By Lili Adkins
The Mendo Food Network (MFN) is celebrating the completion and opening of its new warehouse in Willits.
The MFN was founded in 1979 and soon after opened the Fort Bragg Food Bank. The organization runs multiple food distribution programs out of this location, from home delivery of groceries to community farm stands. It also hosts pop-up distributions in more rural areas of the county; there are locations in Albion, Leggett, Laytonville, Covelo, and Willits.
Mary Tinder, Development Director of the MFN, underscores the efficiency and potential of the new Willits location. (Contributed)Another important aspect of the MFN is working with numerous partner agencies who share its goal of providing food for those in need. This involves acting as a middleman between grocery stores and soup kitchens, food banks, and food pantries — the MFN sends products to agencies across the county to ensure food access everywhere.
The new warehouse comes as part of a larger expansion of the organization, made possible by the Food Bank Capacity Program Grant from the California Department of Social Services. This million-dollar grant was awarded to the MFN in 2019 to purchase new equipment over a six-year period. Using these funds, the MFN bought the warehouse in 2022, strategically selecting its Willits location to maximize the ease of receiving and distributing food items.
Mary Tinder, Development Director of the Mendo Food Network, explains the organization’s thought process in choosing where the warehouse should go: “We’re now this hub in the middle of the county. All roads lead to Willits, so it makes our truck routes way more efficient.”
The new walk-in refrigerator and freezer allow the MFN to store far more food for distribution than ever before.(Contributed)The convenience of the new location will result in larger and more frequent shipments of goods to communities throughout the county. Moreover, the Willits warehouse has far more storage space than the Fort Bragg Food Bank, allowing the MFN to accept more stock.
Preparing the warehouse for use was a difficult yet successful endeavor. The building, which used to hold multiple separate businesses, underwent extensive alterations over a three-year period to accommodate the needs of the MFN. It now sports a comfortable workspace for employees and volunteers, rooms designated for the assembly of donation bags, and walk-in refrigerators and freezers. Partner agencies will be welcomed in a special corner of the building, where they will be able to “shop” for their organizations from the wide range of products available at the warehouse. The warehouse itself is outfitted with new heavy-duty shelving units and a forklift.
To celebrate the completion of this massive project, the Mendo Food Network will host a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at the warehouse on Saturday, June 28, from 11am-3pm. The festivities will include food, music, and fun activities for kids. The Mendocino County Chamber of Commerce will be in attendance with a giant ribbon, which will be cut at noon.
There will also be a community mural to which attendees can add their handprint for a small donation. The money raised for the mural will go towards Kids Bags. These supplemental bags of kid-friendly foods are especially significant in the summer months, Tinder explains, when families who rely on free school lunches feel the additional costs of feeding their children during the day.
“It’s a celebration for us, who have been working in these offices with construction noises for the last two years, as well as an introduction to the community. We’re here, ready, and working for you. It’s been quite a journey, and we’re at the finish line now.”
However, as this journey comes to an end, the MFN is facing a new set of challenges: “It does feel kind of strange to celebrate it. We want to fill this new building with food, but that’s challenging with the budget cuts right now. We’re in a rough spot, and obtaining food is a different game than obtaining money through a grant.”
Recent federal budget cuts have created a definite strain on the MFN, which relies heavily on government funding. Additionally, many grants (such as the one used to purchase the warehouse) have strict guidelines as to what the money can be used towards, making it even tougher to source certain goods or address administrative costs.
The continuation of all their programs remains, Tinder tells, the primary goal of the organization: “We’re trying to do what we can. We understand that the community relies on these programs.”
In the face of these difficulties, the MFN requests the support of the Mendocino community. Donations and volunteers are always needed and welcome. A new program, the Seed Bank, will also provide plant starters to those looking to help grow produce at home.
Tinder concludes, “There is ultimately an ask, but that ask can’t be the same for every person. Whatever you are able to do, that’s what you can do.”
For more information about the Mendo Food Network, visit www.mendofood.org, or contact them at [email protected].
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