Get Food

About Us

We provide access to nutritious good food to our friends and neighbors faced with hunger.

Our success is not measured by pounds of food distributed but by lives changed.

Summer Operating Hours:

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

About Rancho Cordova Food Locker

For most of its history, the Rancho Cordova Food Locker was run by a passionate group of volunteers. Since 2019, the Food Locker has seen a significant increase in the number of households facing food insecurity. In 2020, the Food Locker took an important next step, becoming an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a member of Catholic Charities.

Supported by the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services partner agency network program, the Food Locker benefits from collaborating with a group of like organizations throughout the Sacramento Region, which are providing food related support to those in need.

In 2021, after one year as a freestanding non-profit the City of Rancho Cordova conducted a 90-day project to support RCFL to better understand its growth and capacity needs and to help identify future impact priority areas for our then fledging organization. The project findings made several recommendations. Hire an Executive Director, develop a strategic facility action plan , implement Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services “Oasis” data collection system, concentrate on more nutritionally based foods, and the diversification of the Board of Directors.

In 2022, the RCFL board hired Carrie Johnson to serve as its first Executive Director. With an extensive background in non-profit and community-focused engagement, Johnson is leading the RCFL into a new era of leadership and service to the East Sacramento County region. “Bringing Carrie on as our Executive Director provides an opportunity for us to increase the quality of our services and, ultimately, expand access to fresh and healthy food choices for families fighting hunger in our neighborhoods,” said Shelly Blanchard president of the Rancho Cordova Food Locker board of directors.

Today, Rancho Cordova Food Locker serves more than 4,000 friends and neighbors each Month, including adults, infants, children, and seniors. An estimated 20 percent of households served are Ukrainian, Afghani, or Russian immigrants.

Food distribution and food recovery are the primary programs of the Rancho Cordova Food Locker. In 2023, RCFL has nine grocery store partners and is on track to recover 2.5 million pounds of good food for our neighbors and friends

We are always looking to expand and improve the services we provide to the community. For more on our programs and services, visit our Programs page. 

Who We Are

 Meet the team behind the Center and our Board of Directors

Staff

Inez Shedd

Program and Outreach Manager

Kevin Sena

Warehouse Manager

Our Board of Directors Really Care

Miriam Sammartino

Director, Catholic Charities and Social Concerns

“Through the Rancho Cordova Food Locker, I have the opportunity to live out my responsibility to love my neighbor by ensuring that all who hunger have access to nutritious food and are welcomed to fully participate in the banquet.”

Shelly Blanchard

Board Chair, Executive Director Cordova Community Council

“Engaging in community service has been an integral part of my life, shaping my values, character and outlook on the world for many years. It is my belief that serving others is not just a responsibility, but a privilege that allows me to have a positive impact on my community.”

Teri Crisanty

Director of Sales and Marketing, Western Contract

“Serving on the RCFL Board is an honor for me. I feel I have been very blessed in my life, and giving back to the community is my passion. One person alone can not make a large enough impact, but if we work together as a community one day no one will go to bed hungry.”

Jane Jackson, MBA, PMP

Jane Jackson, MBA, PMP Global Construction Manager, Solidigm

Food insecurity is a major problem around the world and our small community of Rancho Cordova is no exception. Being able to serve on the Board of Directors of RC Food Locker, using my construction management and non-profit "start-up" skills is an added advantage of this opportunity. I'm excited to immerse myself further into my new community and continue contributing in meaningful ways.”

Ross Johnson

CPA, Community Volunteer

“As a CPA, with experience in both for-profit and nonprofit sectors, my goal is to help RCFL be strong, sustainable, and dependable to enhance hope for our clients and our community.”

Lindsay Leszczynski

External Communications Manager, Dignity Health

“I am honored to serve on the Rancho Cordova Food Locker Board of Directors because they are equally passionate about improving the health equity of our community by ensuring our neighbors who are facing food insecurity can fill their tables with healthy food. I am a firm believer that food is medicine and a nutritious, well-balanced diet can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and future health interventions.”

Robert McGarvey

Retired Former Mayor, City of Rancho Cordova

Micah Runner

City Manager Rancho Cordova

“I firmly believe that access to food is not only a basic necessity, but also a fundamental human right. As the City Manager of Rancho Cordova, I am honored to serve a diverse community and am committed to ensuring that no member of our community goes hungry. By serving on the Board of Directors for the Food Locker, I am able to make a meaningful impact both professionally and personally in Rancho Cordova.”

Chris Wajda

Health Program Specialist Covered California- Ombud’s Office

“Serving on the RCFL Board is an opportunity for me to give back to the community where my family has grown up. The assistance RCFL provides makes an impact that ripples out to other aspects of our guest’s lives and makes us all better.”

Baelee Zeiher

Associate Consultant Segal

“Serving on the Rancho Cordova Food Locker Board of Directors is an incredible opportunity to make a difference in our community and to show my children the importance of helping their friends and neighbors. I have spent most of my career in healthcare and have seen the impact access to healthy and nutritious food can make in a community.”

Carrie Johnson, Executive Director

Growing up in a single-parent household with three brothers, life was not always easy. Our family was fortunate to have extended family support and care. I learned early on what it means to stretch the food dollar, and as the oldest in my family, I was often responsible for cooking meals. We had a wide family network that helped my mom in tough times. Today, many families don’t have that safety net. I’m humbled to help the food locker be that net.

Bio

Carrie Johnson really cares about Rancho Cordova. A resident since 1985 and a proven non-profit leader, Johnson joined the Food Locker as its first Executive Director in 2022. Under Johnson’s leadership, the Food Locker has more than doubled the service programs, families served, and secured funding for a new, expanded center.

Passionate about shaping communities by lifting up those in need, Johnson draws upon her significant expertise in strategic planning and partnerships, development, and volunteer engagement to help Rancho Cordova’s underserved residents by reducing barriers to access healthy, fresh food.

Johnson’s most recent tenure with SAFE Credit Union as Workplace Financial Wellness Manager allowed her to partner with executive leadership teams to craft strategic initiatives that directly benefit clients. As Director of Development and Marketing at Stanford Youth Solutions, Johnson led fundraising, marketing and outreach efforts, skills critical to the success of the Rancho Cordova Food Locker.

Crafting original programs and unique experiences is also a hallmark of Johnson’s work, as was evident during her tenure at Eskaton Foundation where she created the first-ever Philanthropic Partner Program. This highly successful, unique, and customizable program enabled partnerships between companies and Eskaton Foundation to foster employee engagement, social accountability, and networking. Johnson studied Environmental Science at California State University- Sacramento and has served as Board Director for the Culture Lab X, Fairytale Town, and Mercy Education Resource Center. Johnson is currently a member of Leadership Sacramento, Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She is also the current Boatd Secretary of Easter Seals Superior California and a member of Valley Visions Food and Agriculture Committee.

Johnson has been called a vessel of energy and enthusiasm; relentlessly persistent and genuinely passionate about her work. Her professional life closely mirrors her personal life, where relationships are the top priority. She enjoys spending time with her husband, three grown sons, three daughters-in-law, and six grandchildren.