Good News! SPIRIT of Santa Paula has completed our Grant with State of California CalRecycle administered by VC Public Health's Waste Free VC totaling $184,342.29, Funding our new Commercial Kitchen, Food Rescue Supplies, two Refrigerated Box Trucks and a Van to use for our continuing Food Rescue! We are very grateful for their help & generosity!
"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."
— John Wesley
SPIRIT'S FOOD RESCUE MISSION
In September 2016, Governor Brown signed SB 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016), establishing methane emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. One of the efforts to accomplish this is simply "FOOD Rescue". There is a daily waste of food in our world--from our own homes to cafeterias, restaurants, grocery stores, schools, hospitals, and caterers. There are now State and Federal Good Samaritan Laws which protect food donors.
The SPIRIT of Santa Paula was formed in 2002 to serve the community of Santa Paula in a variety of ways. On Christmas Eve morning in 2008, we found a homeless man had died in one of our churches. From that time, began a crusade to provide food and shelter to our most vulnerable population. We have grown into being one of the major food providers in our area. We run Spirit's Resource Center for homeless people providing food, sanitary facilities, counseling and encouragement.
In addition, we rescue food seven days a week and provide Two Weekly Food Pantries and USDA food distributions every week. Our food pickups include local school cafeterias, dozens grocery stores and food service facilities.
We are engaged members of this partnership with the State of California Cal Recycle Program and Waste-Free Ventura County. This program allows us to recover additional pounds of commercially prepared, edible food per year that would otherwise go into landfills.
Kay Wilson-Bolton,
Founder & Volunteer Program Director
