A Growing Need

Food banks across the nation play a crucial role in the daily struggle for survival of a significant number of families and individuals. In 2018, CAPK’s 211 Kern County Information and Referral Help Line received 23,691 calls for food assistance— the number one cause of calls to the service. Food assistance was still the most requested service for the 2-1-1 Help Line in 2019 and 2020. Expanding the CAPK Food Bank’s warehouse will allow CAPK to respond to existing and emerging community needs for food.

FOOD IS THE TOP “UNMET NEED” IN KERN COUNTY

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

"Food" Calls to the 2-1-1 Call Center

37,543

24,641 29,998

23,691

2015 2016 2017

# of Calls

2018 33,765

2019

According to 2-1-1 Call Center Data from the CAPK database, the top unmet need for the last four years has been food, with almost 150,000 calls for assistance during that time. Homelessness assistance ranked second and utility assistance ranked third.

THE EDUCATION GAP

Kern County has consistently had a lower attainment of college degrees—associates and higher—than what is seen statewide. The lack of higher education can decrease chances of upward mobility, according to The PEW Charitable Trust, and in some cases can even cause those who were raised in the middle-income ladder to move down. According to 2019 U.S. Census Community Data for Kern County, only 3.4% of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher live in poverty while 47.6%iii of those who only have a high school diploma or GED live in poverty. A lack of higher education plays into the ongoing, and often generational, poverty in our region.