Our Mission
The Merced County Food Bank plays a critical role in maintaining and improving the health of low-income and food insecure populations in Merced & Mariposa Counties.
How the Food Bank Works
The Merced County Food Bank, a member of the Feeding America Network, secures donations from food and grocery manufacturers, retailers, shippers, packers, growers, and from government agencies, individuals and other organizations.
Struggling to make your groceries stretch throughout the month?
If you’re a Medi-Cal member, you may qualify to receive two free food boxes every month — filled with pantry staples to help you keep nutritious meals on the table.
📞 Call us at 209-726-FOOD (3663) to sign up.
The World Has Heart: Fighting Hunger One Heart at a Time
In a world where hunger is often invisible, local artist and community advocate Monika Modest decided to speak through art.
Through her project, The World Has Heart, Monika creates handcrafted clay hearts, each one a unique symbol of compassion and connection. What began as an art project has grown into a movement of kindness, supporting the Merced County Food Bank, serving a community where she has deep roots and continues her advocacy today.
Every heart represents hope — a reminder that someone cares and that even small acts of generosity can make a big difference.
Join Monika in fighting hunger and spreading love — one heart at a time.
🎥 Watch the video to learn more, then click “Donate” to support The World Has Heart project.
Letter to the Editor
Merced Sun Star
May 23, 2025
Dear Editor,
Right now, the Merced County Food Bank is serving over 41,000 food insecure people/households
each month—an increase of 17% compared to 2023. The need in our community continues to grow,
driven by inflation, rising costs of goods and services, and economic uncertainty.
Yet at this critical time, California’s food banks are facing a double threat: a 90% cut to state
funding for the CalFood program, and unprecedented federal cuts to SNAP (CalFresh). These
programs are lifelines for low–income families, seniors, children, and individuals with chronic health
issues or disabilities—those who are most at risk of going hungry.
We are urging Governor Newsom and our legislators to act now by sustaining funding for the
CalFood program at $60M, a level that was set during the pandemic – because the number of people
facing food insecurity in California is higher today than ever before.
This funding is essential to keeping our local food bank stocked and operational, by allowing us to
purchase California–grown produce and rarely donated items. At the Merced County Food Bank we
use CalFood to partner with local producers to buy meat, dairy, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables,
shelf–stable pantry staples, etc., also supporting the local agricultural and food economy. Without this
program, we wouldn’t be able to provide the same quality or variety of culturally relevant foods that
give our community the dignity and quality of life that every person deserves.
If CalFood is not sustained at $60M in this year’s state budget, our food bank—and others across
California—will not be able to fill the gap. That means more people in our community will be forced
to go without the food they need to thrive.
Bill Gibbs
Executive Director
Billg@mmcfb.org
What is the Merced County Food Bank Food Literacy Program?
The Merced County Food Bank Food Literacy Program is designed to educate individuals and communities about food and its impact on their lives.
2023–2024 Annual Report
Annual Reports & Financials
View current and past annual reports and financial statements for the Merced County Food Bank.
