Slab City Ministry and St Barnabas Food Bank Partnership
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Food Bank Partnership Serving Borrego and Beyond
Each month, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church hosts a supplemental food distribution in partnership with the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. Designed to support individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in the Borrego Valley, this program plays a critical role in the region’s community care network.
While the majority of food goes to local households, a portion is set aside for Slab City Ministry, which transports it to Slab City, an off-grid community near Niland, California, with no formal infrastructure such as electricity, water, or waste systems. Ernie Loza, who leads the ministry, also runs an orphanage in Mexico.

Community Food Support in Action
The food bank is held monthly at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and coordinated with other local sites to ensure that food distribution is always available somewhere in the Borrego community. During the summer months, food is distributed at the Borrego Springs Community Resource Center (CRC) to provide relief from the heat for both volunteers and recipients.
Volunteers from St. Barnabas unload, stage, and distribute the food. On a recent pickup day,
Fred Jee, Father David Madsen, and Patrick Grannan assisted in loading food onto the trailer for
Slab City Ministry, led by
Ernie and Debbie Loza. Slab City, located near Niland, CA, is a remote desert community with no formal infrastructure such as electricity, water, or waste systems.
Food Bank Impact in Borrego
In 2021 alone, the monthly food bank at St. Barnabas—supported by the San Diego Food Bank and numerous local volunteers—distributed:
- 136,773 pounds of food
- Valued at $160,469
- Serving an average of 226 families per month
- Estimated reach: 700 individuals monthly
This effort has made a significant impact on food insecurity across the Borrego Valley.
Items Set Aside for Slab City
Due to lack of refrigeration in Slab City, priority items include:
- Fresh produce
- Canned goods
- Shelf-stable food
- Bottled water
- Canned Meat
Local Efforts That Reach Beyond Borrego Springs
This partnership between St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, and Slab City Ministry is just one example of the many ways Borrego Springs residents and organizations work together to meet regional needs. From food distribution to desert outreach, efforts like these quietly strengthen the broader community—one delivery at a time.
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Volunteers in Action!
