Visalia Emergency Aid Council sees spike in families needing support

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- For nearly a century, the Visalia Emergency Aid Council has helped provide food and household items to community members in need.

Executive Director Mary Jennings has been working for the organization for 25 years.

It's one of the oldest non-profits in Tulare County.

"Our mission has always been the same, and that is to take care of the homes and the families living in Tulare County. We ensure that no house is food insecure. We can help with household items, clothing, good shoes and warm coats during the winter," says Jennings.

Daily, the non-profit serves between 80 to 100 families.

That number more than doubled last week.

Families did not receive their SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown.

"So last week, imagine being a family of four raising children, the first of the month comes and that money you were expecting to buy your groceries doesn't come, and what do you do? Luckily, we were here and our numbers almost doubled," explains Jennings.

"It brought a lot of people into our pantry that didn't know we were here, and families that could be using us on a regular basis," continues Jennings.

The food pantry focuses on serving nutritious foods and helping individuals in the area.

"I can pay bills, put gasoline in my vehicle, insurances, and things like that, I can pay bills, etc.," says Daniel Quintana, a Visalia Emergency Aid Council client.

Each month, the organization serves anywhere between 1,200 and 1,400 families.

That is 4,000 to 5,000 individuals, and their reach continues to expand.

"We started a program where we are going into a couple of schools and actually distributing at the school sites, so we do about 1,500 families a month," mentions Jennings.

Community members can help by hosting a food drive, giving their time or monetary donations or joining their Race against Hunger, which is a 5k and 2k that happens every Thanksgiving morning.

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