Staff and Retiree Food Drive and Distribution Event

Supporting colleagues through times of need is a meaningful way to strengthen employee well-being and foster a healthier, more resilient workplace.

Food insecurity among staff is a pressing and often invisible challenge that directly impacts well-being, productivity, and retention. In partnership between the UC Davis Staff Assembly (Davis and Health Campuses), UC Davis Retirees Association, UC Davis Employee Well-being, and Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (GSPD SACNAS), the UC Davis Staff Food Access Program is designed to address food insecurity among UC Davis staff and retirees. 

By applying a low-barrier stigma-reducing food distribution model, the goal is to provide scheduled food pick-up events which will provide staff with pre-packaged groceries.

Event Highlights: 

Non-perishable food items, toiletries and shelf stable snacks were collected at four sites in and around the Davis campus, including: Occupational Health Services, the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), Administrative Services West and Walker Hall.

A walk-up food distribution event was held on Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 in the Administrative Services West parking lot in Davis. To accommodate alternate work schedules, the event offered two pick-up windows (7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.). Non-perishable food was pre-bagged with varied selections based on guidelines from the non-profit, Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC).

A special thank you to UC Davis Transportation Services and Human Resources for their vital logistical support in making this event possible.

By the Numbers: 

Thanks to our incredible partners and community donors, the event provided substantial, tangible relief:

• 24 grocery bags distributed to staff and retirees
• 1000 lbs of food provided by STEAC and generous community members
• $500 in funding generously contributed by the UC Davis Retirees Association and $300 from Staff Assembly

The feedback from participants underscores just how critical this program is for our staff and retiree community:

• Thank you for hosting this event for staff. Everyone was kind and helpful. It would be great this type of event happen once a month or once a quarter for our fellow staff in need of a helping hand during this difficult economic climate we all face today.
• Everyone was super friendly and helpful. I felt included.

Upcoming Distribution Event & How You Can Help

The next distribution event will be on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026 from 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Administrative Services West (1333 Research Park Drive in Davis). To learn more about this initiative and see how you can get involved, please visit the Staff and Retiree Food Access webpage.