One Extra Item Can Help a Neighbor

Helping a neighbor can start with something ordinary: one extra item in the grocery cart.

The Chico Food Project makes that idea easy to put into practice. Participants collect nonperishable groceries in reusable blue bags. Volunteers pick them up six times a year, leave an empty bag for next time, and deliver the food to local pantries.

The project’s published calendar lists Saturday, December 12, 2026, as its next collection day. That leaves time to join and gradually put a bag together.

Those groceries support several local organizations, including the Chico Food Locker, the Jesus Center, and Chico State’s Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry. The university also identifies the Chico Food Project as one of the sources that helps keep its pantry stocked for students and staff facing food insecurity.

If an extra grocery purchase fits your budget, this is a manageable way to contribute. People who would rather give time can ask about helping collect and transport bags. The project estimates that pickup work takes about two hours every other month.

To request a blue bag or learn about volunteering, visit chicofoodproject.org or call 530-230-7232.

There is value in making help something we can keep doing. A few groceries, collected regularly and delivered where they are needed, are a practical place to start.