The James M. Cox Foundation, a charity connected to Cox Communications, donated $25,000 to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.

The Foodbank has stretched itself to meet overwhelming need in the community. Since March 7, the Foodbank has delivered 77,000 pounds of food a week, more than double what it was doing in March of 2019. Because of the additional demand, the Foodbank has had to lease two additional warehouses to store food.

“A gift like this one is a huge help to the Foodbank,” said Erik Talkin, CEO of Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. “For a response that will likely last for many months and beyond, Cox is helping us ensure the health of the county for the duration.”

After previous natural disasters like the Thomas fire and Montecito mud flows, the Foodbank developed a plan for the possibility of a disaster which shut down the entire area. Donations like ones from the Cox Foundation are helping the Foodbank utilize that plan to its fullest ability.

“We are so proud to support the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and the incredible work they are doing to support our communities during this pandemic,” said Cox Communications Market Vice President Kirsten McLaughlin. “As school and workplace closures make access to nutritious food even more challenging, these children and working families need our help now more than ever. We are thrilled to enable such a great partner to ensure the needs of our community are met during this challenging time.”