Family Service Agency of San Bernardino

We asked some of the children, who have come to us over the years, to tell us what a perfect world would look like to them. Some said it would be perfect if their little brother would quit bugging them, or if there was no homework. But no matter what else they mentioned,  or how young they were, every one of them used words like "safe," and "family," and "love.," to describe what a perfect world would look like to them.

According to the most recent rsearch from the FDA, it takes more than $140 a week to adrquately feed a family of four. The families served by FSASB's Crestline Food Pantry have only $36.13 a week to spend on food. 

• 99% of Food Pantry clients live below the Federal Poverty Level of $24,250 for a family of four.
• 81% of Crestline Food Pantry clients are unemploye.
• 68% of all Food Pantry clients are on some type of public assistance.
• Only 5% of Food Pantry clients are homeless.
• 100% of Food Pantry clients experience times during the month when they do not have sufficient food to feed their families.

*Paul, Julia, and their two children (Sam, 15 and Penny, 10) represent a typical family served by FSASB's Crestline Food Pantry. Paul works occasionally for one of the ski resorts, but he is currently unemployed. they receive SSI, and their children are covered under Medi-Cal. the family lives with Julia's mother, because they lost their home in 2009. the family's income is less than $10,000 a year, so Julia tries to stretch their food budget by purchasing cheap, energy-dense foods that are filling, but lack nutritional value. Several times a year, the family cannot afford food at all, and turn to the Crestline Food Pantry for emergency services. Both children are overweight and are at a higher than normal rise for diabetes because of their diet. Julia is expecting a baby soon, but cannot afford prenatal health care. Paul suffers from depression because of his inability to provide for his family, but cannot afford to see a mental health counselor. He focuses all of his energy into making sure he can feed his family.

* Family profile created from statistics compiled by a survey of Food Pantry clients conducted during December 2014.