Attendees browse tables of donated food during a July 2 giveaway at BeXtra Community Event Center in Yuba City, where volunteers distributed fresh produce, baked goods and other perishable items.

 

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Hours before BeXtra Community Event Center was scheduled to open its doors for a noon food giveaway July 2, cars already lined the street and a crowd wrapped around the building.

The giveaway, held in partnership with the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank, brought individuals and families to the Yuba City event center ahead of the holiday weekend as many looked to stretch tight grocery budgets during the summer months.

"So this one is a little bit different than our last one because we had a lot of prior announcements go out," said Tina McBride, a longtime BeXtra volunteer. "We had a line at 7:50 this morning. Kids are out of school right now. It's a holiday. It's a three-day weekend and things are expensive."

Volunteers organize fresh produce and other donated food July 2 during a free food giveaway at BeXtra Community Event Center in Yuba City.

McBride said a previous giveaway included about seven pallets of meat, which were distributed within about an hour and a half. Thursday's delivery was one of BeXtra's largest yet, with three truckloads totaling roughly 21,600 pounds of donated food.

Under the overhang of the BeXtra Community Event Center, volunteers created a makeshift grocery store, setting up tables filled with fresh produce, bread, pastries, desserts, eggs and milk. Because of the large turnout, organizers handed out numbered tickets and brought people in through timed waves to help ensure everyone had a chance to receive food. Organizers stressed that the giveaway was open to anyone and said that because many of the items were perishable, the food needed to be distributed as quickly as possible.

Attendees select fresh produce, bread, milk and other donated items July 2 during a free food giveaway at BeXtra Community Event Center in Yuba City.

Brian Davis, founder of BeXtra, said this was the organization's second large-scale giveaway of this size, following similar efforts held during the holidays last year. While BeXtra does not host giveaways on a set weekly schedule, Davis said the organization tries to respond when surplus food becomes available through the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank.

"We won't always know it's coming," Davis said. "Sometimes they'll call us and say, 'Can we send you guys X, Y and Z? Can you help get rid of it?' And our answer is always, 'Absolutely.' You can really see we're filling a need here."

For attendees waiting in the shade, the giveaway was both practical and personal.

"They're really nice. I think they're the best people in town, them and Hands of Hope," said Donna, who was waiting in line. "They do the PneumaCare too, which is new here, and they can hook you up with resources that nobody else seems to have. I was really impressed. They do a great job. They found a need and are really making a difference."

A young attendee looks over a dessert item July 2 during BeXtra Community Event Center's free food giveaway, held in partnership with the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank.