Why I Give: Giving Time, Funds, & Advocating for Change

Rachel Bonilla
May 23
3 min read

Friday, May 23rd, 2025

Text reads, "why I give," with a women smiling next to it.

Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Uong

As a non-profit organization, we rely on donors and volunteers to sustain our vital work in the community. Consistent support throughout the year ensures the stability of our programs. Even small contributions, whether in time or funds, are crucial for helping us provide food to clients in need.

Why I Give: Elizabeth Uong

Meet Elizabeth Uong, a Volunteer Lead who dedicates her time to supporting FARSB's mission throughout the year. She is a pre-dental student in college and a volunteer at the FARSB warehouse. She first heard about FARSB through her school's UCRPDS club, which was already conducting volunteer shifts at the food bank warehouse.

"Originally, I chose to start volunteering at FARSB because I liked the idea of helping provide food to people who were food insecure. Although I still volunteer for these reasons, these aren’t the only reasons I volunteer anymore," Uong explains. "I’ve made a ton of friends and met a ton of different people that I don’t think I would have been able to meet otherwise, and found a community at FARSB," she continued.

Volunteering comes with an inherent sense of community since we're all working toward the same goal. However, many folks don't realize that it can be a great way to find friends looking to build their own community, and it can be fun!

A young boy smiling and holdiing a fruit, with a quote next to him.

Giving Time: Assisting in FARSB's Mission

Food insecurity remains a significant issue in the Inland Empire, with many community members witnessing its effects on their families or neighbors. The negative consequences can be long-lasting, and tackling the issue directly by offering food assistance to households struggling to afford enough food is a way to help alleviate hunger in the region.

"Through efforts made by organizations of FARSB, I have a lot of hope [for] the outlook of food insecurity in the Inland Empire," Uong expressed. "There are a lot of products that come in and get sorted with the help of volunteers like myself, and distributed out to people in need," she continued.

Giving is a way to play a role in the solution while supporting those in need with the nutritious food they deserve. Whether you are sorting donated products in the warehouse, picking excess fruit through our gleaning program, or participating in a food drive, you are helping our food bank operations.

A young girl holding vegetables and smiling with a quote next to her.

Why Giving Matters

Food, like air, is essential, and every person deserves the food they need to live a healthy, active lifestyle. This is exactly what your donations of time or funds will deliver. In the last fiscal year, 98% of all donations went to the Inland Empire, with 98 cents of each dollar going directly to funding hunger-relief programs.

"Although my experiences at FARSB have been fun and felt rewarding, one of the moments I truly felt the impact that I’ve been able to make was when I listened to a guest speaker at a luncheon event hosted by FARSB. This woman was young and pregnant, and she recounted a time not long ago when her husband had just been laid off and she had just gotten pregnant, and they were struggling. Through tears, she described how difficult that time was. However, she also described how thankful she was to FARSB because during one of her family’s hardest times, they were able to help feed her family and herself, and it brought a great amount of relief to them."

Seeing the difference food assistance makes in the lives of those who don't have their basic needs met is transformative. That is why giving is so important to our organization, and why we ask for donations of time or funds. Neighbors in need depend on our work to keep going, and with 300,000 relying on our food assistance, we need your help.

A woman smiling with text next to her that reads, "Elizabeth Uong, Volunteer, giving time."

What is Meals For Many?

FARSB's Meals For Many (M4M) program is our monthly giving club that allows our food bank to receive donor funds equally throughout the year. Each month, a single donation is made in the amount of your choosing, which is offered at various levels for different income levels and financial situations.

Whether you're a Friend, Supporter, Advocate, or Champion, you can make a difference in Riverside and San Bernardino. If you are on board with our mission and want to make the largest impact, consider joining our Meals For Many Club to make the most of your donation.

Various colored squares with text that reads, "friend," "supporter," "advocate," and "champion."

If you'd like to know more about ways to give to our mission of alleviating hunger, please visit FeedingIE.org/Get-Involved today.

If you'd like to know where the monetary donations go, our Annual Report breaks down our financials, which can be viewed at FeedingIE.org/Financials.