Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) has been named the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce's Nonprofit of the Year for 2024 for their vital hunger-relief programs and alleviation of food insecurity in the City of Riverside and beyond. FARSB and other awardees were honored at the Chamber’s Inaugural Celebration, an annual recognition dinner held on Thursday, March 20th, 2025 at the Riverside Convention Center.
“It is an incredible honor to be recognized as Nonprofit of the Year by the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce!” FARSB CEO, Carolyn Fajardo said. “This award is a true testament to the dedication and passion of our team, who work tirelessly every day to support our neighbors in Riverside and beyond. I am immensely proud to lead such an extraordinary group of individuals committed to making a difference in our community,” Fajardo continued.
In 2024, FARSB saw a major expansion as it opened the FARSB Hunger Resource Center in the City of Riverside, began construction and food sourcing for the Fresh Start Pantry by Goodman, and expanded its SNAP Resource Center to provide additional community resources beyond food to ensure sustainable growth aligned with community needs.
This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Chamber’s existence and allows the new Chair of the Board and Board of Directors to be inducted while additional 2024 awards, such as Business of the Year were awarded to Collins Aerospace and Citizen of the Year awarded to John and Janet Gless, were honored during the event alongside FARSB.
FARSB continues its efforts to alleviate hunger in the Riverside area through several hunger-relief programs under five distinct pillars, including Feeding Seniors & Veterans, Feeding the Youth, Feeding through Healthcare, Feeding through Partners, and Feeding without Barriers. These pillars encompass its 12 current programs, including the Military Veteran Program and the newly opened Fresh Start Pantry by Goodman.
For more information about FARSB’s hunger-relief programs, please visit: FeedingIE.org/Programs
Photo credit: Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino
About Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino
Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) is leading the fight against hunger in the Inland Empire by providing food access, emergency relief, education, and advocacy to families in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. FARSB opened in 1980 as Survive Food Bank in response to the increasing concern about the dual problems of hunger and food waste in the Inland Empire. Today, FARSB is the primary food source for over 250 local nonprofit organizations, distributing over 3.1 million pounds of food monthly to emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, high-need elementary schools, senior centers, after-school programs, and more. With the help of these community partners, they make up the largest hunger-relief organization serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, ultimately making food security a reality for over one million households every year. Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino proudly holds the 2024 Guide Star Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of transparency achievable through Guide Star. For more information, visit http://www.FeedingIE.org
Contact:
Rachel Bonilla
951-359-4757 ext.117 (office)
rbonilla@feedingamericaie.org (email)
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