The tiny town of Isleton in southwest Sacramento County has seen good days and bad throughout its hundred-plus year history. Founded in 1874 and incorporated in 1923, Isleton waxes and wanes in size and economy. But what has never changed about Isleton is its compassion for its people.
That truth finds tribute in the fourth annual Isleton Community Food Drive now underway. Originally started in late 2023 by the cohorts of Mubdie’s: A Creative Collective, the effort has grown to include community members and businesses. Corinne Corley, founder and manager of Mubdie’s, recounts her conversation with the director of the group which ran the small food bank in Isleton at the time. “I called and told her that we had a few large tubs of food that our customers had donated, and asked when we could deliver them.” She shakes her head and continues. “The lady said, ‘What do you mean you want to give us food?’”
In Corley’s hometown of Kansas City, every business displays a food collection barrel in the fall and winter months, placed by Harvesters, a clearing house for local food banks. “It never occurred to me that people didn’t do that here,” she admits.
In the years since, the local food bank has closed so that there is no regular resource for Isleton residents who need direct food assistance. Mubdie’s food drive has grown so much that Corley and her co-organizer, Andi Martinez, knew that more help would be necessary. They decided to ask local businesses to participate.
Martinez notes that in 2025, the food drive provided 25 households with roughly a week’s worth of food for a family of four. “Many Isleton kids count on school meals during the week,” she says. “When school closes for Thanksgiving, those meals stop too. We wanted to help ease that burden on their families.” she says. Both women underscore that they distribute food by a voucher system without requiring recipients to prove anything about their household or income. “We just want to help people in a respectful way. We trade a bag for a voucher – no questions asked.”
Looking at the number of children in the Isleton elementary school who normally get a lunch provided, Martinez and Corley decided to expand the program to at least 30 families. With the new goal in mind, the two turned to Isleton businesses for assistance. Martinez toured the town, going business to business, explaining the effort and what was needed.
In 2025, as the Mubdie’s volunteer crew bagged the donated food, the group had identified gaps in donations. Corley and Martinez themselves financed the acquisition of food to make sure that each family got essentially identical allotments. This year, five business sponsors have donated cases of food or money to buy necessary items: Isleton Coffee Company, Memo’s Cuisine, The Hair Loom, Turtle Island Art Treasures, and the Delta Boyz Dispensary and Lounge. Additionally, the Friends of the Isleton Public Library members have volunteered to do the bagging in the days between the end of the drive and distribution which was done by Corley, Martinez, and Mubdie’s artists in prior years.
This year’s food drive started on the first weekend in October and runs through November 15th. Community members have answered the call for donations. The front area of Mubdie’s designated for the drive has been filled twice. Martinez inventories the food to keep track of what is still needed. “Canned meats, veggies and fruit, breakfast food, and staples – what we all eat, what we all feed our families,” Martinez remarks with a smile. “These are our neighbors. Neighbors helping neighbors.”
The businesses which Martinez approached did not hesitate when asked to participate. Guillermo Vidal and his CEO Jorge Rodriguez each moved to Isleton when they began preparing to open Memo’s Cuisine. “This is home,” Memo says. “Of course we will help.” Chloe Reyes of Delta Boyz didn’t need to be asked twice to assist the people of a town which her business anchors. Ruby Fowler and Aleida Suarez of Isleton Coffee Company support every community effort including this one, as does Pam Dulahan of Turtle Island Art Treasures and her partners. None of them had to be persuaded. Neither did Maria Villalpando Vazquez. the talent behind The Hair Loom. “What do you need,” Martinez heard from business after business. As an Isleton resident herself, Martinez could not quell her gratitude at such generosity.
Business participants and community members who donate to the 2026 Isleton Community Food Drive will be acknowledged and honored during the November 21st third anniversary celebration at Mubdie’s. Memo’s Cuisine will provide food and drink, courtesy of the collective. The event also serves as a fundraiser for the Friends of the Isleton Public Library. “We’re here to provide a place for Delta artists and artisans to show and sell their work,” Corley says. “But we’re also here to support the town in any way that we can. We’re grateful that the community has welcomed our creative collective, and we’re grateful that the community has answered the call to help our neighbors who can’t meet their food needs during the holidays.”
Nonperishable food items may be brought to
Mubdie’s during its normal business hours, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Phone the shop at 916-926-2896 to make sure that nothing unusual has interrupted normal business hours and for more information about what food is needed. Follow the shop and its events on Facebook to keep informed about details. Mubdie’s: A Creative Collective is located at 47 Main Street in historic Isleton, California.
