The Central California Food Bank team accepts a grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation Tuesday. Photo contributed

Tuesday morning, the Morgan Stanley Foundation presented the Central California Food Bank (CCFB) with nearly $150,000 in grant funding to increase food choices at district pantries in underserved neighborhoods served by the Foundation for Central Schools and Selma Unified School District.

The $149,250 donation will support the district’s Full Choice pantry — a physical pantry space containing preferential food selections based on cultural or dietary needs. It is available to families with children, teens and children in communities of color.

The donation will aim to expand the selection at the Full Choice pantry 

“Today we get to celebrate the incredible ongoing investment Morgan Stanley is making in supporting child hunger programming in Central California,” said Natalie Caples, co-CEO of the CCFB. “The evolution of child hunger programming over the last few years at Central California Food Bank and with our partners has been really really incredible to watch, and the food bank and our partners agree that the role of choice and dignity in these programs is paramount.”

As a member of the Feeding America network, CCFB is one of 11 partner food banks nationwide to receive funding from the Morgan Stanley Foundation.

“Offering choice at our school pantry sites encourages school staff to build relationships with students and their families, while ensuring they have ongoing, reliable access to food resources on campus,” said CCFB Community Programs Manager Jacqueline Burke.

Executive Director of the Foundation for Central Schools Serena Dohi highlighted CCFB’s assistance to Central Unified starting during the pandemic.

“The Central California Food Bank, Jackie, and Larissa, are just a few examples of the leadership team that has answered the call and provided aid for us and many others,” she said. “Fast forward to today — we are still answering those calls together and stronger.”

Dohi said that over the last nine months, the district realized they needed permanent space for nonperishable food products to support students both inside and outside the classroom in Central Unified.

The partnership between the CCFB and the Foundation for Central Schools has begun construction on a school food pantry on campus at Teague Elementary School.

“Today we are so excited to be one of two organizations in Fresno, let alone in California, and not only open a food pantry, but a Full Choice Pantry,” Dohi said. “The goal of the pantry is to stock foods that reflects the diverse cultures in an environment that mimics a grocery.”

The pantry is aiming for an August soft opening.

The CCFB has been a longstanding proponent of accessible, healthy food options; in the Central Valley, one in three children face hunger, with 70% of Central Unified School District’s children socioeconomically disadvantaged, and 87% of Selma Unified’s 6,000 considered low-income.

The Morgan Stanley Foundation has provided more than $41 million in support to Feeding America over the past decade, and has partnered with the CCFB for the past three years.