Press release from the office of Sen. Mike McGuire:

Senator McGuire’s 10th annual Humboldt Holiday Food Drive made history yesterday by rallying the community for its biggest day of giving yet, delivering a monumental day of generosity for Food for People, Humboldt County’s food bank. The record-breaking event brought in 23.5 tons of food along with a WHOPPING $63,000 in financial donations, all headed directly to support hungry families across Humboldt County.

Now the largest Food Drive on the North Coast, the Food Drive is powered by a partnership between Senator McGuire, Food for People, KHUM Radio, North Coast News, and six local high schools: Arcata, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, McKinleyville, and St. Bernard’s. This year, Food for People faced the biggest challenge yet in the organization’s 50-year history with massive federal funding cuts to SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, stripping away food assistance from 5.5 million needy Californians each year.

Going into the holidays with this year’s historic demand, local businesses and the Humboldt community majorly stepped up the generosity to support Food for People’s 26 food pantries, which serve an average of 21,000 residents every month. In 2024, the organization distributed 2.8 million pounds of food to low-income residents; of those served, 25% are children and 25% are seniors.

“Ten years strong and Humboldt is still showing the world that the North Coast is the most generous place on earth. This year has been incredibly tough for so many families, and the need has truly never been greater. Thousands of students, donors, and neighbors stepped up to make sure no one goes hungry this holiday season,” said Senator McGuire. “This year’s food drive smashed all records, and it didn’t happen by accident — it happened because Humboldt shows up, year after year, for families who need it most.”

Taking home the Golden Can Award this year was, McKinleyville High School once again collected the most food this year with an incredible 17,291 pounds, while Fortuna High School brought in the most financial contributions with $3,340 collected for Food for People. Both schools will receive the coveted Golden Can Award and a $750 check from Senator McGuire for their efforts to be used toward their next school party.

“We are blown away by the generosity last night! Our community is facing a truly unprecedented need this year and the giving we saw yesterday was nothing short of inspiring,” said Carly Robbins, Executive Director of Food for People. “For ten incredible years, Sen. McGuire has brought thousands of people together to help us feed families in need. We’re so thankful for Senator McGuire, for our dedicated high school partners, and for every person who donated food or funds. This outpouring of support means our warehouse will stay stocked for months ahead.”