About Visalia Emergency Aid Council
Visalia Emergency Aid Council has a rich history of support to families, children, seniors and individuals in our community. VEAC was founded in 1931 by a group of Visalia citizens concerned over the welfare of the many dust-bowl immigrant families living in poverty on the outskirts of town. Fast forward over 85 years and VEAC remains a constant source of food support for low-income households. Each month over 1,100 families visit our main pantry or two mobile pantries in Ivanhoe and Goshen. Our firm belief that "no child should go to bed hungry" fuels our passion to help low-income households stabilize the family environment by relieving the stress of food insecurity. Partnering with like-minded social service agencies such as Family Services, Family HealthCare Network, CSET, Proteus, Community Food Bank, Foodlink and others, we are able to offer critical assistant to hard-working families by providing food, clothing and household goods at little or no cost. Our service area consists of the Visalia Unified School District encompassing the city limits of Visalia, communities of Goshen and Ivanhoe, along with large areas of unincorporated Tulare County.
Food Pantry -
Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 8am-5pm
3rd & 4th Saturday of each month 8am-12pm
217 NE Third Ave. www.veac.org
VEAC operates the largest food pantry in Tulare County and serves over 1,100 families per month. Located in the County Seat, Visalia, California, our pantry is located in the heart of Visalia’s poorest neighborhoods. VEAC also serves the surrounding outlying unincorporated communities of Goshen and Ivanhoe in Tulare County, California through our mobile pantries.
The food pantry offers nutritious, high-protein foods to all qualifying individuals regardless of race, creed, gender, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or religion that are experiencing a provisional crisis. The VEAC food pantry, staff and volunteers, work together to receive and distribute supplemental food to over 1,100 families (2,000+children) each month. The food pantry also assists with clothing, personal–care items, diapers, baby formula, and household products.
Thrift Store -
Monday-Saturday 9 am-7 pm
Sunday 10am-5pm
620 W. Houston
The thrift store is a key funding source for our food pantry, special programs and administration. The thrift store offers affordable clothing, furniture, appliances, and household items to our community. The VEAC Thrift Store also gives back to the community through the VEAC voucher program. The vouchers are used to assist low income families and others in various circumstances of need by offering merchandise at no cost. This program is widely used by our community partners: The District Attorney’s office, Visalia Police Department, Women’s Shelter, and the Visalia Unified School District.
Other Services
- Vision Care Program
- Seniors Helping Seniors with Pride
- Holiday Food and Toy Giveaways
- Employment Training
