Want to donate this holiday season? 25th Stuff the Bus Food Drive starts Friday

Angelaydet Rocha, The Stockton Record
Updated ·6 min read

Do you have nonperishable food items in your pantry that you could donate?

If so, then pack them up and head over to Food 4 Less on Hammer Lane any day from Friday, Nov. 17 through Sunday, Nov. 19 for the San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) 25th Anniversary of Stuff the Bus Food Drive.

This weekend they will collect food donations from community members and local organizations in support of those who face food insecurity.

"This is something that is very near and dear to our hearts," said Maximilian Cao, supervisor of marketing and customer engagement for RTD. "We are more than just a public transit agency. We are also part of this community, and we're driven by pride and giving back."

Cao described this food drive as community, impactful and generous.

"This year's event, is more crucial than ever, especially when everyone is feeling the effects of rising food prices and the food banks are reporting that they are seeing more families coming and seeking assistance for the first time than any other year," Cao said.

What items can I donate?

San Joaquin Regional Transit District's Kajay Dunkerson loads canned and boxed goods onto a bus at the RTD's annual Stuff the Bus campaign at the Food For Less on Hammer Lane in Stockton on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. Last year, RTD collected 25,000 pounds of turkeys for the Emergency Food Bank which translated into about 20,000 meals. Since the program began in 1999 Stuff the Bus has brought in about 415,000 lbs of turkeys. Stuff the Buss will continue from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hammer Lane location on Friday, Nov. 18 and at Hammer Lane and Mar Val Food Stores in Escalon on Saturday, Nov. 19.

Donations such as frozen turkeys, frozen chickens and frozen ham as well as nonperishable items are what the food bank is hoping to gather, Cao said.

Those who make a frozen turkey, chicken, or ham donation will be entered into a raffle for a $50 gift card. There will be two winners, he added.

Last year, RTD collected more than 18,000 pounds of food. In 2010, they collected over 40,000 pounds with the help of multiple partners and donors. That was the most food that they had ever collected, Cao said.

For their 25th anniversary, they are hoping to break that 13-year-old record.

How to donate?

Allen Barnes, left, drops off a frozen turkey to San Joaquin Regional Transit District's Max Cao at the RTD's annual Stuff the Bus campaign at the Food For Less on Hammer Lane in Stockton on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. Last year, RTD collected 25,000 pounds of turkeys for the Emergency Food Bank which translated into about 20,000 meals. Since the program began in 1999 Stuff the Bus has brought in about 415,000 lbs of turkeys. Stuff the Buss will continue from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hammer Lane location on Friday, Nov. 18 and at Hammer Lane and Mar Val Food stores in Escalon on Saturday, Nov. 19.

If you can donate, make your way to Food 4 Less at 789 W. Hammer Lane in Stockton from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, Saturday, Nov. 18 or 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19.

They will help you unload your donations or you can "stuff the bus" yourself.

If you can't make it to Food 4 Less this weekend the University of the Pacific will also be hosting a food drive from 4:30-9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20 at the Alex G. Spanos Center on 1178 Larry Heller Drive in Stockton.

"The University of the Pacific is offering free admission to both their Men’s and Women’s Basketball game for anyone who donates five or more non-perishable food items at their location," RTD said in a statement.

You can also donate daily from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., hours may vary per location, at Stockton Community Medical Centers until Friday, Nov. 17.

For monetary donations visit npowebdonation.networkforgood.org/stuffthebus.

Who does the collected food go to?

Volunteers load a boxes of food into the trunk of a car at the Stockton/San Joaquin Emergency Food Bank's annual Holiday Turkey Box giveaway at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton on Tuesday, Dec. 20. 2022. About 1,500 turkeys dinners, including sides, were given away in the drive-up event at the Dirt Track grandstands. Last week the Stockton Firefighters Local 456 teamed up with the Stockton Police Officers Association to donate 600 turkeys which were a part of Tuesday's giveaway.

The food you donate will be distributed to members of the community who attend the Emergency Food Bank Stockton/San Joaquin Thanksgiving food giveaway from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds.

"We can't do it without RTD. We really couldn't, we would have to turn around and probably purchase additional turkeys to feed the need that is within San Joaquin County," said Alesha B. Pichler, community relations manager for the Emergency Food Bank Stockton/San Joaquin. "Their support of the food bank for the past 25 years does not go unnoticed."

Community members start lining up around 1 a.m. for the food bank giveaway. However, Pichler recommends people to get in line as early as 6 a.m. instead. The distribution starts at 8 a.m.

The food distributed will include turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and vegetables, she said.

"It's basically a Thanksgiving dinner in a box," Pichler said.

Pichler said the food includes what's collected from RTD and what the food bank has been collecting for the past months.

To receive a food box you must present a food bank ID or a photo ID and proof of San Joaquin County residency such as a PG&E or water bill with your name and address, Pichler said.

The Emergency Food Bank will also be holding another food giveaway on Tuesday, December 19 at the "same time, same location, same foods."

This will be with the help of the December "Turkey Brigade" a fundraiser by the firefighters' union and the Stockton Police Officers Association.

Community support

(11/20/20)Anne Swehla Garcia loads a box of frozen turkeys into the back of a SUV at the Food 4 Less on Hammer Lane and Thornton Road in Stockton. Swehla Garcia has been collecting donations for turkeys since 2017. That year she bought 14 turkeys. This year the kindergarten teacher at Julia Morgan Elementary School says she collected $8,890 from 265 people. With the money she purchased nearly 500 turkeys or about 6,500-pounds of the gobblers. Swehla Garcia paid store director with a check then she and a cadre of friends loaded up their vans can pickup trucks and paraded them to the Emergency Food Bank for the organization's annual Thanksgiving food giveaway. CLIFFORD OTO/THE STOCKTON RECORD

For the past seven years, Anne Swehla Garcia, a kindergarten teacher at Julia Morgan Elementary School has collected more than $44,000 to buy turkeys for the food bank.

Something she started a few years ago when her friend Gillian Murphy a board member at the time of the food bank mentioned they needed turkeys.

"I started just collecting a few bucks from friends," she said. "I (donated) like 12 turkeys the first year."

She' collected $6,170 this year. She used $525.36 of the money for 264 cans of cranberry sauce, something she found out the food bank was in need of after calling them, she said.

She does this for one reason.

"Because people need to eat. People in America shouldn't be hungry, people anywhere shouldn't be hungry. I'm grateful that they trust me and I'm grateful that they see the need and they know that we can help fill a tiny little spot," Swehla Garcia said with tears in her eyes. "Just grateful for their support and the fact that they're willing to help people that they don't even know.”

The rest of the money will be used at Food 4 Less to purchase turkeys during RTD's Stuff the Bus Food Drive.

Another supporter of the food drive is the Greater Yosemite Council Boy Scouts of America.

"We're supposed to do it. That is our way of scouting, we've got to help other people at all times," said Robin Wilson, Greater Yosemite Council Scout executive and CEO. "But it's always a good thing for the kids to learn that the community is always in need."

The Boy Scouts go door by door a week prior to RTD's Stuff the Bus Food Drive placing door hangers and letting the community know they will be back on Saturday, Nov. 18 to pick up any food items they would like to donate. They drive around, pick them up and drop them off and help stuff the bus.

"We just ask for them to give from their heart from their pantry that they already have," Wilson said.

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stuff the Bus Food Drive in Stockton