A CONCORD FOOD BANK stepped up its game this fall as threats to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to the government shutdown loomed large, highlighting the ongoing need for food assistance in the county.
On the morning of Oct. 9, staff and friends of the Monument Crisis Center gathered at its Concord site to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a new food pantry and service center that is being added to the existing building. This addition will increase their ability to store long-lasting, shelf-stable items and will expand the center’s food programs, such as their cooking classes and on-site composting and gardening courses.
The Monument Crisis Center is a community-based nonprofit catering to Central and East Contra Costa County that connects low-income individuals and households to goods and services such as healthy food, medical care and legal counsel. It opened in 2003 and serves at least 15,000 households in the county.
The groundbreaking event took place at the center’s hub on Market Street during weather that was chilly enough to wear a sweater, though most attendees arrived in casual business attire or suits to mark the occasion.
Among those present were center staff and Concord Mayor Carlyn Obringer, California state Assemblymember Matt Haney, officials with the Concord Chamber of Commerce, as well as a representative from the office of state Sen. Tim Grayson.
Pantry lauded by local leaders
As the ceremony progressed, the sun rose higher over the trees, breaking through the chill and highlighting each speaker.
Longtime partners of the Monument Crisis Center spoke to the crowd, including a representative from the construction firm W.L. Butler, and Daniel Scherer, the center’s executive director.
During his speech, Scherer announced that an anonymous donor gave $150,000 to the project.
He pointed to a wooden box of dirt, which served as the ceremonial spot to dig in with gold shovels.
Lined up by the container of soil were Scherer, Monument operations director Karla Tinajero Salazar, and construction partners. As the audience counted down, they all stuck their spades into the soil with broad smiles, which was met with cheering for the auspicious occasion.
According to its annual report for the 2023-24 fiscal year, Monument Crisis Center helped over 14,500 people, all of whom are from low-income households, with 96% of families being extremely low income. Just over 33% of their clients were children under 18, while 14.9% of their clients were seniors over 55. The center distributed more than 200,000 pounds of food and received around 70,000 items in donations — this included hygiene products, toiletries, school supplies and sleeping bags.
Concord’s mayor praised the organization for its scope and effectiveness.
“Monument Crisis Center stays focused on its mission,” said Obringer at the event. “Its mission is to help people and give them a hand up, not a handout.”
Obringer said the center doesn’t get involved in politics or side projects, which is why she thinks it is trusted in the community.
According to the mayor, the city’s Community Development Block Grant aids in supporting the center, but most of its funding comes from donations.
Adaptability fuels its mission
Tuyen Mai, Monument Crisis Center’s intake coordinator for special projects, said the strength of the organization is due to its adaptability.
“One of the things that’s really nice about working here is that if we see a need or we think of a program that will better help the community, we could work it within ourselves to bring it to life,” she said.
The main step county and city leaders said communities could take as residents grapple with hunger and federal uncertainty was to donate where they can.
“It’s hard to tell what a week or a month or a year from now looks like, but I would really encourage members to help their local community by donating in whatever way they can to local organizations that they know and trust.”
Daniel Scherer, Monument Crisis Center executive director
“We live in this reactive state constantly right now because there’s no telling what the next step is going to be,” Scherer said. “It’s hard to tell what a week or a month or a year from now looks like, but I would really encourage members to help their local community by donating in whatever way they can to local organizations that they know and trust.”
Mai pointed out that one barrier to accessing these services is people not knowing about them, so she encouraged others to reach out and let people know these services are available to them. She said that the Monument Crisis Center relies on strong community ties and word of mouth.
Mischa Caluma is a 12th grader at Mt. Diablo High School in Concord and a CCYJ reporter.
This is one in a series of stories reporting on the challenges nonprofit organizations in Contra Costa County face as changes in federal laws and policies go into effect. The series was made possible by support from the Lesher Foundation, its Newsmakers speaker series, and the Bay City News Foundation. Stories are produced independently by the CCYJ news team. This story originally appeared in CCSpin.