Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Del Rey Avocado helps salvage thawing food

FALLBROOK – According to Fallbrook Food Pantry Executive Director Shae Gawlak, "Del Rey Avocado is our Community Hero!" Del Rey stepped up "in a very big way," she said, when the power went out at the pantry Thursday, Dec. 3 as the pantry had nearly $25,000 worth of frozen and refrigerated food that was going to spoil without electricity.

The power was reported to have been shut off due to weather conditions and fire hazards at 3 a.m. and would possibly be down for the next four days. The high Santa Ana winds warned set off alarms at pantry at 5 a.m.

Board president Dale Mitchell received the call from the security company and went to the pantry to check out the issue. He found no disturbances other than no power at 5:20 a.m. and the walk in refrigerator was already beginning to lose the temperature needed to keep everything sustainable.

Mitchell called Gawlak and within minutes they began implementing an emergency plan to salvage all the food and still keep their doors open for the next two days to serve the community.

Once they determined that a generator was not feasible, they reached out to Del Rey Avocado inquiring who they might contact to rent a refrigerator truck. Gawlak said, "Patrick Lucy was fabulous and said that he could bring one of their large trucks to us by noon. They literally saved the day!"

Submitted by Fallbrook Food Pantry.

 

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