Meet the new leader of Yuba-Sutter Food Bank

Shamaya Sutton, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
Updated ·5 min read

Aug. 25—Maria Ball has been volunteering at the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank since June of last year.

As part of the nonprofit's development committee, Ball helped with fundraising and got to learn a great deal about the ins and outs of the organization. She took on a full-time position in March as a community engagement officer which soon led to her new position as executive director as of June 1.

"I fell in love with the place essentially," said Ball. "They were between leadership so they asked me if I would come in and consult, just to kind of help transition, and then I ended up taking the job."

With a background in human resources and a degree in criminal justice, Ball didn't necessarily foresee this position as a future career. She moved to the area with her husband in 1997 after migrating north for work purposes from Southern California. Housing in Yuba City was more affordable than in Sacramento, and after a brief break to raise children, Ball picked back up as a realtor for Showcase Real Estate.

"In my role as a realtor, I am on the board for the Yuba -Sutter Chamber of Commerce," explained Ball. "I've been an ambassador for the chamber for at least 10 years, and so in that capacity I served the community quite a bit. The focus of the food bank for me is to maintain and establish relationships with our pantries and agency partners, and to oversee our food recovery efforts from all the major grocery stores in the area."

The Yuba-Sutter Food Bank currently serves approximately 20,000 residents per month and, since taking over as executive director, Ball reports that the demand has been increasing by about 20% each month.

While the food bank is currently equipped to handle this, its future prospects will depend heavily on volunteers, donations, and grants, not for food, but for fuel costs, refrigeration, and transportation services.

"The food is coming in. It's the resources to get it out, that's the issue," said Ball. "We're blessed to have the contracts that we do have with the local grocery stores, and we have Costco coming which is awesome, but that's going to require us to come at least six or seven days a week to pick up their food."

Contrary to popular beliefs, the food bank does not pick up expired or sub-par grocery items. The donations it receives are simply surplus products that were not sold and need to be turned over to make way for new stock.

While many of the families that utilize the food bank's services are low income or chronically unhoused, Ball said there has been a steady increase in first-time users and those from within the working class.

"The increase in fuel costs is hitting everybody majorly," said Ball. "Our families, our clients are getting squeezed by inflation and so some of those lower-income households that don't have a lot of wiggle room are having to visit the food bank distributions and the pantries for the first time. Our working families are struggling and the demand is increasing."

For some, one unexpected bill, an accident, or health problem could quickly sway a family's budget. This is where the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank comes into play, acting as a resource for those needing a little extra support.

"We want to get the awareness out there that the food bank and our agency and pantry partners are for working families," explained Ball. "For people that are maybe living on one income, maybe they're struggling with utility costs, gas prices, we're here to help you make ends meet. It's not just for severely low-income families."

Those interested in utilizing one of the regular distribution sites will be required to self-report their annual or monthly household income. This would be compared to the income guidelines provided by the California Department of Social Services which is based on 235% of the federal poverty guidelines in accordance with the number of persons in a household.

"Recipients are only required to self-certify," explained Ball. "Recipients may not be asked to supply proof of income. It can be determined by monthly or annual income, it is not necessary to qualify for both. So, if someone is experiencing a temporary hardship, they qualify. Again, we do not turn anyone away."

The food bank just recently received a $1.3 million capacity grant from the state of California which has been used to redo the warehouse floor and complete some much-needed renovations to the food bank's administrative offices. Nearly half of this grant was spent on implementing a new freezer which will essentially double the food bank's current frozen food capacity.

With fuel and refrigeration being at the top of the food bank's expenditures, it only makes sense that the organization would be working toward a more sustainable solution. Hilbers of Yuba City has been designated as the food bank's general contractor for its capacity grant initiatives, and its new solar system will be done through Excite Energy. This installation is expected to be up and running by the end of the year and is anticipated to reduce the group's overall energy costs.

For more information about the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank, or to review its list of pantries, distributions sites, and food giveaways, visit feedingys.org.