City of Menifee, food bank team up to help feed seniors

Members of the City's Community Services Department passed out meals to Menifee seniors at Mayfield Park on Friday.

News release from the City of Menifee on monthly food deliveries to local seniors:

MENIFEE -- The City of Menifee’s Community Services Department is continuously committed to helping our community and has been monitoring the development of COVID-19 and taking proactive steps to protect Menifee’s most vulnerable and food insecure seniors.

In a key partnership with OC Food Bank, the Menifee Community Services team has widened how they distribute essential nutrition as widening fears of novel coronavirus limited seniors to visit the Kay Ceniceros Senior Center for daily nutrition. Together, the two agencies fed over 480 seniors with prepared food boxes March 20 to promote healthy options and nutritous foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables.

“The Community Services Department is committed to increasing the number of senior meals and healthy options available to them, to assist our vulnerable senior population to make ends meet in our community,” stated Community Services Director Jon Nicks, “especially during the restrictions to keep them safe and preventing our senior populations from visiting the senior center daily during the COVID-19 crisis.”

The demand for services and for food has increased, in part because vulnerable people are stuck inside during the call for deep social distancing by Governor Newsom and Riverside County Public Health Official Dr. Kaiser.

This food service will take place once a month. Nicks said seniors will initially drive up to the Kay Ceniceros Senior Center, stay in the their vehicle, complete registration form with staff practicing social distance, and then dive across to Mayfield Park to pick up the food box. Once they have completed registration, the following month they can go directly to pick up their food box. The next distribution is expected near the end of April.

Due to the limited amount of local resources, staff reached out regionally to ensure seniors in our community had food available. OC Food Bank’s larger partner agency, Community Action Partnership of Orange County, provides food services regionally in Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside counties.

“Generally, it’s sometimes the only meal our seniors eat with someone else,“ said Mayor Bill Zimmerman. “The City is thankful for our volunteers (while practicing social distancing) and partners, because the amount we are able to serve with their assistance is so much greater and impactful. If you are a senior in need, please reach out to the senior center in Menifee and connect with us.”

Orange County Food Bank (OCFB) is part of a larger private non-profit community service organization – the Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAPOC) -- and distributes nearly 25 million pounds of food each year to vulnerable people. Nearly 400 other charities rely on OCFB for the food they distribute.

Those organizations include churches, senior centers, shelters, community centers, and social service agencies. Those charities feed seniors on fixed incomes, individuals with disabilities, the
unemployed, homeless persons, and the working poor. OCFB also feeds 1,400 people directly
each day in communities throughout the region. http://canstructionoc.org/

For more information on Menifee’s Senior Services Food Program, visit
www.cityofmenifee.us/communityservices and for COVID-19 information, please visit
www.cityofmenifee.us/coronavirus, or call 951-672-9673 for more information.