BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A simple meal can make a big difference. Every Monday and Tuesday, local volunteers with The Garden Church come together to provide food and support for people experiencing homelessness in Bakersfield. For those who don't know where their next meal is coming from, these gatherings offer not only food, but also connection, compassion, and support.
The outreach comes as changes to CalFresh are taking effect in California. According to the California Department of Social Services, new federal rules will make some immigrants ineligible for benefits, while certain recipients may be required to meet new work and community engagement requirements to continue receiving assistance.
Dwayne Switter, is a Ministry Leader with the Garden Church and he says, “since the benefits restrictions I've seen the line grow tremendously this one we've been doing out here with our church i think for almost 8 years now over on union here and I've been leading it for 2 years and its grown a lot but with the restricts now I've seen a lot of new faces.”
At the same time, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, grocery prices remain high, leaving many families and individuals struggling to afford fresh food.
That's where volunteers with The Garden Community step in, providing free meals and support to anyone in need. “Prices are sky rocketing so everybody is suffering not just the homeless but you have a lot of low income so they don't have the ability to go to the grocery store and spend the money that they need to, to be able to provide for themselves or their families so this helps give them and extra leg up each wee just to help them survive,” Switter said.
For many experiencing homelessness, access to a fresh meal can be difficult. People receiving assistance say the weekly gatherings provide both nourishment and a sense of community.
Jacqueline Mulcahy is a local community member, and she says, “it helps a lot especially for our basic needs. sometimes we are our salary or something happens so it helps a lot in our everyday basic needs.”
Meanwhile volunteer Susie Ramirez says, “well it helps feed the hungry we volunteer to help feed the hungry and people who are thirsty come get a drink and we make a lot of friends and people to meet.”
As questions remain about how the CalFresh changes will affect vulnerable communities, organizers say local support networks will continue playing an important role in helping people access food.
“were out here to just help bless the community give them whats provided to us to help provide for them so they can have food on their tables,” Switter said.
Organizers say the need continues to grow, and they're always looking for additional volunteers. If you'd like to get involved or need food assistance, you can find them Mondays at 10:30 a.m. at 900 22nd street or Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. at Mill Creek in Bakersfield.
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