Merced County Food Bank

🧡 Loving our SENIORS 🧡

This morning we joined our friends at Living Well Café for a Senior Brown Bag distribution in Merced.

The Senior Brown Bag Program provides supplemental groceries twice a month to more than 3,850 seniors across Merced and Mariposa Counties. For many participants, it's not just about food-it's also about connection, community, and support.

Interested in signing up? Seniors can apply at a distribution site or at the Merced County Food Bank.

Please bring:
✔️ ID
✔️ Proof of residence
✔️ Proof of income

View distribution locations, days, and times here:
https://mmcfb.org/senior-brown-bag-site-list/

Thank you to the volunteers and site partners who help make this program possible every month. 💚

A huge thank you to all of the volunteers who help make our Senior Brown Bag Program possible. 🧡

This photo is from the Living Well Cafe site in Merced, but we are sending love to every volunteer at every Senior Brown Bag site.

Twice a month, volunteers help get groceries ready and handed out to seniors age 55+ across Merced and Mariposa Counties. They show up, pitch in, and help take care of their neighbors.

For a lot of seniors, these groceries help make the month a little easier. And just as important, these sites give people a chance to connect, visit, and feel part of a community.

We are so thankful for the people who keep showing up with kind hearts and helping hands. You make this program what it is.

Seniors 55+ can sign up at the Food Bank or at a Senior Brown Bag distribution site during distribution hours.

Please bring ID, proof of residence, and proof of income.

To see all 16 distribution sites, visit www.mmcfb.org.

Act now to save small farmers in California! 🌱 🍓 🍊

We need the state of California to fund LFPA, a program that has provided immense support to small farmers.

California lost 10% of its farms between 2017–2022. Programs like LFPA are how we fight back, but only if the state funds them. Without these programs, we risk losing farmers throughout the state. Help keep local farmers by urging your state representatives to fund LFPA!

What is LFPA?

The Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program (LFPA) connects small farmers with food banks to provide healthy, fresh, and local food to California families in need while opening up access to a fair market for local food.

So far, LFPA has:
🧑‍🌾 → Supported 833 small farmers in California
💰 → Purchased $60 million in local food
🍽️ → Fed Californians in 53/58 counties
📈 → Provided a fair and stable market channel for farmers
🍏 → Distributed nutrient-dense produce to 55 Food Banks & Community Organizations

From bok choy and chiles to peaches and tomatoes, these farm boxes reflect the diversity of the people who grow and receive them- food that nourishes and honors community.

Take action 🫵 Call your state rep and urge them to fund LFPA.

💗Grab a drink at Merced, Livingston, and Los Banos locations this Friday for Dutch Luv Day! 💗

❤️$1 for every drink sold on February 13 donated by Dutch Bros Coffee to Merced County Food Bank.🥰

What a beautiful day at our Heart Glazing Workshop! 💛

Thank you to everyone who came out to create, connect, and be part of something meaningful. So many beautiful hearts were made- and just in time to be shared this Valentine’s Day.

A special shout-out to the Community Foundation of Merced and Debbie Fierro for providing sponsorships and helping make this workshop possible. And thank you to everyone who attended! Your participation and generosity are helping us move closer to our $50,000 World Has Heart campaign goal, one heart at a time.

Workshops like this are a wonderful way to bring people together. They're perfect for parties, team-building, or just a creative day with friends.

If you’re interested in hosting a workshop of your own, contact:
Monika Modest: [email protected]

We’re so grateful for this day of creativity, connection, and community. ❤️