Interfaith Food Ministry

What is the Interfaith Food Ministry?  - Organized in April 1987, IFM is a nonprofit public service corporation, dedicated to providing supplemental food to more than 600 needy families each week in western Nevada County. IFM is a 100% volunteer operation, sponsored by participating local churches. We have approximately 500 active volunteers!

How does the ministry operate? - The guiding Board of Directors consists of a designated representative from each of the member churches. All board members are volunteers, actively involved in this ministry. Officers are elected annually by the Board of Directors. Volunteers work in their chosen areas of: Drivers, who pick up food daily from the local markets; Packers, making up bags of staple food items; Distributors, who sort and distribute the food; Interviewers, who greet, talk with clients and update records; and a Maintenance Crew & Cleaning People. There are no paid employees.

Who are the needy? - The have many faces: The elderly who can't make ends meet on fixed incomes; single parents with hungry children; men and women who have lost their jobs; mothers and fathers who work for a minimum wage; families with temporary hardship, i.e. large medical bills, serious injury, etc. And they are families who have lost hope.

What are the requirements to receive food? - To receive food on a regular basis and be eligible for an ID card, all we require is proof of Social Security Number for each person listed, and a Nevada County address. No proof of income is required.

Where and how often is food distributed? - Distribution is at the IFM building, located at 551 Whiting Street (between Empire and South Auburn Streets) in Grass Valley. Families may receive food from IFM at our weekly distributions on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays from 10AM to 1PM. Bags of staples (canned food and dry products) are distributed once a month; perishables are distributed weekly.

How is the Ministry funded? - IFM received no government sponsorship. We rely solely on contributions from churches, service clubs, civic organizations, individuals, and fundraising events. While $145,000 was spent to purchase food in 2002, this amount represents only about 15%of what was distributed. Community merchants and growers generously donated the balance.

How can I help? - You can help by becoming a volunteer, by making a financial donation, and/or contributing nonperishable food or home-grown fruits and vegetables. And we always need brown paper grocery bags! We are also now accepting donations through this website: Click here to make a donation now!

Please note: Interfaith Food Ministry is not the same as the Nevada County Food Bank