- First Fruits Market fills to capacity within minutes as food insecurity deepens in Fresno amid the ongoing government shutdown.
- Volunteers like Steven Lapa and Danny Borrero provide comfort, empathy, and dignity — proving kindness matters as much as food.
- To meet rising demand, the market expands operations to five days a week, offering groceries worth up to $200 per visit.
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Friday morning at Fresno Mission’s City Center, First Fruits Market reached capacity almost immediately.
The market, run by the Central California Food Bank, is built to feel like a grocery store. Shoppers grab a cart, check in with volunteers, and move quietly through the aisles. No one is made to feel like they’re asking for charity. It’s simple, but in a world where systems fail so many, small gestures like that matter…