Organization to cut egg purchases by 50 percent
Westside Food Bank (WSFB) is cutting its egg purchases by 20 percent this month and 50 percent in December due to inflation and the avian flu outbreak.
The cost of eggs has tripled over the past several months, forcing WSFB to make tough decisions. WSFB spends about $50,000 monthly on eggs. To prevent a 50 percent cut in egg purchases, WSFB will need to raise $25,000 a month to meet current prices. WSFB will also be switching from a weekly egg distribution to giving out eggs every other week.
According to the food bank, right now, it can pay $30,000 to get 22 pallets of mixed food items, like tuna, rice, beans and other vital staples, while the same price tag would only get 12 pallets of eggs.
Eggs are one of the food bank’s most popular items.
“This product decrease will hurt the families we serve as we enter the holiday season,” WSFB said.
“We really don’t want to have to cut our purchases because we know families rely on these eggs,” Westside Food Bank President and CEO Genevieve Riutort added. “They want to make scrambled eggs for breakfast, pancakes, protein smoothies and all the different ways people use eggs.”
Without additional support, WSFB will have to pivot to less expensive protein sources. It encourages members of the community to help provide nutritious food for people in need by donating at wsfb.org/donatenow.
For more information, contact Kaitlyn Little at kaitlyn@wsfb.org or (424) 387-3661.
Founded in 1981 by the Westside Ecumenical Council — a coalition of Westside social service agencies — Westside Food Bank is an independent, non-governmental, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, providing food for more than 112,000 households, representing more than 332,000 individuals, on the Westside. This food goes to families with children, seniors, people experiencing homelessness, veterans, college students and differently-abled people.
“Our mission is to end hunger in our communities by providing access to free, nutritious food through food acquisition and distribution, and by engaging the community and advocating for a strong food assistance network. WSFB partners with more than 65 social service agency programs to distribute 4.7 million pounds of food annually,” WSFB says. “The majority of our food goes to housed people who need help to afford groceries. WSFB’s food also allows low-income households to apply their limited funds to housing, childcare, healthcare and other basic needs.”
Such programs include food pantries, preschool/after-school programs, domestic violence shelters, senior citizen meal and grocery delivery programs, bridge housing facilities and more.
