County Program Donates Tons of Food to Local Non-Profit

A Tulare County non-profit received more than a ton of donated food thanks to the “Foods for Fines” program.

The Tulare County Library received 3,661 pounds of food items as part of its Food for Fines program, which allows library patrons to bring non-perishable food to any branch of the library system to have their fines reduced or eliminated.

The non-perishable items collected were donated to FoodLink for Tulare County, a non-profit organization who has been working to end hunger since 1978. FoodLink warehouses and distributes millions of pounds of food annually to a network to more than 80 local non-profit agencies, which directly feed needy families.

In total, the library forgave $4642.22 in fines for donors to the program, almost double the amount forgiven in the first drive last November.  In addition, many library patrons made food or cash donations without having fines on their library accounts.

Foodlink will use the items to restock the pantries of food banks throughout the county.  Items collected from the fifteen branches will be distributed in each branch’s local community and surrounding areas.  Food for Fines is a team effort sponsored twice a year by the library and Foodlink.  The next Food for Fines will be held in November.