Random Acts Of Kindness Day: Help Feed Your El Cerrito Neighbors

EL CERRITO, CA — Random Acts of Kindness Day, set this year for Wednesday, Feb. 17, has amplified importance in 2021 as people in Contra Costa County and throughout the world continue to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic that is now more than 11 months old.

Among the ways to make a difference on Random Acts of Kindness Day this year is to make sure your neighbors in Contra Costa County have enough to eat.

There was a 52-percent increase in Contra Costa County's overall food insecurity rate between 2018 and 2020, according to a projection by Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization.

That means for 148,856 Contra Costa County residents — and as many as 50 million Americans — food budgets were stretched thin by the end of 2020 from job losses, business closures and other economic havoc wrought by the pandemic.

You can help with a tax-deductible contribution to Feeding America, which says the economic fallout of the pandemic has sent millions of Americans to food banks for the first time. For every $1 you give, Feeding America is able to provide 10 meals through its network of 200 food banks that serve and supply 60,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal programs.

If you’re among those struggling to find enough food — or if you want to volunteer — the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano has multiple options in both counties. Amid the pandemic the Food Bank is offering weekly drive-thru style food distribution at sites throughout the two counties; call 1-855-309-3663 (FOOD) for more information or go to Foodbankccs.org/get-help/foodbycity.html. To find out about volunteer opportunities, visit Volunteer.foodbankccs.org

Random Acts of Kindness Day traces back to 1995 and the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, a small nonprofit based in Denver. It was then adopted in New Zealand in 2004, according to DaysOfTheYear.com, and has since been celebrated all over the world as a way to help others in simple ways.

It is held on Feb. 17 every year regardless of what day of the week it falls on, the National Day Calendar shows.

—Written by Tim Moran/Patch

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimated that by the end of 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.