Bay Area food banks dealing with critical shortage

They're on the front lines of the fight to feed our community, but on Tuesday, Bay Area foodbanks say they now need the community’s help. 

At least one food bank says their shelves are nearly empty, and the need is only getting worse. 

The Monument Crisis Center in Concord was bagging food as fast as they could Tuesday to help feed local families in need. 

“Currently we’re seeing close to 200-300 families a day,” Karla Tinajero Salazar, operations manager at the Monument Crisis Center, said.

But the center said that because of cutbacks, and booming demand, they’re running out of food.

"The amount of people that are in need of food has only increased, but the amount of donations of food to supplement that need has not been met, unfortunately," Tinahjero Salazar said.

And that isn't the only place where the need is rising.

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is one of a series of Bay Area foodbanks who sent executives to Sacramento Tuesday asking lawmakers to bring back programs that helped feed so many people during the early days of the pandemic.

"In particular we're asking for support for CalFood, this is a program that allows foodbanks like ours to source California grown produce, milk, eggs, all of those wonderful things our clients and people in our community need, and the cost of which keep going up at the grocery store," Rachel Monaco, senior manager of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

Meanwhile, the crisis center is putting out the call, and some are responding, stepping up to help.

"I'm a veteran, so I'm very service minded, and I know about the responsibility of having to give back to your community,” Carl Pelle of Concord said.

And while every little bit helps, they need more, and they need it now.

The Monument Crisis Center will be delivering food to those who need it again on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Market Street.

They say they still need food and monetary support.