The holiday season is when every charity organization kick into “overdrive.” Like many retail stores, charities are easiest this time of year raising funds and accepting donations. That is especially true with food banks. With the recent wildfires still burning across a large portion of the state, food banks in Contra Costa have stepped up to share their donations with victims of the fire that have been displaced in Butte County.

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano operates out of our where workers have been reorganizing pallets of food to make room for all the generous incoming donations. But that food doesn’t stick around very long. It has a fast turnaround to getting loaded up the trucks that will then make drop-offs and various spots throughout the county.

Normally this time of year the food bank provides meals to more than 170,000 residents of Contra Costa and Solano Counties. Now the food bank is expanding its operation to coordinate donations of food and money to the fire victims. Because of the devastating impact of the Camp Fire, the demand for the food bank services are gone up by about 10 percent.

“Food banks are sort of the second line of defense in a disaster,” food bank communications director Lisa Sherrill said to a local news organization. She points out that the Contra Costa food banks have been working closely with other food bank organizations across the Bay Area to ensure that every fire victim in need receives help.

“We will be doing weekly distributions in Oroville and Chico,” Sherrill said. “Most of the partner agencies up in Butte County are at capacity as far as food and water go,” Sherrill said. “So, the funds will help us continue to serve them.”

The food banks depend on holiday gift giving to sustain their annual budget. Not everyone can drop off food but donations are appreciated to help stock the shelves. What many folks might not realize is that after the holidays are over and the fires are eventually put out the demand for the food bank services will probably be as great as ever.

“The need is not going to go away once the fires leave their news feeds,” Sherrill said. “We will still need to support people in Northern California as well as Contra Costa Counties.”

If you like to make a donation to support the victims of the California wildfires, then head over to the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano.