CAFB Member Spotlight: Family Resource Center of the Redwoods Food Bank
April 29, 2026
Our Food Bank Network is Here to Help — Find Food and Resources
Tucked between the coastline and redwood forests of California’s remote northwest, the Family Resource Center of the Redwoods (FRC) Food Bank provides weekly free food service to Crescent City and Del Norte County through its Pacific Pantry and Mobile Market locations.
Beyond food distribution, the FRC offers CalFresh outreach, family assistance programs, veterans services, mental health support, and connections to additional community resources. “Our distribution days are a hub of connection,” says FRC Food Bank Director Marina MacNeill. “We know these people—their names, their families. We have time to have real conversations and link them to the resources they need.”
As a Choice Nutrition Food Bank, FRC Food Bank lets people select what works for their own households rather than handing out pre-packed bags. “We prioritize local foods and produce,” MacNeill says. “People get very excited to see our own dairy producer’s cheese and butter;familiar brands they’d find at the local health food store.”
Currently, 95% of their produce comes from small farms and local producers in the county, with additional sourcing through the Humboldt Harvest Hub. “I feel like our produce is better than the grocery store sometimes,” MacNeill said. “It’s coming directly from the farmers and we’re handing it out that week. Turnover is very quick and it’s very fresh.”
The food bank’s partnership with CAFB will help expand options and capacity. “We’re looking forward to offering larger quantities of produce,” MacNeill said, “so more pantries throughout the county can have more fresh produce beyond the commodities and canned goods they typically receive.”
Events like the 2023 Smith River fire (which cut off power to most of the county for a full week) and last year’s government shutdown underscored the important role the FRC Food Bank plays in the community. As a member of the Emergency Feeding Task Force, they’re part of a growing network of Tribal governments, community organizations, and public agencies that coordinate emergency food distribution in Crescent City and across Del Norte County.
“A couple days before SNAP benefits were cut off, we jumped right into action,” MacNeill said. In the first week of November alone, they served 1,050 individuals, including children, from 380 households. 50 of those households had never previously visited FRC. “We want to keep building our network with smaller pantries throughout the county, so it’s easier to get food to more people in our communities when it’s needed.”
“Our distribution days are a hub of connection. We know these people—their names, their families. We have time to have real conversations and link them to the resources they need.”
— Marina MacNeill, Food Bank Director, FRC Redwoods
Serving a geographically isolated community means the FRC Food Bank has to be especially prepared. Highway 101 regularly requires repairs where it meets the coast, and most food trucks stop at Humboldt, 80 miles short of Crescent City. To respond to this challenge, the FRC is renovating a building purchased in 2024 that will become their central food storage warehouse.
“Right now, we’re working out of a few storage rooms and fridges,” said MacNeill. “Consolidating into one warehouse will be incredible. We’ll be able to accommodate full pallet loads and get more food out to the community.”
The FRC is currently running a capital campaign to complete the warehouse build-out and is looking to CAFB membership to help open doors to new grant opportunities, peer learning, and a stronger statewide network. “Being a newer food bank, it feels like we do everything from scratch,” MacNeill said. “Knowing we’re not alone—that feels really good.”
You can find the Family Resource Center of the Redwoods Food Bank online, on FaceBook, or in person at 494 Pacific Avenue, Crescent City, California.
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