This weekend: Sign up for a countywide porch pick-up to fight hunger
Green tote bags are quietly appearing on porches from Calistoga to American Canyon, small signals of a growing countywide effort to fight hunger. As the holidays approach, Redwood Credit Union has partnered with A Simple Gesture (ASG) to make giving and donating food as easy as opening your front door.
Instead of asking donors to drive across town to drop off food, the “porch-to-pantry” model flips the process, as volunteers will be coming to front doors this weekend.
“Every day, our teams are enrolling donors at our Napa branches to make giving effortless,” said President & CEO of Redwood Credit Union, Brett Martinez. “Neighbors can simply leave food on their porch and know it will reach families who need it most.”
Participation for Napa County residents is easy:
- Register to Donate: Enter your ZIP code at the top of the campaign page, find your chapter and complete a quick sign-up.
- Prepare for Pick-Up: Your “Events” page lists your next pick-up date and ASG sends a reminder email ahead of time.
- Leave Your Donation Out: On pick-up day, place any bag or box of shelf-stable items on your doorstep. A volunteer driver will collect it and leave a reusable tote for next time.
The next countywide pick-up is this Saturday, Dec. 13.
Food gathered in Napa will go directly to Calistoga Cares Food Bank and Community Action of Napa Valley, two organizations serving residents year-round, not just during the holidays.
Martinez says the goal is simple, to reduce friction so more families can give and receive support.
“We’ll evaluate the results of this model and continue to innovate so giving is easy and impactful,” Martinez added. “Porch-to-pantry may not fit every community, which is why through A Simple Gesture we offer alternatives like monetary donations, self-delivery and even Amazon wish lists.”
At the heart of the campaign is a belief that generosity grows when participation is uncomplicated.
“Our goal is simple: remove barriers and make giving easy. We know firsthand that when giving is simple, our communities thrive,” Martinez added.
In addition to food donations, residents can drop off new, unwrapped toys at any Redwood Credit Union branch in Napa County from Nov. 28 to Dec. 15 in support of Toys for Tots.
