Spotlight on Redwood Empire Food Bank: Q&A with Director of Philanthropy Hayley Benjamin

A young participant at the Healdsburg Elementary food distribution site.

Redwood Empire Food Bank has been working tirelessly to meet the growing need for food security in our community, providing healthy meals to thousands of people each month. With new developments in how they serve local families and efforts to reduce waste, they’re making a real impact. We spoke with Hayley Benjamin, their Director of Philanthropy, to learn more about the progress they’ve made, the challenges they’re overcoming, and what lies ahead for this essential work.

How has the grant from Healdsburg Forever helped support Redwood Empire Food Bank’s work in Healdsburg and Geyserville?

The grant has been a game-changer for our work in both communities. We used it to fund three of our core programs: Groceries to Go, School Pantry, and Senior Basket. About half of the funds went towards acquiring healthy food, while the rest helped cover staff wages, operational costs, and transportation. Timing was everything—by April, we saw our highest-ever participation numbers, serving 6,000 individuals with nearly 116,000 meals in one month alone. This support couldn’t have come at a better time!

What recent successes have you seen in your food distribution efforts?

We’ve seen some exciting developments recently. In Geyserville, we’re moving our distribution to the New Tech Academy, which will give us more space and allow us to serve more people. We’ve already formed a great relationship with the school, and their students are stepping up as volunteers, which is huge since finding help in Geyserville can be challenging. We’ve also tweaked our produce offerings, adding more variety and adjusting portions to reduce waste. In Healdsburg, we’re proud that our volunteers and school staff have completely taken over running the distribution at the elementary school.

What challenges have you faced in keeping up with the community’s needs?

The biggest challenge we’re facing right now is that demand is still incredibly high, even though the pandemic has passed. People are still relying on us at levels we haven’t seen since the peak of the pandemic, and unfortunately, donations haven’t kept pace. We’re also navigating some uncertainty with the economy, especially with it being an election year. We’re committed to continuing our services, but it’s definitely testing our ability to stretch every dollar and do more with less.

What’s next for Redwood Empire Food Bank in these communities?

There’s a lot to look forward to. We’ve recently kicked off distributions from Geyserville New Tech Academy, with local students helping us run things—something we’re really excited about. We’re also phasing out single-use plastics at our distribution sites, using reusable containers instead, which is part of our commitment to sustainability. Looking ahead, we’re working with our partners to improve the nutritional value of the food we provide and help educate participants about healthy eating. 

Learn more about Redwood Empire Food Bank at refb.org.