Driscoll’s is Food Industry Donor of the Year

Second Harvest CEO presents award

In a roomful of elected officials and non-profit agencies from all corners of Santa Cruz County on Friday, October 16 Second Harvest Food Bank presented its 2017 Food Industry Donor of the Year award to Watsonville-based Driscoll’s.

Second Harvest CEO Willy Elliott-McCrea presented the award during the lunch event at the Food Bank’s annual Partner Agency Conference held at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos. Elected officials presented official proclamations to mark the honor, including Congressman Jimmy Panetta, the new House Representative for California’s 20th district, Assemblymember Mark Stone, and several local mayors and supervisors.

Since 2007 Driscoll’s has donated over 5.4 million pounds of strawberries, raspberries, and other berries, greatly increasing the amount and variety of fresh and healthy fruit Second Harvest can offer their clients. That produce is distributed through the Food Bank’s network of more than 100 partner agencies—non-profit food pantries, recovery centers, group homes, school programs, and more—to feed members of the community most in need of food.

“Donations from growers, distributors, and other food industry companies like Driscoll’s are a major reason Second Harvest is able to turn every $1 donated into four healthy meals,” Elliott-McCrea explained.

Driscoll’s also supports the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) and invests deeply in the communities where they grow. Their employees are frequent volunteers at Second Harvest’s Watsonville operations, helping to sort and pack produce for the Food Bank’s nutrition programs.

Second Harvest’s 12th annual Partner Agency Conference is titled “Insights for Impact” and offers Second Harvest’s partner agencies the opportunity to strengthen their networks, build capacity, share ideas, and attend a range of workshops.