In a demonstration of Sunnyvale community spirit, a semitruck rolled up to Sunnyvale Community Services (SCS) campus and unloaded the equivalent of 10 million meals — 40,000 pounds of food — for needy Santa Clara County residents.

The delivery was part of the national Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’(LDS) America250 food delivery program, which is dispatching 250 semitrucks nationally, each carrying 40,000 pounds of non-perishable food to local community service groups.

The project was a reflection of community values, said Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein.

“Silicon Valley is a region of incredible innovation and wealth, but we cannot ignore the reality that right here in our own backyard, people are needing food,” Klein said. “Housing costs and inflation are really high, and people are having to make impossible choices on a daily basis.

“To Marie [Bernard, SCS Executive Director] and the entire SCS team,” he continued, “to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and to every single volunteer here today: Thank you. Thank you for connecting willing hands with the real needs in our community.”

Local action, said Bernard, has the most impact on people’s day-to-day lives. “Our clients are not numbers on a page. They’re living, breathing people who want nothing more than to feed their families.” She also recognized corporate sponsor Applied Materials as a champion of the effort, alongside nearly 100 volunteers, whose work, Bernard said, exemplifies what community looks like.

The event underscored the growing partnership between SCS and local LDS churches. Internationally, the LDS church operates one of the world’s largest faith-based food assistance networks. That includes Bishop’s Storehouses stocking staple foods for local needs. The food is donated — much of it is also produced — by the church.

“This [partnership] is not just a one-time deal,” she said. “About a year and a half ago, we couldn’t get eggs, and we reached out to the church.” Eggs are important because they are high-protein foods, and food banks were experiencing shortages.

“For me, this is a wonderful project,” said Mark Covington, Communications Director for the Los Altos stake* who coordinated the event. “It brings together many parts of the community —business, government, social services agency, faith-based organizations — because we all have a stake in our community.

“Events like these build a foundation,” he continued. “If we have a crisis like covid, or a natural disaster, we already have these relationships and can act quickly.” The LDS church collaborates with many relief agencies such as UNICEF, Catholic Charities and the Red Cross.

Sunnyvale Community Services (SCS) is an independent, nonprofit emergency assistance agency in Sunnyvale, CA, serving over 11,500 low-income residents of Sunnyvale. The agency’s safety-net programs include food assistance, financial aid, case management, and referrals to benefits. SCS also supports other social services agencies serving Santa Clara County residents, including Martha’s Kitchen, Second Harvest Food Bank, and the Salvation Army.

*A stake is a geographic group of LDS churches, similar to a Catholic diocese. Bishops are the heads of individual congregations.