Rural Food Program helps West County families in need

The Rural Food Program is a food bank which is organized by the Parish of St. Philip the Apostle in Occidental and St. Teresa in Bodega. Hal McGuirk and Kathy McCool, both parishioners of St. Philips’ provide the leadership. In addition to the monthly food bank, the Rural Food Program also offers a Back to School program which provides free backpacks and school supplies to food bank’s clients children. A Secret Santa gift program matching donors to young kids is also one of the programs the parish offers.

For almost 40 years, the Rural Food Program has been striving to meet the nutritional need of West Sonoma County clients. At our peak, before the Covid-19 lockdowns of March 2020, the food bank had about 100 clients. But due to the shelter in place orders, many clients stopped coming to get food on a monthly basis. We are in the process of re-building our client base through community outreach. A large sign has been installed in front of St. Philip’s Church with the date and time of the Food Bank.

We provide a wide variety of meats, fish, canned goods, some frozen food, fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, and dry goods as well as eggs and cheese. Catholic Charities of the Santa Rosa Diocese provides that food, logistics and funding for the program as well as monthly collections from the St. Philip’s and St. Teresa’s parishes. Our mission is to combat rural hunger and improve clients’ overall nutrition and well being.

Many local merchants also donate food to the program. All food is high quality, fresh where applicable and the kind of food available in your local supermarket.

The food bank is located in the Parish Hall of St. Philip’s Church located at 3730 Bohemian Highway, Occidental, CA 95465. The parish hall is set up like a grocery store, where clients can browse the tables with shopping carts and make their selection. For clients who do not wish to leave their vehicles or enter the parish hall, a volunteer will take heir list and shop for them, bringing the grocery bags to their car.

The food bank takes place on the second Tuesday of every month and is open to clients from 8: 30 to 11.30 a.m. Again everyone is welcome to come to the food bank and no one is turned away. For more information please call: 707-408-2150. If you yourself or a family member, friend or neighbor wishes to use our food bank please spread the word. You will find the volunteers to be friendly and helpful. Look forward to seeing you at our next food bank, Tuesday, Oct. 12 ! Doors open at 8.30 a.m.