The efforts of the Central California Food Bank and the Fresno Mission to provide food to those in need caught the attention of the country’s largest pharmacy and earned them a half-million dollar donation.
“We at City Center had a vision that by working together we could do more good for our community – that we could do more good together than alone.” —Matthew Dildine, CEO, Fresno Mission
The $525,000 from CVS Health will go to First Fruits Market at Fresno Mission City Center and help the food bank hire workers who have just become homeless.
City Center is the Fresno Mission’s new social services center on Dakota Avenue, east of Blackstone Avenue. The Central California Food Bank and the Mission opened the free grocery store in 2023.
“We at City Center had a vision that by working together we could do more good for our community – that we could do more good together than alone,” said Matthew Dildine, CEO of the Fresno Mission.
The First Fruits Market has fed 10,000 different families
CVS chose First Fruits Market because of the connection between nutrition and overall health, said Bobby Dhaliwal, district pharmacy manager at CVS Health.
“Fresno is considered the fruit basket of the world, but the irony is that one in four people and one in three children are at risk of hunger,” Dhaliwal said. “That’s why CVS has donated over half a million dollars to local organizations to help solve this problem.”
The store is open three days a week and is visited daily by about 240 people looking to purchase fresh canned fruits and vegetables, canned goods, meats and healthy snacks. This month, Starbucks donated breakfast sandwiches.
Regular customers can come twice a month and the food is free.
“Look at what’s happening at First Fruits Market. Since they opened, they’ve served over 10,000 unique families… people getting healthy, fresh food,” said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.
Related story: $1.5 million donation from Fresno couple brings Fresno mission closer to its first major goal
Grant for training employees at First Fruits
Cristal Hill works at the food bank, scheduling appointments and filling shopping carts for people picking up groceries.
“I love seeing the faces because you can see the struggle and the pure happiness on their faces, the relief they feel knowing that this is possible for them,” Hill said.
Hill began working at the food bank after completing the Mission’s 18-month Rescue the Children rehabilitation program. She had previously been homeless and struggling with addiction.
After completing the program, it was difficult to find a job that met the needs of her and her four-year-old daughter.
“Now that I have this, I can take care of myself and my daughter,” Hill said. “I have a roof over my head. I can take care of myself because I have this job, because I have this program to help me.”
The CVS grant will help fund workforce development at First Fruits Market.
“We have people coming out of homelessness. Instead of picking up trash on the streets, they now go to the Central California Food Bank and help people there,” Dildine said. “It changes their lives and their perspectives dramatically.”
The comprehensive service center in the city center
Fresno Mission built the $38 million facility specifically for its central Fresno location. The center includes not only the market, but also a daycare center, a free clothing bank for foster children, a hair salon, a cafe and offices for appointments with psychologists or financial literacy classes.
In the coming months, a residential complex with 72 residential units will be built here, specifically tailored to families with children.
Dildine’s goal was to work with the various nonprofit organizations in Fresno to meet the diverse needs of people.
“We want them to have access to the other services that go beyond just relief supplies. We want them to be able to track what they’re doing to improve their personal health or their mental health, improve their chances of getting a job or increase their financial literacy,” Dildine said.
