Women’s History Month: Honoring Yolanda Mendivil
Roseville, Calif.- In March, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, Feeding the Foothills is taking time to honor a woman whose quiet determination and deep compassion shaped everything we are today.
More than 50 years ago, in 1970, Yolanda Mendivil saw a need in her Roseville community that could not wait. Families were struggling, access to food and basic resources was limited, too many neighbors were being overlooked. Rather than accept that reality, Yolanda chose to do something about it.
Neighbors helping neighbors
With little fanfare and a lot of heart, she helped found what was then known as the Community Resource Council of Roseville. It began simply on Church Street, supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and community food donations, grounded in the belief that neighbors helping neighbors could meet immediate needs with dignity and care. As executive director, Yolanda believed that people deserved support without judgment, and that food access was not charity, but a responsibility shared by the whole community.
That belief became the foundation of an organization that would grow well beyond its original walls.
Growing and Evolving…since 1970
Since 1970, the Community Resource Council has grown and evolved, expanding its reach, adapting to changing community needs, and eventually changing its name. Today, that same organization is known as Feeding the Foothills, serving more than 85,000 neighbors each month across Placer, El Dorado, and Nevada counties. As one of just 200 food banks in Feeding America’s national network, Feeding the Foothills receives support that helps provide more than 9 million meals each year throughout its three-county service region.
Yolanda’s vision still guides our work every day.
A Community Challenge
She understood something that remains just as true now as it was in 1970: food insecurity is not a personal failure. It is a community challenge. And communities are strongest when they show up for one another.
While Yolanda passed in late 2025, her legacy is very much alive. It lives on in every food box distributed, every senior meal delivered, every family that finds relief during a hard season. It lives on in the belief that access to food is a human right and should be consistent, respectful, and rooted in dignity.
That legacy is carried forward by her son, Dave Martinez, who leads Feeding the Foothills as its executive director today. Dave grew up watching his mother do this work not for recognition, but because it mattered. Under his leadership, the organization has continued to grow while staying grounded in the values Yolanda set in motion more than five decades ago.
Personal & Foundational
For Dave, this work is deeply personal. For Feeding the Foothills, it is deeply foundational.
As we recognize Women’s History Month, Yolanda Mendivil’s story is a powerful reminder that lasting change often begins with one woman noticing a problem and refusing to look away. She did not wait for perfect conditions or big systems to step in. She started where she was, with what she had, and trusted that compassion paired with action could build something enduring.
She was right.
Feeding the Foothills exists today because Yolanda believed neighbors deserve care, food is essential, and community responsibility does not expire. We are proud to honor her, grateful for her courage, and committed to carrying her vision forward for generations to come.
This is our history. And it continues because of her.
