The COVID-19 pandemic nearly ruined Heather Gourley’s life.

Aside from catching the virus, both Gourley and her husband lost their jobs as a Starbucks supervisor and iron worker, respectively, costing them their home and nearly their family vehicle as well.

With nowhere else to turn, Gourley — a mother of three who was pregnant at the time — began taking her family to Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa, a nonprofit organization that provides meals and other services to families in need in central and eastern Contra Costa County.

The organization helped Gourley more than she could have imagined. Gourley found not just hot meals and nutrition, but also a new career. Flash forward three years, she now works at Kidz Planet preparing food for preschoolers, after passing a rigorous culinary arts course offered by Loaves and Fishes.

“I don’t know what we would have done without them,” Gourley said, crediting her instructor, Cassandra Dell’Aquilla, with helping her apply and prepare for the whole process. “She sat down with me, and we put together a culinary resume. They helped me every step of the way.”

Gourley and her family weren’t alone. Loaves and Fishes was serving roughly 600 meals to people daily before the COVID-19 pandemic. That number has since quadrupled — and appears to be going up. From June 2022 to July 2023, the organization served 388,996 meals, a 38% increase from the prior fiscal year.

The lack of consistent access to food affects roughly 1 in 6 Contra Costa County residents, according to the county’s health department. In 2021, 10% of all Californians, or roughly 4.3 million people, received benefits under the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“People have to make choices, you know? It’s, ‘Do I buy medicine this month, or do I get a meal? Do I buy clothes for my kids or do I get a meal?’ ” said Janette Kennedy, the organization’s executive director of development and external relations. “With inflation and the rising cost of living, it’s very hard for people out there.”