SANTA ROSA, October 22, 2008 - The impact of the global economic crisis is showing up in more and more Sonoma County homes as families who never dreamed they would ever need help paying their bills are having a tough time putting enough food on their kitchen tables.

"You hear a lot of people argue about the merits of the trickle-down theory of economics," said David Goodman, Executive Director of the Redwood Empire Food Bank. "But the economic downturn is really thundering down in terms of hunger. We've never seen so many people who need help feeding their families, and we expect the trend to continue."

As a result, Goodman said, the Redwood Empire Food Bank is embarking on its annual winter season food drive facing extraordinary demands for its emergency food services.

"We have to raise about $625,000 by December to make sure we have enough food to provide for people in every corner of the county, from Petaluma to Cloverdale and the city of Sonoma west to Sebastopol, the Russian River and Bodega Bay," he said.

Goodman said that for several years, the REFB has estimated that it provided food to some 50,000 Sonoma County residents each month.

"Several months ago we completed an audit of all of our own Food Bank programs as well as the programs operated by some 133 of our partner agencies that operate pantries and kitchens throughout the county," he said. "We found that we are actually providing hunger relief to 60,000 people every month."

Goodman said agency and pantry representatives at a recent meeting at the REFB headquarters in Santa Rosa reported that the number of people they are serving has jumped as much as 25 percent over the past year, and he said he expects the numbers to continue to climb.

"Earlier this year the financial impact was told in terms of gasoline and food prices. Now the story has been upgraded to a global financial crisis told in terms of billions and trillions of dollars," he said. "The real and human story is right here at home where Wall Street meltdowns translate into business failures, job layoffs, and foreclosures."

And it is going to get worse, said Goodman, who cited recent news stories reporting the loss of more than 900 construction jobs in Sonoma County this past year and record numbers of households who need help paying their PG&E bills.

"We're seeing people who never dreamed they'd have to turn to a food bank or church pantry for help," he said. "So, I hope people understand and respond to our annual food and fund drive more than ever. We need your help to provide for your neighbors."

The REFB's annual Winter Food and Funds Drive will be launched on Nov. 1 and will run through New Years to Jan. 31.

"Our three-month effort will help provide some special cheer to our neighbors during the holiday season," said Lee Bickley, Community Relations Manager for the REFB. "And we also need to continue to stock our shelves to help people day-to-day through the end of this year and into next year."

In addition to cash donations, Bickley said the goal of the Winter Food and Fund Drive is to collect 185,000 pounds of food.

Non perishable foods go directly on REFB shelves and then out to REFB-supported pantries and kitchens.

Bickley said cash is especially important.

"We are now distributing 11 million pounds of food a year, but only about 15 percent of our food is donated from the local community," said Bickley. "We have to reach throughout California and sometimes out of state to acquire 85 percent of the food we distribute. So, cash donations are vital."

Bickley also said that people who donate cash reach a lot of people in need.

"Because of our organizations ability to acquire donated food from around the state and country for just the cost of transportation and because of 5,000 Sonoma County volunteers who help us sort, stock and distribute our food, we are able to distribute about $4 worth of food for every $1 we spend," she said. "So, it's a way people can get more bang for their buck."

Sonoma County residents can expect to see the annual REFB winter food drive in their local stores, the businesses they frequent, schools, and their daily paper.

The Press Democrat on Tuesday, Nov. 11, will insert a REFB Winter Fund and Food Drive supermarket shopping bag in newspapers distributed to some 51,800 Sonoma County subscribers. The paper will be publishing "Fill'er Up"ads November 3-11 encouraging readers to donate.

People are asked to fill the bags with canned or packaged food and deposit them in REFB barrels at Safeway, Lucky, Whole Foods and G&G food stores, Longs Drugs, or the REFB office at 3320 Industrial Drive in Santa Rosa. No home-made food or food in glass containers can be accepted.

The Press Democrat shopping bag also will include an envelope people can use to make financial donations to the REFB by check or credit card.

Shopping bags also will be available at the Santa Rosa Avenue Friedman's Home Improvement store where 2,000 bags will be distributed at check-out stands. And individuals and community food drives will make 4,500 bags available to people wanting to donate.

Bickley said she expects more than 270 individuals, businesses and schools to conduct food drives this year.

Individuals or organizations wanting to join the county-wide effort can order a REFB food barrel, small food boxes and holiday food bags for collections. Call 707-523-7900 or go to the REFB web site, www.refb.org, to get a special Food Drive Kit.

For people wanting to make cash donations, there are three options:

• Online at www.refb.org
• Send a check to REFB, 3320 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa, 95403
• Call 707-523-7900

The REFB Winter Food and Fund Drive is part of a larger, Bay Area wide effort to fight hunger.

Other food drives include:

Share Your Holidays, a joint Safeway-ABC7 TV Food Drive. Money canisters will be placed at check-out stands, along with barrels in all stores. Donors who give $250 will get their name read on the air by ABC7's Spencer Christian from Nov. 17 through Thanksgiving.

Lucky-NBC John Farley Holiday Drive invites customers to purchase $10 and $20 bags of food to place in lobby barrels for the REFB from Nov. 5 through Christmas Eve. The Kiwanis Club will have members at all Lucky Stores on Saturday, Nov. 22, to collect funds for the REFB and promote the drive.

The Whole Foods-CBS5 Food for Bay Area Families Drive will place barrels in all Whole Foods stores, and on Dec. 9, 5 percent of that day's net sales will be donated to REFB.

The annual Winter Food and Hunger Drive is supported by leading Sonoma County businesses. They include:

Premier Sponsor: Ramey Wine Cellars

VIP Sponsors: Friedman's Home Improvement, HoHum Conco, North Coast Builder's Exchange, Kaiser Permanente, Neonatal Network, The Press Democrat

Sponsors: Andy's Produce, Westamerica Bank, The Krush, Clover Stornetta, TLCD Architecture.

For more information, call Lee Bickley or Holly Silva at 707-523-7900.