Category: Programs

Blanca’s Story | SF Survival

June 6, 2019

Monday mornings have a reputation for being kind of a drag.  Many of us rush around in an effort to get the work week – or school week – off to a good start, and things can sometimes get hectic.

Food Bank participant Blanca certainly does her fair share of rushing around, getting her kids off to three different schools in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood. But Monday has become a day she enjoys because after dropping off her daughter at Dolores Huerta Elementary School, Blanca heads straight for our weekly food pantry, located right on campus near the school’s playground.

“My oldest eats a lot – he’s 6 feet tall – so it’s hard to keep him happy and full,” Blanca says. “The other kids are big eaters too.  But we manage, partly because of the groceries we get here every week.”

Blanca is a stay-at-home mom for now.  Her husband is a painter and makes what she describes as a decent wage – but not necessarily enough to get by in San Francisco. Some months are harder than others, but Blanca’s family always seems to get by with a little help from the Food Bank.

“Oh my goodness!  It’s not even a joke how hard it is to survive in this city right now,” she exclaims. “There is enough food here every week to provide several days worth of meals, allowing us to save our money to pay for other things that are important, like clothes and medicine.”

As Blanca walks through the pantry, she finds several items that she likes and puts them in her bag.  As she holds up a package of fresh asparagus, she explains, “We bake this in the oven so they stay crunchy. We also really like the potatoes; we turn those into baked potatoes and fried potatoes.”

Blanca is certain that her family, and many more in the neighborhood, would suffer greatly if it weren’t for the Monday morning pantry offerings.  “Thank you for helping all low-income families in this neighborhood and this city…it really does make a difference.”

 

Food Bank Innovations | Serving the Unhoused Population

May 13, 2019

Pick up a local newspaper, and it’s more likely than not you’ll spot a story about the challenge of homelessness and efforts to tackle it, including recent headlines about plans to build a Navigation Center along San Francisco’s waterfront, and Marc Benioff’s $30-million donation to study homelessness.

Although the Food Bank is not making headlines on this topic, we are diligently working on improving our assistance to *unhoused neighbors every day.

Food For All

We estimate that a vast majority of the food programs serving unhoused people in San Francisco and Marin today either get fresh groceries for these meals from the Food Bank or partner with us in some way.  These include the big congregate meal sites like GLIDE and St. Anthony’s Dining Room in San Francisco and St. Vincent DePaul in Marin.  in 2018 at just these three sites, we averaged three deliveries of food each week – totaling 1.4 million pounds of food, equal to about 1.17 million meals.

“Providing our unhoused neighbors with healthy food not only reduces their food insecurity, but in some cases it increases their stability so they can address other life challenges.” says Irene Garcia, Senior Program Coordinator and leader of the Food Bank’s Unhoused Workgroup.

New and Improved Partnerships

We are building new pantries and partnerships to better serve our region’s unhoused population. That work includes adjusting menus to address limited and even non-cook needs.  The goal is to ensure that we are providing products that are appropriate for their cooking and storage facilities.

  • City Team in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood launched a pantry in spring 2018 and has grown to serve 100 households every week.
  • St. Agnes and St. Ignatius Churches in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood partnered with us to launch a pantry in summer 2018. Efforts are on-going, primarily in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood to conduct outreach to unhoused individuals, families, and at-risk youth.
  • Reinvigorated our pantry at Bessie Carmichael Elementary School in 2017 with the support of EPIC Church. Located in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood, approximately 20% of families who attend the school are unhoused.  The pantry is now thriving, going from serving 35 families in 2017 to 95 families today.
    • In partnership with TNDC and the Tenderloin People’s Garden, we are now also able to continue serving Bessie families throughout the summer months when school is not in session.
  • Through our ongoing partnership with Starbucks’ FoodShare program, the Food Bank is rescuing thousands of pounds of fresh, prepackaged food from the coffee chain every night after closing and delivering that food to partners like St. Anthony’s Dining Room and GLIDE hours later.

Read stories about how the Food Bank assists neighbors who are unhoused or formerly homeless:

Homeless to Hopeful

Health Food for People With No Place To Call Home

Princess’ Story

Food is a Life Saver

Starbucks FoodShare

By The Numbers

The latest 2019 Homeless Counts for San Francisco and Marin are still being tabulated, so the latest data was taken from Point-In-Time surveys conducted in January of 2017.

  • The San Francisco survey found 7,499 individuals staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing facilities, domestic violence shelters, jails, hospitals, treatment facilities, and living unsheltered on the streets.
  • The Marin County Point-in-Time survey counted 1,117 individuals living in transitional housing, shelters, and on the streets.

* The Food Bank has elected to use the term “unhoused” rather than “homeless” when referring to people without a home of their own.  We believe the term “homeless” carries with it an implied bias – that because someone does not have a home (s)he is therefore considered “less” important than others.  It’s our experience that many people call San Francisco and Marin their home and their community, even though they do not have stable housing at the time.  The difference may seem subtle to some but we feel it’s an important distinction.

*Photo by Kevin Butz on Unsplash   

Kevin Butz

Big News in Hunger for Seniors and Adults With Disabilities!

April 30, 2019

For the first time since 1974, SSI recipients in California are eligible to receive CalFresh benefits. That’s 40,000 people in San Francisco and 3,000 neighbors in Marin – seniors and people with disabilities – who will be newly eligible for food stamp benefits.

With CalFresh benefits for a one-person household averaging $130 a month, this change can make a huge difference for someone in need. And, participating in CalFresh will not reduce SSI benefit amounts in any way.

Boosting food access and the local economy

Even conservative estimates suggest that connecting SSI recipients with CalFresh will result in many millions of dollars a year for low-income seniors and people with disabilities to spend on groceries. This won’t just improve the lives of SSI recipients, but the local economy gets a boost too. Every $1 spent in CalFresh benefits generates $1.79 in economic activity!

It took years of dedicated advocacy efforts by our Food Bank and our partners to achieve this historic change, which will improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable neighbors.  It wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our donors and coalition partners. Thank you!

In the coming weeks and months, the Food Bank’s Policy & Advocacy team and CalFresh Outreach team will work closely with the state, our counties, and other local partners to share this exciting news and assist hundreds of neighbors with CalFresh enrollment.

Learn More

  • This fact sheet from Californians for SSI provides a simple summary of the changes to CalFresh eligibility for SSI recipients

Take Action!

Are you an SSI recipient interested in applying for CalFresh benefits?

  • CLICK: Apply online: GetCalFresh.org
  • CALL: Call our hotline to get application assistance in English, Spanish, or Chinese: 415-549-7021
  • COME IN: Walk into a county office to apply in person: Locations are listed on the Human Services Agency website

Are you a community-based organization interested in helping your clients enroll? 

  1. The Food Bank provides CalFresh Outreach and Application Assistance training for agencies who work closely with SSI recipients. For San Francisco-based agencies, contact Ada Lai at 415-282-1907 x258 or alai@sfmfoodbank.org. For Marin organizations, contact Alexandra Danino at 415-282-1907 x014 or adanino@sfmfoodbank.org
  2. Check out the San Francisco Human Services Agency Partner Toolkit, which includes helpful resources and outreach materials
  3. Another helpful resource is the California Department of Social Services Outreach Tool Kit for Partners
  4. Download informational flyers to hand out and post at your organization:

Want to get engaged with Food Bank’s Advocacy efforts like this?

This historic victory was made possible through the advocacy of the Californians for SSI Coalition (CA4SSI). As a partner and ally in improving the lives of SSI recipients, we want to invite you to join us on one of our CA4SSI membership conference calls every other Tuesday at 11:30am to share updates and discuss strategy. Why stop at CalFresh? Please join us as we advocate to increase the grants to people on SSI!

Check out this video of our listening session with SSI recipients on how hard it is to make ends meet on SSI: www.youtube.com/SSI

Click here to sign up for our eNewsletter and follow us on Twitter @SFMFoodBank

Home-Delivered Groceries Foster Connections, Community

January 25, 2019

It’s a chilly Thursday evening when Samantha and her 7-year-old son, Taye, are climbing the stairs in a multi-story apartment building in San Francisco’s Richmond District. They’re here to deliver a bounty of fresh food to the Pham family – part of the Food Bank’s Home-Delivered Groceries program. And yet, the food is just part of the equation. Their knock on the front door is followed by a warm greeting, smiles, and hugs all around.

Longtime San Francisco residents, Mr. and Mrs. Pham have come to think of Samantha and Taye like family. The Phams grew up in China and Vietnam and moved to the United States after the Vietnam War. The couple settled in San Francisco, and Mrs. Pham says she has always enjoyed how welcoming and accessible the city has been for them.

Long retired, Mr. Pham has limited mobility and rarely leaves their second-floor apartment. Mrs. Pham also has trouble moving around, after suffering a debilitating back injury during the war. Despite these hardships, the Phams stay positive, and appreciate the friendly conversations and nutritious food that Samantha and Taye bring to their doorstep every week.

“For me, it’s very hard to get outside and go to the store, so we are very thankful that this food is brought to us. And, we always look forward to seeing Taye and Samantha every week,” said Mrs. Pham, beaming at Taye, who during this evening’s visit had joined Mr. Pham in his favorite chair.

Major Milestone for Home-Delivered Groceries Program

In December, the Food Bank’s Home-Delivered Groceries Program made its 250,000th delivery. To mark this milestone, San Francisco Supervisor Sandra Fewer joined us and our partners from Richmond Neighborhood Center and Richmond Senior Center to pack groceries for the Pham family and many other HDG recipients.

“Food security is a critical part of what makes and sustains a healthy neighborhood,” says Supervisor Fewer. “This dynamic Home-Delivered Groceries program allows seniors, the fastest growing population in the Richmond District, to age-in-place with community support.”

Founded in 2011, the Home-Delivered Groceries (HDG) Program serves 1,998 homebound seniors and 467 adults with disabilities in San Francisco every week. The program aims to provide nutritious food to vulnerable neighbors, as well as reduce loneliness and foster connections among community members.

“For thousands of homebound residents in San Francisco, a weekly knock on the door brings not only a delivery of fresh groceries but a friendly visit and some human contact with people who don’t get outdoors very much,” says Jillian Tse, Program Coordinator for the Food Bank.

The Power of Partnerships

The HDG program is funded by San Francisco’s Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS). Fourteen faith-based and community-based organizations coordinate volunteers and staff to make weekly deliveries. The Food Bank provides nearly 25 pounds of food (on average) for every recipient weekly, including chicken, pasta or rice, and fresh, seasonal produce. The food is tailored to the nutritional needs of seniors and people who are less active because of mobility challenges.

This program is needed now, more than ever, as the population of seniors in San Francisco continues to grow. In 2016, older adults comprised 20% of that population but are projected to rise to 26% by 2030.

Food Bank Helps Furloughed Workers, Coast Guard Families

January 21, 2019

As the government shutdown continues, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is stepping up to assist furloughed workers, including U.S. Coast Guard members and their families who have gone weeks without a paycheck. The Food Bank operated a pop-up pantry on Saturday morning at Hamilton Field in Novato and provided free, fresh groceries to about 150 Coast Guard families.

Meghan and family

“The food being available here – such great food! – is just amazing. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness,” said Meghan, who came to the pop-up pantry with her husband, who serves in the Coast Guard, and their two young children. “With our kids being so young, I work just a few hours a week, so we rely on my husband’s income to cover most of our bills. Not getting his paycheck last week has already caused us a little bit of hurt. And the prospect of not getting the next paycheck is really scary. Because we’re saving some money on food, we’re able to cover our bills this month. Right now we are just hanging on to every dime, because we’re not sure how long this shutdown is going to last.”

Read thank you letters we received from the U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Peter Gautier and the Coast Guard North Bay Spouses Club.

Click here to view photos from Saturday’s pop-up pantry.

Fresh Food for Families

The Food Bank delivered seven pallets of fresh food on Saturday morning- including whole chickens, fruits & veggies, and pasta and sauce – to help the Coast Guard families get through these lean times. In addition, our CalFresh (food stamps) enrollment team was on hand to help eligible families sign up for benefits. Because they have missed paychecks, many Coast Guard members could now meet income requirements for CalFresh.

The Coast Guard families in Novato held their own community food drive last weekend and collected thousands of pounds of nonperishable items, diapers, and cleaning supplies. The fresh groceries from the Food Bank’s pantry supplemented the distribution of these items.

Get Help

Are you a furloughed government employee who needs food assistance because of the government shutdown? We can help! Call 2-1-1 or visit www.sfmfoodbank.org/find-food to get connected with food assistance in San Francisco and Marin.

Give Help

With your support, we can continue to help furloughed workers and their families. Make a donation now.

In the News

CNN

San Jose Mercury News/East Bay Times – Food banks fill in for paychecks as shutdown drags on

Newsweek Magazine – Government Shutdown: Unpaid Federal Workers Are Now Turning to Food Banks To Feed Families

San Francisco Chronicle – Editorial: Crippled Government is the Threat Within

KQED – Bay Area Food Banks prepare to help feed local furloughed federal workers

Marin Independent Journal – Coast Guard Families Tread Water

SF-Eater – Food Bank Hosts Massive Mobile Pantry for Unpaid Coast Guard Workers

Morning Snack Program Reaches Far in West Marin

December 26, 2018

When the Food Bank truck pulls up to Tomales Elementary School in western Marin County each week, a group of 7th and 8th graders help the principal, Amanda Mattea, distribute food to all the classrooms. It’s part of the Food Bank’s Morning Snack Program which serves nearly 4,700 wholesome snacks to 20 schools throughout San Francisco and Marin each day — foods such as fresh fruit, carrots, and string cheese, giving kids the fuel they need to learn.

Additionally, the Food Bank’s Healthy Children Pantries provide low-income parents with fresh produce, lean proteins, and pantry staples to prepare nutritious meals at home. These pantries are conveniently located in public schools, giving parents easy access to nutritious food as they drop off or pick up their children.

With these two programs, the Food Bank is making a dent in childhood hunger. Hungry children are often tired, have trouble concentrating, and are likely to fall behind in class. They tend to have weaker immune systems, putting them at greater risk of illness. And studies show that kids who grow up hungry or malnourished are not as well prepared for success.

Healthy Snacks Spur Conversations about Healthy Eating

Educators see a big difference when students have enough to eat. “Children’s basic needs must be met before we can even talk about learning,” says Principal Mattea. “Your body needs to be taken care of, and you need nutritious food to eat.”

For the Tomales Elementary children, their bus ride home can take as long as an hour in this rural area of west Marin. So instead of being distributed as a morning snack, Tomales Elementary School distributes snacks from the Food Bank in the afternoon so kids can stay full on their long bus rides home.

Having a filling snack tides them over until dinner so they can do homework and play. “Our kids’ favorite snack is fruit,” says Principal Mattea. “The other day, they were very excited to get oranges, and we talked about all the ways to eat an orange, from orange juice, to fruit salad. It spurred some great conversation about different kinds of snacks and healthy eating.”

Tackling College Hunger | Annie’s Story

December 20, 2018

Some college students talk about the “Freshman 15,” and gaining weight when starting school. But for other students, the financial burden of tuition and books often means going hungry.  In fact, the US Government Accountability Office released a report recently that quantifies how large a problem college hunger has become.

Annie is one such student who struggles to feed herself many weeks out of the year. She’s studying at UCSF for a health care career and utilizes the Food Bank’s campus pantry. “The market has revolutionized my routine,” says Annie. “I exclusively get my food here. I’m eating healthier and wouldn’t be getting my fruits and veggies otherwise.

“Food insecurity is very real if you don’t come from a family that can provide you with a weekly stipend. Having all this debt, you’re kind of in crisis mode all the time. Many students only eat one meal a day. You can’t study; you’re stressed out all the time; and it has traumatic effects on your body.

“I am undyingly grateful to the Food Bank donors. Because of your generosity, I’m able to eat healthier, take care of myself, and give back by caring for patients. Thank you for investing in my health, so I can invest in the health of others.”

Yum Videos | Delicious, Budget-Friendly Meals

December 6, 2018

Learn how to make healthy, easy to prepare meals and snacks by watching these “Yum Videos,” produced by our Nutrition Education Team.

Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Marinara Sauce

A new way to have pasta – and it’s vegetarian.

Apple Slaw

Step-by-step instructions on how to create a quick, nutritious summer snack.

Whole Wheat Pasta

A fast, cheap and easy way to add fiber, B vitamins and protein to your diet.

Roasted Butternut Squash 

A super-easy, delicious recipe to turn that butternut squash into a wonderful meal for two!

Watermelon Salsa

A healthy, refreshing recipe that will add a little spice to your next barbecue!

Rainbow Ramen Noodles

Eat the rainbow! This recipe incorporates a variety of nutrient-rich produce into a quick, delicious – and beautiful! – meal.

Peanut Butter & Banana

Check out 2 tasty ways to make a protein-rich snack in this short video.

Sign up for our eNewsletter so you don’t miss a single video, as we roll out more of these incredible, edible cinematic masterpieces.

 

Hailey’s Story | The Helpers Need Help Sometimes 

November 13, 2018

Someday, UC San Francisco medical student Hailey hopes to save many lives – but for right now, she is the one who needs a little bit of saving.

The 25-year-old has her sights set on becoming a surgeon. But living in San Francisco and attending one of the most prestigious medical schools in all the land has its drawbacks – specifically, the cost of living.  “I don’t have an income right now – it’s all student loans – so every month is a struggle when it comes to paying rent and surviving,” she says.

Hailey recently learned she was eligible to enroll in CalFresh, formerly known as food stamps. The Food Bank has an entire team of employees, dedicated to helping eligible individuals enroll in the program. One of the most successful locations, in terms of sign-ups, is the UCSF Parnassus campus.

Now, Hailey gets $190 from CalFresh to spend on groceries.  “It’s given me flexibility in my monthly budgeting and has allowed me to make healthier choices every day.”

She’s not alone. Since the beginning of the year, the Food Bank has worked with campus officials and the San Francisco Human Services Agency to make CalFresh a part of UCSF’s overall financial aid strategy. Enrollment events were held once or twice a month during the fall semester, and the program is really starting to take off.

“Since we started working with UCSF early this year, 186 students have been approved for CalFresh through our events, resulting in over $34,000 a month in benefits,” says Food Bank CalFresh Outreach Manager, Francesca Costa. “We are so grateful for UCSF’s partnership in supporting students through the CalFresh application process. The tearful hugs and deep gratitude from students we have helped enroll make it clear that we are meeting an important need here on campus.”

 

Food Bank Innovations | Mobile Pantry

November 6, 2018

For most of us, running out of milk, or dinner fixings, or toothpaste can be easily remedied with a quick trip to the grocery store. Even our pantry participants don’t have too far to travel to have access to fresh groceries on a weekly basis. But out in extreme West Marin, easy access to food is a foreign concept. The area is so remote that you can drive for miles without seeing a single building. Oftentimes, the only signs of life are the dairy farms that dot the landscape. It’s these dairy farms where our latest innovation has begun; the Mobile Pantry.

Watch our Video

Providing Healthy Food to Isolated Neighbors

The ranch hands on these farms often work six days a week, and many do not own cars. To get to the grocery store, some have to find childcare and others must wait for a friend to take them on their one day off. And due to the higher cost of food in this remote area, the buying power in west Marin is drastically reduced. Enter the Food Bank’s mobile pantry unit, the new program that brings fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and proteins out to struggling families who have limited access to food.

Positive Response Thus Far

Norma’s husband works on one of the farms and says it definitely is a struggle to feed her family every month. “The closest grocery stores are miles away, and it costs extra money to just get there to buy food to feed my family.  The food you are delivering is really healthy, and is helping out this community. It’s amazing that you would come all the way out here to help us.”

Long Time Coming

Edith Cadena, Food Bank Program Coordinator, runs the mobile pantry and knows it’s making a huge impact. “The Food Bank does urban well, and now we are impacting the rural community, which is a region I have wanted to target for awhile now.  It’s been wonderful to see the trust growing in the community.”

Connected Through Food

Consider a donation to help ensure that all of our hungry neighbors have access to healthy food — whether they live in the city, the suburbs, or the most remote places in the Bay Area.