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Dear friends,
As the cost of gas, groceries and housing continues to rise, more of our neighbors are experiencing food insecurity. Because of you, River City Food Bank is here to provide consistent, reliable support no matter what challenges our community faces.
In February, there were more than 25,000 visits to the food bank, representing approximately 7,000 households. Your support ensures that families can access healthy, meaningful groceries each week. Just as important, you help create stability, compassion and a sense of hope during uncertain times.
Eric and Cindy are working hard to support their family of five while balancing multiple jobs, caring for aging parents and raising their kids. Even with careful budgeting, it has become harder to keep up. Coming to RCFB allows them to stretch their dollars and meet basic needs. Eric shared, “I never thought I would need help, but I am so grateful for this food. It makes everything easier.”
This is the impact of your support. You are helping families navigate challenging moments with dignity and care.
Thank you for standing with us and with our neighbors. Together, we are creating stability for families and strengthening our community.
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Amanda McCarthy
Executive Director
| | Community Partner Spotlight | | |
Community Partner Spotlight:
Jason Mata, American Pacific Mortgage
River City Food Bank is proud to partner with Jason Mata, RCFB Board Director and Branch Manager at American Pacific Mortgage (APM - NMLS #273080), and the entire APM team - one of our dedicated Community Partners. Their commitment to supporting the communities where they live and work reflects a shared belief that people matter, and that meaningful impact starts with showing up for one another.
Through their support, families, seniors, and individuals in our community have greater access to nutritious food and essential resources. Together, we’re not only helping meet immediate needs, but also contributing to a more inclusive, connected, and resilient community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
| | Join our Online Food Drive | | |
#GiveHealthy - Online Food Drive!
Support River City Food Bank by joining our online food drive through #GiveHealthy. It’s an easy, year-round way to provide fresh, healthy groceries to neighbors in need.
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How it works:
- Shop online through Give Healthy
- Choose healthy foods
- Your donation is delivered directly to RCFB
✔ No shopping in-store
✔ No drop-off needed
✔ Real food, real impact
| | Sponsor a Distribution Day | | |
Looking for a simple way to give back?
Sponsor a Distribution Day at River City Food Bank and help provide healthy groceries for up to 2,000 neighbors in a single day. ❤
Anyone can sponsor – individuals, families, businesses, or groups. You can give in honor or memory of someone, celebrate a milestone, or support your community just because.
No volunteering or attendance is required. Your sponsorship alone makes this impact possible.
Already volunteering with us? Sponsoring a day is a powerful way to amplify your impact.
How it works:
• Choose your giving level: $500 or $1,000
• Select your preferred site and date
• We’ll take care of the rest
From sourcing food to serving our neighbors with dignity and care, your support helps make it all possible.
It’s a simple way to turn generosity into real, immediate impact.
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Big Day of Giving is coming on May 7, 2026, and early giving begins April 23!
This joyful, community-wide celebration is a powerful opportunity to come together and support the organizations that make Sacramento stronger. Your generosity helps River City Food Bank continue providing healthy, meaningful groceries to neighbors facing hunger.
Join us in celebrating the spirit of giving and making a lasting impact right here in our community.
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Empty Bowls returns on September 10, 2026, at the Sacramento Zoo!
This signature event brings neighbors together to share a beautiful meal, take home a handcrafted bowl, and support families facing hunger across Sacramento. Save the date to join us for a meaningful night where every ticket helps provide healthy, nourishing food to those who need it most.
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RCFB NEEDS HELP WITH:
- Monthly diaper distributions
- Shifts to help with food distribution and preparation
- Multilingual support/translations
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New shifts for May - June will be published April 15
| | | | Volunteering is a meaningful way to give back while building connection and purpose. Our volunteers bring our core values of dignity, compassion, and respect to every interaction - helping ensure each guest feels welcomed, valued, and cared for. | | Advocate For Your Neighbors | |
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Take Action to Protect CalFood
CalFood is essential state funding that helps food banks purchase fresh, California-grown food - supporting local farmers while ensuring families have access to healthy groceries. But without renewed investment, funding could drop by up to 90% next fiscal year, just as demand for food assistance continues to rise.
Make your voice heard.
Help protect this critical program by sending a quick email to your legislators using the tool below. Your advocacy helps ensure our community continues to have access to the food it needs.
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Have extra produce from your garden or healthy groceries to share?
Fresh fruits and vegetables, along with nutritious pantry items, make a meaningful difference for the families we serve.
Where: 2300 Edison Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95821
Donations accepted: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday | 8:00am – 2:00pm
Want to get more involved? Consider hosting a food drive with your workplace, school, or community group - visit our webpage to get started.
| | RCFB's CalFresh outreach team helps anyone experiencing food insecurity to submit expenses and/or calculate current benefits. | | |
CalFresh assistance is currently available by appointment or drop-in:
Midtown
1800 28th Street, Sacramento 95816
Tuesday and Thursday
10:30am-1:30pm
Arden-Arcade
The Center at St. Matthew's
2300 Edison Avenue, Sacramento 95821
Wednesday and Friday
10:30am-1:30pm
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CalFresh services are available in the following languages: English, Spanish
Interested in applying or have questions?
Call us at 916-233-4075 or complete a referral form and email it back to us at CalFresh@Rivercityfoodbank.org
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Eligibility Update
Due to new federal legislation, some noncitizen eligibility rules for CalFresh will change on April 1, 2026.
What to know:
- Still eligible: U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, COFA residents, and Cuban/Haitian entrants
- Some groups will no longer qualify: including certain asylees, refugees, and parolees
Important:
If you’re already receiving CalFresh, your benefits will continue until your next recertification
Have questions? Our CalFresh Outreach team is here to help - call 916-233-4075
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Showing Up for Youth in Need
Last week, our CalFresh Outreach team received a call from student support staff at Cordova High School - who remembered us from a past presentation. They reached out about a young student, just 14 or 15 years old, living on his own and in need of help.
After leaving an unsafe home in New York, he moved to Sacramento to stay with his older brother. Within weeks, his brother left for the military, leaving him without stable support. His initial CalFresh application had been denied, and he wasn’t sure where to turn.
Our team stepped in to help. We connected him with food after school and worked directly with the county to reopen his case. Soon after, he was approved for the maximum CalFresh benefit of $298 per month.
More than anything, he was relieved - knowing he now had access to food and a place he could turn to for support.
| | | | Thank You CalFresh Funders | | |
Kim is a mother in recovery, working every day to create stability and a new path forward. After recently reuniting with her daughter, she is now walking alongside her in recovery - determined to help her build a different future.
Kim’s journey hasn’t been easy. Growing up in South Sacramento without a mother and surrounded by hardship, she faced challenges early in life that shaped her path. But today, she is choosing something different. With courage and intention, Kim is breaking cycles, rebuilding her life, and guiding her daughter toward healing and hope.
At River City Food Bank, we see strength like Kim’s every day. We meet neighbors who are working to rewrite their stories - one step, one choice, and one day at a time. Stories like Kim’s remind us that second chances are powerful, and that with support, change is possible.
| | Thanks to Our Community Partners | | Visit and learn more about the RCFB Community Partners below: | |
Contact Us
PO Box 160204
Sacramento, CA 95816
916-446-2627
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Midtown Distribution
1800 28th St.
Sacramento, CA 95816
Tuesday & Thursday
10:30am-1:30pm
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Arden-Arcade Distribution
2300 Edison Ave
Sacramento, CA 95821
Wednesday & Friday
10:30am-1:30pm
| | BECAUSE NO ONE SHOULD BE HUNGRY | | | | |
