Thanksgiving is just eight days away and some families are already wondering if they can even afford to celebrate this year.
High prices have left many considering free food banks to help out.
NBC4’s Gordon Tokumatsu visited one in Ventura County this afternoon.
Once a week, since the beginning of the pandemic, Food Share of Ventura County has run this distribution point at College Park in Oxnard. They thought it might stay in place just through the end of the pandemic, but the CEO says they were wrong.
Monica White, president & CEO of Food Share, Ventura County said, “About 4,000 people will be served, coming through the line today.”
Jael Arellano used to pick her son up at Oxnard College next door and wondered about the cars and palettes of food. But now, she is in that line.
Arellano said her husband is the breadwinner for her and their two kids, but his job as a driver is simply not enough to keep food on the table.
“High prices at the supermarket and gas station make this necessary,” she said.
James Ferrante is a retiree we met at the front of the line. “I’m making it but this certainly helps,” he said.
“We have oats, chicken; we have some chili; we have tuna,” White said.
Each family gets a box of shelf stable food and a box of fresh produce. Enough to feed a family of two or three through the weekend but then comes the holiday.
Gordon Tokumatsu, NBC News, reports. “Next week this all happens on Tuesday, two days before Thanksgiving.”
“And that line back there will double in size,” said Monica. “Three thousand turkeys, distributed with help from the LA Rams.”
She said people aren’t really focused so much on a possible recession, or even losing their jobs, for that matter.
But they know they cannot afford what they used to, and the holidays are just around the corner,” White said.
“I know they’re stressed about being able to feed their families. I mean, that struggle is real.”
Read More: Food Banks Helping to Fill the Pantry for the Holidays – NBC Los Angeles