Calaveras County - A new emergency food bank building in San Andreas is a big relief for local organizations whose resources have been stretched thin during the economic crisis. The building, which opened earlier this year and was celebrated in a ceremony in late March, is only the latest improvement in operations for the Human Resource Council, which changed its name last week to The Resource Connection. Russ Thomas, a Calaveras County Supervisor, was quoted as saying “I think there is some divine intervention in this” as he observed the opening of the 5000-square-foot facility on March 20. The new food bank includes modern multi-storage racks, a giant walk-in freezer, and meeting rooms where families can sit down with staff and assess their needs. The building was dedicated to Carol Phelps who served on the Resource Connection Board of Directors from 1986 to 2008, mostly as chairwoman. Calaveras Supervisor Steve Wilensky said the goal is to make sure Calaveras is the one county in California where no one goes hungry. He was also referring to another program recently launched by the Supervisors called Farm to Family, which encourages home gardeners and farmers to plant an extra row of food for donations to the food bank. The Resource Connection was started in 1977 by a small group of local women looking to solve local issues related to families, hunger and child care. It now employs over 170 people and runs locations throughout Amador and Calaveras counties on an annual budget of $8 million. Money comes from a variety of sources, from federal and state grants to local contributions. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.