California: January cold snap caused hardship

Bob Hope Chrysler Classic donated $100,000 for emergency food to FIND Food Bank today.

Local food agencies report the number of clients is up about 20 percent this year over last, which saw an unprecedented year of need because of a January freeze that sent thousands to the unemployment lines.

“It is a life line,” said Sam Hook, president of FIND Food Bank in Cathedral City. “It has not put us ahead. That’s what I’m looking for right now, life lines.”

To keep their doors open, Hook said the board will consider belt-tightening measures, including possible layoffs.

The January cold snap that damaged $86 million in Riverside County crops affected about 10,000 farmworkers and their families last year.