Additional Resources in Lassen County, CA

Lassen Links
1445 Paul Bunyan Rd, Susanville, CA 96130
530-251-0701
Hours of operation: 9am-3pm
Lassen Links is a growing network of local early childhood development and family support organizations serving families through collaborative community services, supports, and resources.

Additional Food Resources in Susanville, CA

Crossroad Ministries
2410 Main Street, Susanville, CA 96130
530-251-2461
Hours of operation: 9am-3pm
They provide emergency food boxes as well as free meals to the public Monday through Friday including breakfast at 7:00 am and lunch at 12:00 pm. Saturday dinners are at served at 6:00 pm.

Susanville Salvation Army
1560 Main Street, Susanville, CA 96130
530-257-0314
Follow us on Facebook for any changes to our schedule.
Food distributions are every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month. You may pick up a number as early as 9:00 am, distribution starts at 12:30 pm. Bread is available every Tuesday at 9:00 am.
The Salvation Army proudly partners with The Food Bank of Northern Nevada.

Cougar Cupboard at Lassen Community College
478-200 CA-139, Susanville, CA 96130
530-257-6181
“The Cupboard’s purpose is to help students get through a challenging time by offering supplemental food or hygienic supplies. Any hungry student attending LCC is welcome to use the Cupboard. The Cupboard is open every Wednesday of the month from 10:00 am-2:00 pm.”
For assistance in applying for CalFresh (see below), students can also contact Monteil Ackley in Basecamp, Creative Arts Room 209, CalWORKs office, 530-257-6181 ext.8922.

Lassen County Schools
1000 Main St., Susanville, CA 96130
530-257-5134
“Starting Monday, March 23, 2020, Lassen County Schools are working together to ensure that all students have the opportunity for two FREE meals a day. Any child who is between the ages of 1-18 will receive a lunch for that day and a breakfast for the following day. The school sites listed [on this page] will be open Monday thru Friday from 11:30 – 12:30 for meal pick up. For our surrounding community members, Lassen Union High School will be doing meal drop-offs at our current bus stops.”

Fort Sage Family Resource Center
170 David S Hall Ave, Herlong, CA 96113
530-827-3007
They provide emergency food boxes. Their food pantry is open the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. Community dinners are held the last Thursday of the month with exception of June-August & December.

Supplemental Food Programs

CalFresh
1616 Chestnut St. Susanville, CA 96130
530-251-8200
This program (formerly known as “Food Stamps”) provides monthly benefits to help low-income households purchase healthy and nutritious food. To apply, contact their office at Lassen Works.

WIC – Women, Infants, and Children
1410 Chestnut St. Susanville, CA 96130
530-257-7094
WIC is the federal assistance program of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) providing healthcare and nutrition for low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and infants and children under the age of 5. Contact their office from 8am-5pm.

Why does Susanville (and Lassen County) need so many food options?

Click this link for some of the most current data regarding food insecurity in California.

Click this link to see a map of “food deserts” in the USA. Notice that nearly ALL of Lassen County (and much of Northern California) is considered a food desert.

Key statistics for Lassen County (as of April 2020)
According the US Census Bureau, the City of Susanville’s population was 15,165 in 2018 and Lassen County’s population was 30,802 in 2018. Note: These Census population counts include the approximately 8,500 inmates at High Desert State Prison (4,100), California Correctional Center (3,300), and the Lassen County Jail (120) as well as the Federal Correctional Institution in Herlong (1,000).
As of 2017, 20.7% of Susanville's residents (i.e. about 1,600 people) have an income below the federal poverty level and 5.8% (i.e. about 400 people) have an income below 50% of the poverty level. Every day, many of these people are forced to choose between paying for housing, transportation, and/or prescription drugs or buying food.

  • From 2010-2014, 24% of Lassen County’s children lived in poverty (California Food Policy Advocates - CFPA). That’s 1,136 children.

  • As of 2019, 1,139 children under the age of 18 in Lassen County benefit from CalFresh assistance (i.e. nutrition assistance programs).

  • In Northeast California, a report by CFPA found that 37% of adults and 65% of children living in low-income households are affected by food insecurity.

  • “47% of [college students] in the North Inland — the area of Shasta, Butte, Lassen, Plumas and Siskiyou counties — said they did not have regular access to sufficient nutritious food” (LA Times).

  • California’s “Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force” final report found that “Addressing food insecurity is posited to lessen the risk of developmental delays and improve outcomes such as children’s ability to focus and perform at school.”

What are the benefits of improving access to quality food?
Susanville’s current and future success depends on the health of our citizens – especially our children. Since good nutrition is linked to decreased healthcare costs as well as increased academic success and workplace performance, good nutrition is an often unrecognized yet critical component of a community’s economic success.
“Lack of nutritious food is especially devastating for children. Research shows that the stress and adversity experienced in childhood affects us into adulthood. Babies born to mothers who are food insecure are more likely to have low birth weight. Children who experience food insecurity are at greater risk for developmental delay, anemia, and challenges in school. They also have higher rates of conditions like obesity, asthma, and depression. … [Access to healthy food] promotes lower rates of obesity, decrease behavioral problems, and increase graduation rates.” ~ The Sacramento Bee

What is “Food Insecurity” and why is it a problem?
“Food insecurity is the occasional or constant lack of access to the food one needs for a healthy, active life. Food insecurity has serious impacts on an individual’s well-being, which may result in poor school attendance and performance, lowered workplace productivity, and physical and mental health problems. Individuals struggling with food insecurity have to make tough decisions that no one should face. No family should have to decide between buying groceries or paying rent, no senior should have to choose between food and medicine, and no parent should have to skip a meal in order for their children to eat.” ~ California Association of Food Banks

Poverty in California – The Big Picture
California’s “Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force” issued its final report in November, 2018; this report’s key findings include:

  • 19.4 percent of all Californians and 21.3 percent of California’s children live in poverty while 5.5 percent of all Californians and 4.8 percent of California’s children live in deep poverty.

  • Most of California’s families living in poverty are “working poor.” According to the Public Policy Institute of California, “For 44.9% of those in poverty, at least one family member reported working full time for the entire year.”

  • California has the highest poverty rate in the country, due in large part to high living costs, income inequality and the on-going impact of institutional and economic racism that disproportionately impacts communities of color.

  • Those with less education and labor force participation are 3 to 5 times more likely to live in poverty.

How can you help?
You can help overcome food insecurity in our area by offering your prayers, your time, and your financial support to one or more of these food programs.