Heritage Church Pastor Henry Sun (center) welcomes donations to the church Food Bank Barrel from Benicians Melody and Brook Seymour. The barrel is available for food donations on Thursdays and Tuesdays from 5-6 p.m. at the church located at 1400 E. 2nd St.

BENICIA – Heritage Presbyterian Church of Benicia, while closed and sheltering in place, opened its Food Bank barrel for food donations on April 28. Donations can be made on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-6 p.m. The church is located at 1400 East Second Avenue.

You can also donate money; according to Food Bank representative Neil Zarchin. The Food Bank needs food donations especially now because demand has increased by 50 percent and supplies are below normal in the Food Bank warehouses. The need is for peanut butter; canned veggies and tomato products; whole-grain cereals, brown rice, and pasta; dry and canned beans and lentils; and canned tuna and fruit.

This food then goes to low-income people in our community through local organizations like Benicia Community Action Council. Zarchin, head of the Food Bank food drives, asked people to only donate pre-boxed non-perishables.

He explained that, “these foods are touched by many people and increase the risk to donors, collectors, and volunteers sorting the donations.”

He said there is another way to help: the Food Bank also accepts money donations, because “we can get four times as many non-perishable items as retail customers.”

Zarchin encouraged financial donations as a check to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, send to Concord headquarters at 4010 Nelson Ave. in Concord, CA 94520.

A happy note: Any donation of food or money is tax deductible.

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