Humboldt Holiday Food Drive Brings Students, Community Together for Relief

The Humboldt Holiday Food Drive began earlier this week and continues today with a headline event at the Eureka Safeway, 2555 Harris Street, where student collections will be tallied and a winning school will be declared. KHUM Radio has been broadcasting live from community locations including Wildberries, North Coast Co Op, Safeway, and Eureka Natural Foods between noon and 6 p.m. to highlight donations and encourage participation.

The annual effort brings together Senator Mike McGuire, local high schools, and the nonprofit Food for People to collect nonperishable food items and monetary donations for distribution across Humboldt County. Organizers said the drive has historically raised large quantities of food and funds for Food for People, and stressed that this year the need is heightened because of recent cuts to SNAP benefits and increased local demand.

For residents seeking to give, volunteers are accepting nonperishable items at the live broadcast sites and monetary donations are also being taken. Organizers have provided an online donation form to make it easier for people who cannot attend in person to contribute. The student competition element remains central, with schools collecting donations and competing for recognition as the community rallies to meet rising needs.

The drive underscores immediate public health concerns tied to food insecurity, including nutritional gaps that can worsen chronic illness and stress among households. Community food banks like Food for People play a frontline role in mitigating hunger, but volunteers and organizers warn that short term drives do not replace the need for stable policy solutions and expanded benefits to address systemic inequities.

Beyond immediate relief, the event highlights local civic response and collaboration across schools, media, government, and nonprofit sectors. For many Humboldt residents the drive is both a practical avenue for assistance and a reminder of persistent gaps in the safety net. As collections are tallied today, organizers urge continued contributions to help families who are feeling the effects of reduced benefits and rising demand in the county.