Resident's 'Front-Porch' Food Bank Marks 1 Year In Temecula

TEMECULA, CA — As the pandemic picked up steam last year, Temecula resident Teri Sue Parker fretted for local seniors, veterans, cancer patients and families, plus their pets, possibly in need of food and household supplies.

So Parker plopped a red bin on her porch and a sign in her front yard welcoming neighborhood donations of goods that she would deliver to the community. She dubbed her effort "Operation Temecula Food Drive."

The response, she says, was overwhelming.

"The outpouring of support was incredible, and items were dropped off daily, filling the box, overflowing onto the porch," Parker said. "Many people donated via Instacart and Amazon. Freezers and refrigerators were donated, and it just grew and grew!"

After hitting her one-year anniversary running a grassroots, food drive, Parker now is operating a full-fledged, 501(c)(3) non-profit, the "Good Samaritan Community Food Pantry." Her garage is transformed into a food-storage space, with added shelving, freezers and refrigerators. And the operation currently feeds more than 400 people and their pets via contactless delivery of boxes with fresh, frozen and canned food items throughout the Temecula Valley.

"It is not uncommon for us to receive requests to add six or eight new families every couple days," she said.

And Parker's community-wide outreach spread further this year with such programs as "Adopt A Senior," "Adopt A Family" and even "Adopt A Senior Sweetheart for Valentines Day."

"These events brought tears of joy to many seniors and families," she said. "They never expected to be given special gifts, flowers, gift cards, custom-made items and the love and support of people they did not know."

For more information on how to support Parker and her "Good Samaritan Community Food Pantry," follow this link, go here on Facebook or contact her directly at 951-415-5731.

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