The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation has awarded $1.5 million in grants to food banks that touch every county in California, which is projected to have the second highest rate of food insecurity in 2021 with more than 4.7 million households affected, according to Feeding America.
“As the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California, the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is committed to addressing the health of the whole person and providing access to healthy foods is absolutely critical to that effort,” said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of the foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California.
“As the effects of the pandemic continue to ripple through our communities, we knew we couldn’t take our foot off the gas in terms of providing support to the organizations that help millions of Californians put food on the table and provide a crucial building block to health,” said Ferguson.
Delta Dental of California said that it understands that oral and overall health are closely connected and that there some direct links between oral health and food insecurity. Those who don’t have regular access to enough food are more prone to tooth decay, the company said, and poor oral health can make it difficult or painful to eat, inhibiting proper nutrition.
Because of that connection and its commitment to supporting its communities, Delta Dental of California said, it has a long history through the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation of giving to food banks. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic impacts, the company continued, the foundation has increased that support.
On Giving Tuesday in 2020, the foundation announced $2.5 million in grants to food banks across 15 states and Washington, DC, including $725,000 in California, and total giving for the year to fight food insecurity topped $3.5 million. The food banks receiving grants in the latest round of giving collectively serve every county in California and include:
- Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in Los Angeles: $220,000
- San Diego Food Bank in San Diego: $250,000
- San Francisco-Marin Food Bank in San Francisco: $200,000
- Second Harvest of Silicon Valley in San Jose: $100,000
- Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland: $100,000
- Sacramento Regional Food Bank & Family Services: $100,000
- Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano in Fairfield: $75,000
- Central California Food Bank in Fresno: $55,000
- Project Open Hand in San Francisco: $50,000
- Community Action Partnership of Kern in Bakersfield: $30,000
- Second Harvest Food Bank San Joaquin & Stanislaus: $25,000
- Community Action Agency of Butte County in Oroville: $20,000
- Feeding America Riverside & San Bernardino Counties in Riverside: $20,000
- Food Bank of Santa Barbara County in Santa Maria: $20,000
- Food Bank for Monterey County in Salinas: $20,000
- Food for People in Eureka: $30,000
- FoodLink for Tulare County in Exeter: $20,000
- Imperial Valley Food Bank in Imperial: $20,000
- Merced County Food Bank in Merced: $40,000
- Placer Food Bank in Roseville: $20,000
- Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County in Watsonville: $20,000
- Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa: $40,000
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