals. Amazon’s annual partnership supports FIND in providing vital food resources to individuals and families experiencing summer hunger.

To help fill the summer meal gap, Amazon employees from sites across Southern California collected and donated more than 14 pallets of fresh and frozen food and household items to FIND. Beyond these employee-led donations, the company also leverages its vast logistics network to help deliver food supplies to FIND’s 225 homebound neighbors, making it easier for FIND to focus on deploying food and services to its 155 distribution sites.

“In the fourth year of our partnership, Amazon remains committed to supporting the 120,000 individuals that FIND serves on average each month,” said Debbie Espinosa, president and CEO of FIND Food Bank. “The Coachella Valley embodies the spirit of community, where people come together to ensure that no one is left behind. Amazon, as a corporation, along with the individuals who contribute to its success, is an integral part of that community, ensuring that everyone is taken care of.”

Following the unloading of the Amazon van and check presentation, a team of 30 Amazon operations staff dedicated the remainder of the morning to volunteering. The group, comprised of employees from four local Amazon sites, packed 400 senior boxes for distribution to FIND’s nearly 100 nonprofit community partners and directly to families in need.

“At Amazon, we believe in showing up for our communities in ways that truly matter,” said David Ambroz, Amazon’s head of community engagement for Southern California. “Partnering with FIND Food Bank means more than just a donation — it’s about meeting urgent needs with care and commitment. Our $25,000 contribution will help provide 100,000 meals, but just as importantly, our employees have stepped up to donate essential items that support families beyond the dinner table. The dedication of FIND’s team and the passion of our Amazon volunteers continue to inspire us as we work hand-in-hand to fight hunger in the Coachella Valley.”

Illustrating a shared commitment to ending local hunger, in attendance were elected officials from the offices of congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz, supervisor V. Manuel Perez, and assemblymember Greg Wallis and the cities of Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and Palm Desert.

“This event is an excellent example of public-private partnership,” said councilmember Dr. Toper Taylor of Indian Wells. “[Partnerships like Amazon and FIND] are an efficient way to give back to the community…We are very grateful to Amazon for their donations and [for volunteering] to make sure that food gets into the hands of those who need it.”

Amazon is committed to addressing hunger and has shown great support of FIND’s hunger relief work in the greater Coachella Valley and High Desert communities. The company has contributed to the organization through this annual partnership event, freight support, financial assistance, and volunteer service.

To learn more about FIND Food Bank, or to find volunteer opportunities and information about donations, visit findfoodbank.org.

Click here to read the full Palm Springs Life coverage.

The post Amazon Donates $25,000 to FIND Food Bank in Support of Summer Hunger appeared first on FIND Food Bank.

More than 100 restaurants across each of the nine desert cities are participating, to see the restaurants and their prix-fixe menus, head to DineGPS.com.

Restaurant week provides an opportunity to experience new menu items, explore local restaurants and most importantly, support FIND Food Bank. For every reservation booked through this DineGPS.com, $1 will be donated to FIND Food Bank.

Restaurant week is open to the public and does not require purchasing tickets or passes to attend. All you have to do is choose a restaurant at DineGPS.com and make your reservation.

Click here to watch the full KESQ story.

Click here to watch the full NBC Palm Springs story.

Click here to learn more.

The post Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week to Benefit FIND Food Bank appeared first on FIND Food Bank.

For the 12th straight year, all U.S. Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations are launching the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, including right here in California’s Southeastern Desert Region.

The goal of the annual cause marketing campaign is to provide people facing hunger with access to the food and resources they say they need to thrive. Here’s how it works:

The campaign will run in stores and online from March 1 – March 31, with three ways for shoppers to participate:

– By donating at check-out in stores or clubs or round up at Walmart.com and the Walmart app.

– By purchasing participating products* in-store or online at Walmart.com or SamsClub.com. For every purchase of a participating product, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent** of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America partner food bank at Walmart and five meals ($0.50) at Sam’s Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details.

– By donating at Feeding America’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign donation site at either www.feedingamerica.org/walmart or www.feedingamerica.org/samsclub.

Since its inception in 2014, the campaign has generated more than $206 million and helped secure 2 billion meals* for the Feeding America network of local food banks.

“For our community, here in the desert, 1 out of every 6 people are at risk of being food insecure,” said Debbie Espinosa, FIND Food Bank’s President and CEO. “At FIND Food Bank, we want to ensure that each one of our community members know where their next meal is coming from.”

Everyone needs nutritious food to thrive, and in every community in America, people are working hard to provide for themselves and their families. Yet in 2023, 47.4 million people experienced food insecurity in the U.S.

Those are the highest numbers in a decade, underscoring the need for more charitable food assistance in Coachella Valley and beyond.

“For the past 20 years, Feeding America, Walmart and Sam’s Club have worked together to fight hunger and help people live better in the communities we serve,” said Julie Gehrki, president, Walmart Foundation and senior vice president, philanthropy at Walmart. “During the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, we invite our customers and members to join us in providing access to food for our neighbors by supporting FIND Food Bank.”

The 24 participating suppliers for Walmart include: B&G Foods, Inc., Bush Brothers & Company, Celsius, The Coca-Cola Company, Conagra Foods, Dole Packaged Foods, LLC, Ferrero USA, General Mills, Hershey Salty Snacks, Kellanova, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Kodiak, Kraft Heinz, Lipton Tea, Ben’s Original, Materne, Mondelez International, Olipop, Pepsi-Cola Advertising & Marketing, Inc., Hidden Valley Original Ranch, The Hain Celestial Group, WK Kellogg Co, Unilever and Utz Quality Foods

The six participating suppliers for Sam’s Club include: Kellanova, Kodiak, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Nestlé and Unilever

For more information, visit: feedingamerica.org/campaigns/fight-hunger-spark-change

*Currently, $1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local partner food banks.

** For every purchase of a participating product, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America partner food bank at Walmart and five meals ($0.50) at Sam’s Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details.

Click to read more.

The post Local Walmart and Sam’s Club Fight Hunger with FIND Food Bank appeared first on FIND Food Bank.

Indio’s very own Abi Carter kicked off the 2025 Telethon by advocating for FIND’s mission to end local hunger today, tomorrow, and for a lifetime and calling for donations to help support the 125,000 people FIND feeds on average each month.

“Last year FIND raised over $300,000 to help those in the Valley who are food insecure, but I think we can beat it this year,” the American Idol winner said—and, by the end of the evening and through the weekend, FIND did indeed exceed its previous Telethon total.

Between inspiring performances by other local artists, like the Palm Desert High School Professional Theatre Students, Jeff Hobson of Marvyn’s Magic Theater, and In Movement Dance, the community came together to raise the funds to ensure FIND can continue distributing 20 million pounds of nutritious food annually to its 10,000 sq. mile service region throughout California’s Southeastern Desert Region.

“It was such an amazing night…the community really showed up to let everyone experiencing food insecurity know that they are not alone and there are people willing to help,” said Debbie Espinosa, President and CEO of FIND Food Bank. “[Because of our desert community’s generosity], FIND can lift and launch our new expansion warehouse to ensure we never have to turn food away when it’s donated to us. Together, we are giving those struggling through uncertain times a lot of hope, as they know there is a community here to support them and help them not just survive but thrive.”

Elected officials including Congressman Raul Ruiz and Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, along with representatives from Cathedral City, Coachella, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage, contributed by taking donations over the phone during the hour-long broadcast.

KESQ’s very own Karen Devine, Garrett Hottle, Blake Arthur, and others participated by sharing the need and encouraging viewers to call in.

This year’s major sponsors included the Houston Family Foundation, City of La Quinta, Food Security Donor, Intersect Power, Ellan and George Batavick, State Farm, Visit Greater Palm Springs, Desert Oasis Healthcare, and the Desert Care Network.

Thanks to the support of city and government officials, KESQ News Channel 3, sponsors, donors, volunteers, local performers, and friends, FIND Food Bank can continue to serve those experiencing food insecurity.

To help support FIND’s expansion and food programs, call 760-775-3663 or donate online at findfoodbank.org.

Read the full article here.

The post FIND Food Bank’s 15th Annual Telethon Surpasses Fundraising Goal appeared first on FIND Food Bank.