by
Joshua D. Scroggin
Tristan King wanted to change it up.
The CoastHills information technology staffer had seen plenty of Credit Union employees donate a big check to their favorite charities over the past few years. Now that it was his turn, Tristan decided to donate something a little different.
As one of this quarter’s winners of “I’m All In” — CoastHills’s employee giving program — Tristan delivered $1,000 worth of frozen turkeys to the Santa Barbara County Food Bank for its mobile food pantry program in Lompoc.
“Everyone deserves to have a great holiday meal,” Tristan said. “What better way to help make that happen than to give a truckload of turkeys to the less fortunate in our community?”
In all, Tristan personally delivered 94 turkeys — bought from a local retailer and packed into the back of his own pickup truck for the drive to the food bank’s storage facility. Jamie Diggs, the Partner Services Manager for the Food Bank, said the turkeys will be distributed by the Mobile Food Pantry at Lompoc High on Nov. 23.
The donation comes from I’m All In, which is completely funded through voluntary employee donations. Each pay period CoastHills employees who choose to participate contribute money into the program. The amount can be as small or as large as they want. Each quarter, names are drawn to determine who gets to award a $1,000 sponsorship to their favorite local nonprofit organization.
I’m All In generates $20,000 per year and totals 20 different donations throughout the calendar thanks to staff participation that has regularly ranged above 90 percent.
The Santa Barbara County Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry program was launched in 1999 and brings food distributions to 20 low-income neighborhoods throughout the county each month, including multiple locations in Lompoc and Santa Maria.
Anyone is welcomed to come to a distribution to pick up free staples such as rice, beans, canned goods, bread, protein items and fresh produce. There is no sign up or registration necessary.
Interested in making a donation? Visit the Food Bank website to find out specific needs this holiday season. There are other ways to get involved as well. There is a tremendous need for volunteers, and there are several opportunities that make a big difference.
For many, just being there and lending a helping hand will help ensure as many people as possible are able to put healthy food on the table.
For Tristan, actually seeing and hauling such a huge load of turkeys helped reinforce why I’m All In is such a great program.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this on my own,” he said, “but with my co-workers each giving even just a little bit, we can team up to make a lot of people happy.”