River City Community Services
Considering its small size, it's hard to believe that River City Community
Services could serve over 2000 individuals each month. When I paid River
City Community Services a visit this fall, the only thing that made the
little food closet stand out from the old midtown residences surrounding
it was a line of people standing in the rain waiting. People from all
over Sacramento County show up each day between 11:30 and 3:00, Monday
through Friday, to get a bag (or bags) of basic food items that will provide
nine meals to each individual in their household. Executive Director Eileen
Thomas claims that River City's small size allows them to cater more to
peoples' specific needs, but at 1,800 meals served per month, it's clear
that this is no casual operation.
In 1968 a food closet was started at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. As capacity
grew, the food closet was made a part of Episcopal Community Services.
River City Community Services is now an independent non-profit organization,
though it still receives much of the church's help. Much of the food that
RCCS distributes comes from local churches, as well as Senior Gleaners,
California Foodlink, and many individual contributors. What makes River
City especially unique is that they do not serve only to people from a
specific zip code; anyone in Sacramento County can receive food. Visitors
are individually greeted and each visit is recorded. They must provide
rent and income information, but seldom is anyone refused. Also, sensitivity
is taken in regards to housing status-complete non-cook food bags are
available for homeless individuals.
River City Community Services operates the food closet with the help of
thirty volunteers. There are two employees, Eileen and Steve, the program
director. These two work together to provide needy Sacramento residents
with additional services, such as motel vouchers, and referrals for those
in need of emergency housing assistance and/or additional food provisions.
The organization also works in collaboration with Breaking Barriers to
provide food for HIV positive Sacramento residents who are unable to leave
their home. This holiday season RCCS distributed thirty-seven Thanksgiving
food baskets, and plans to distribute fifty-six more for Christmas.
It took some repeated urging from friends and clergy members to get Eileen
to leave her background in education and apply for this position, but
she appears genuinely committed now. She claims that her workplace is
"a good place see lively human spirit." Is there such a large
need for emergency food services in Sacramento? Considering that each
individual is allowed to visit RCCS just once per month, and that this
relatively small food closet still sees more than 2,000 people in that
time, you can begin to imagine how many Sacramento residents are food-insecure.
Eileen feels that "the poor economy and [government] cuts in programs
means more clients [needing emergency food]." She added that, "Some
people are showing up for the first time in years."
River City Community Services is open Monday-Friday from 11:30am-3:00pm.
It is located at 1322 27th Street. Call (916) 446-2627 for more information,
or visit them on the Web at: www.rivercitycommunityservices.org
Sacramento Hunger Commission staff will periodically be touring food
closets in Sacramento. If there is a food closet you think should be profiled,
please call us at 916-447-7063 ext.364.
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