Concord, Calif. – Once again County Connection buses have become food collection sites on wheels. For nearly thirty years the County Connection has teamed with the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano to collect food in November to help fill the shelves during the holiday season. Last year riders donated over 1,425 pounds of food.
“Never before has the need been so great,” said Renee Baptiste, spokesperson for the Food Bank’s Concord facility. “The slow economy and high unemployment mean more people are in need of help, and we’re seeing a 30% jump in requests for food.
Milk crates are strapped to the inside of buses and emptied each evening by the transit agency’s maintenance crew. If crates fill early in the day, road supervisors are available to step in and empty the overflowing crate and return the food to the office where it’s all collected in a large container supplied by the Food Bank.
The most needed items are protein sources like peanut butter and canned meats. All canned goods, beans, rice, pastas, iron rich cereal, tomato products, and fruit or 100% fruit juice are accepted. Food Bank officials have asked that no glass containers be donated as they can easily break during transportation and sorting.
The County Connection provides fixed-route bus service and ADA paratransit service to nearly five million passengers each year. For information on bus routes and schedules, call Customer Service at (925) 676-7500 or visit www.cccta.org.