Category: Stories

Healthy Food For People With No Place To Call Home

August 22, 2018

When you don’t have a stable roof over your head, getting enough nutritious food to stay healthy and take on life’s challenges can be impossible. As the Bay Area’s housing crisis has grown, so has our community’s homeless population. That’s why the Food Bank is committed to improving access to meet the growing need.

More than 8,600 people do not have a place to call home in San Francisco and Marin on any given night. The Food Bank reaches people who are struggling with homelessness in a number of ways, including our regular pantry distributions and community partners — many of which serve hot meals to people who are homeless.

We also partner with agencies such as CityTeam in San Francisco and the Ritter Center in Marin to distribute healthy food that does not need to be prepared in a kitchen. The special limited-cooking menu includes produce like oranges, carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes; peanut butter and tuna; and a variety of snacks. Participants who have access to microwaves in shelters and single room occupancies (SROs) also receive food like potatoes and soup.

Several times a year, the Food Bank also participates in Project Homeless Connect where numerous agencies come together to provide a full spectrum of services. They include things like medical and dental care, clothes, foot washing, and of course, food.

PURPLE HEART VETERAN MANAGES DIABETES WITH HEALTHY FOOD

Maxwell is a Marine Corps veteran with a purple heart. He suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq, and he became homeless when he returned to the U.S. He is currently moving from hotel to hotel, hoping he will soon have permanent housing.

Maxwell recently hooked up with the limited-cooking menu at the CityTeam pantry and says the food helps him manage his diabetes. “I feel good when I have food,” says Maxwell. “The week before last, I didn’t have it. I was in bed for three days feeling terrible. The food pantry is saving me.”

Once his housing is stabilized, Maxwell plans to finish his psychology degree at UCSF with support from veterans groups.

YOU CAN HELP THE FOOD BANK SERVE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS

As the homeless population grows, the Food Bank must continue to innovate and expand our reach to make sure those who struggle to find shelter have enough to eat. We’ve convened an internal working group to improve our understanding of the problem and ways we can rally as a community to help our neighbors in need. If you’re able, please make a gift today to help serve our hungry neighbors, including people facing homelessness.

 

Miyuki’s Story | Food is Life

July 24, 2018

If you’re going on appearances alone, then there is little way that you would know all the hardships Miyuki and her family have experienced in recent years.  The smiling, bespectacled woman was busy picking up a week’s worth of groceries at the Food Bank’s Health Children pantry at Bessie Carmichael Elementary School in the South of Market neighborhood when she recalled the past seven years of her life.

Her troubles really started in March of 2011 when a 9.1 earthquake, and resulting tsunami, caused widespread damage in her home country of Japan, including the failure of the nearby Fukushima nuclear power plant.  Eventually, four of Miyuki’s friends would die of cancer in their 30’s – she believes they all are related to the radiation.  In an effort to protect her infant daughter, Miyuki and her husband fled to the United States.

A SAFER PLACE TO LIVE

They settled in Oakland, but soon after, they lost everything when their apartment building burned to the ground.  Homeless, and staying with various friends for about two years, fate finally smiled on Miyuki’s family in the form of an affordable housing unit that opened up in San Francisco.

It is here where they are starting fresh, but times are still tough. Miyuki’s husband works construction, and she picks up freelance work, but mostly she cares for her daughter. “We can’t afford babysitters, and it’s my job as her mother to take care of my daughter.”

FOOD BRINGS HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

She says the food pantry at her daughter’s school helps her so much. “We’re broke, so I cook whatever I get and use everything,” she says.

Miyuki recently made oat bar snacks for her daughter’s classroom, using mostly items that she picked up at the pantry.  “The kids loved them – they grabbed me and asked, ‘how did you make that?’ It made me happy. I see a lot of families at the school struggling to eat healthy food which is why it’s great that the pantry has so many fruits and vegetables.  Food is life.”

LIVE YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW

What most inspires her is to see the other families in line who are also struggling, but doing what they can to make sure their children are well-nourished.

“The world is a mess right now. But it doesn’t matter where you live, you have to live your life right now and appreciate what you have and remain positive. The Food Pantry is a really positive place, and I hope people keep donating to feed people like us. I appreciate it so much, and it brings so much happiness to low-income families – particularly the kids.”

If you wish to help families like Miyuki’s please consider a donation to the Food Bank today.

Food Bank Innovations | Summer Kids Food Market

June 28, 2018

If she had her druthers, 7-year-old Michaela would tackle not one, but two professions when she grows up.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”   Well, I got two…during the weekdays I want to be a hair stylist.  And on weekends I want to be a designer.
“What kind of designer?”  I want to be a fashion designer for dogs and people!
“A dog dress designer?”  Yeah…I saw it on TV!”

The precocious second grader at San Francisco’s Dr. Charles Drew Academy then showed off some of her pet fashion designs on her campus-provided chromebook during an after-school program inside the multi-purpose room.  Technology and daycare aren’t the only things being offered at Charles Drew. Campus officials have partnered with the Food Bank for many years to provide fresh groceries on site – including hosting our Summer Kids Food Market.

Started back in 2016, our Summer Kids Food Market program was designed to help low-income families weather the summer months when children lose access to free and reduced-price school meal programs, and many school-based pantries close when campuses shut down for the summer break.

Michaela was excited that she and her family were able to get fresh groceries through the summer months.  “I like apples, oranges, bananas and mangoes..my mom puts a special sauce on the mangoes that make them super spicy and it’s good…I like that a lot.”

Michaela’s uncle, Ray Bean, is a part-time resource officer at the school and picked up groceries during the summer months too. “If you didn’t do the summer pantry thing, it would be a huge struggle with my pocketbook. I would have to go to the store and buy some of these items, and we all know how much healthy food costs these days. Your groceries are really a huge help to the entire community, especially during summertime.”

This is the third year of our Summer Kids Food Market program, and the most ambitious one yet. Four sites have been opened this year – one each in Chinatown, the Bayview, the Western Addition, and Potrero Hill – and are serving over 500 families from more than a dozen different schools in these neighborhoods.

If you would like to support innovative projects like our Summer Kids Food Markets, consider a donation today.

Lizzy’s Story | Wise Beyond Her Years

June 21, 2018

The distinctive green-and-white Food Bank truck pulls up to the Bayanihan House, a single-room-occupancy hotel for low-income residents in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood.  It’s a warmer-than-usual morning, and Pantry Coordinator Lizzy is outside, in short sleeves, ready to work.

She busies herself with the fresh groceries just delivered by the Food Bank, going item by item as driver,  Soni Huanga, unloads multiple pallets of food. The chicken, fresh produce, and hearty grains on these pallets will feed dozens of people at the weekly food pantry at Bayanihan House.

“Look at those pears!” Lizzy exclaims, excited by the bounty of food that has just arrived. “We have heads of lettuce. And bags and bags of rice – those will be gone soon.”

Lizzy moves with a distinct confidence, like she’s been doing this kind of work in the community for years. In reality, this is her first job since she graduated college a year ago.

“I took the job because I realized that connecting people to food is central for them to feel loved for who they are,” Lizzy says.

That’s not lost on the residents of Bayanihan House, who rely on nutritious food from the pantry every week and look forward to connecting with Lizzy.

“Lizzy does a great job of making people feel comfortable,” says Keith, who lives in the building and not only volunteers at the weekly pantry, but also accesses his weekly groceries there. “You can see how happy people are when they come here on pantry day.”

Keith, like most residents of Bayanihan House, lives below the federal poverty level, making shopping at a grocery store a very rare event. He receives just $900 dollars a month in SSI payments. SSI is the federal income supplement program for low income seniors and disabled people that provides cash to meet basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter.

“Once I pay my rent, I usually have just a few bucks left over – not a lot to buy and eat healthy food,” Keith says. “Thankfully, we have the pantry. I really don’t know what I, or other people, would do without it.”

For Lizzy, providing food is not just about filling bellies – it’s about providing high-quality nutrition and dignity to people who have faced many life challenges.

“Access to good food takes away the stigma of having a disability, mental illness, or being old,” Lizzy says.  “It gives people agency; they can cook for themselves, and oftentimes they share the recipes they make with food from the pantry.  They also enjoy cooking together and sharing some of the meals they make.”

If you would like to help us provide food at pantries like the Bayanihan House and help occupants be healthier and happier, please consider a donation to the Food Bank today.

Nutrition Education | 4 Ways to Say ‘Goodbye’ to Salt

May 31, 2018

Salt has been used to preserve food for centuries. It is also used often to provide flavor. Over time, however, medical professionals have discovered that eating too much salt can be harmful to our health – leading to maladies like high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes.

While the daily sodium recommendation for healthy adults is 2,300 mg (or about 1 teaspoon), the average amount of sodium consumed by adults per day is 3,400 mg. So where does all of this salt come from?

Foods that are processed, packaged, or prepared in restaurants tend to contain high amounts of salt. Pizza, fast food, frozen meals, and deli meats are some of the saltiest foods we eat. In fact, foods that may not even taste salty — such as breads and pastries — are often high in sodium.

To help reduce sodium in your diet, here are a four tips:

  • Check The Label
    Use the nutrition facts label, found on the back of packaged products, to help select items that are low in sodium. Foods with 5% or less of the Daily Value of sodium per serving are considered low sodium. Choose products that are labeled “low-sodium”, “reduced sodium” or “no salt added” as another way to reduce your salt intake.
  • Cook It Yourself
    Although it may require more time and effort, cooking at home with fresh food allows you to control how much salt is added. If you cook a frozen or packaged meal, add vegetables such as steamed carrots or broccoli for a boost of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
  • Drain and Rinse Canned Foods
    Since salt is used as a preservative, canned items like vegetables, beans, and tuna tend to be high in sodium. When cooking with canned foods, always drain out the excess fluid and rinse with water.
  • Skip the Salt Altogether
    Use herbs and spices for flavor instead of adding salt. Spices like cumin, ginger, rosemary, cilantro, garlic or onion powder can be used to jazz up any meal.

The Nutrition Education team at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank shares these tips during our classes in the community. At our Food Pharmacies, we share low-sodium recipes with participants who are being treated for high blood pressure and diabetes.

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Deana’s Story | Working 40 Hours and I Still Can’t Make It

May 15, 2018

Deana gives a big sigh as she takes a seat inside the multi-purpose room at her daughter’s elementary school in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood.  It’s 5 o’clock, and the 28-year-old single mom is catching her breath before picking up six-year-old, Dionni, from the after-school program at Charles Drew College Prep Academy. It’s the first time in hours that Deana has had a chance to relax, after putting in a full day at her job at the online clothing store, Stitch Fix.

Even though Deana works 40 hours a week, she worries about paying all of her bills. “It’s hard to make it in this city — rent is high, commuting is expensive,” she says. “The end of the month is always a little touch and go. Fortunately, I haven’t gotten to the point where we are skipping meals, but it’s close sometimes.”

That’s where the Food Bank comes in. Every week, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank brings fresh produce, grains, and protein to the Charles Drew campus, so students and families can access food at school.

This afternoon, Deana picks up her daughter and also gathers a bag of free, fresh groceries at the school pantry. She enjoys the variety, and changes up her dinner menu from week to week, depending on what the Food Bank has to offer. “I like to chop up the vegetables and make stir fry,” she says. “Sometimes I’ll take the ground turkey and make tacos…we like to do Taco Tuesdays at our house.”

“When you give cucumbers, we take as many as we can because Dionni loves to make homemade pickles,” she adds.”We slice them up and put them in a jar with some special juice that we make.”

Tackling Summer Hunger

For Deana, summer time can be extra stressful. When school is out, her childcare costs increase and the school pantry is closed. She also has to cover the added cost of lunch and snacks that her daughter would ordinarily receive through the school’s meal program.

To help families like Deana’s, the Food Bank will operate four Kids Food Markets in San Francisco throughout the summer.  These are special pantries, designed to serve students and families from schools that operate food pantries, which close when school is not in session. The Food Markets will be located at Malcom X Academy in the Bayview, Starr King Elementary School in the Potrero Hill neighborhood, Gordon J. Lau Elementary School in Chinatown, and John Muir Elementary School in the Western Addition.

If you would like to support this program and help us provide meals to children and families, consider a donation to the Food Bank today.

Sarah’s Story | Second Chance with CalFresh

May 1, 2018

Sarah breaks out her CalFresh (food stamps) EBT card at a neighborhood supermarket and gives a relieved smile because she is able to purchase the healthy, fresh vegetables that she needs to maintain and improve her health.

Every year, the Food Bank helps hundreds of neighbors like Sarah enroll in CalFresh because we know that accessing healthy food is essential for low-income neighbors who are striving to overcome challenges.

Bad luck and broken dreams

It was several years ago when Sarah suffered a pair of episodes that cast a dark cloud over her life.  In 2011, while walking up a flight of stairs on a rainy night, she slipped and tumbled over the banister, free falling two stories to the ground below. “I still have a lot of pain and range-of-motion issues, not to mention some emotional scars, from that fall,” She recounts.  Then, not even a year later, her father passed away after a long illness.  The pain from her fall, and the pain of losing her father combined to launch Sarah into a state of deep depression. She lost her job and eventually her apartment and became homeless.

Before these misfortunes, Sarah dreamed of owning her own health spa. She grew up in San Francisco’s Marina neighborhood in an upper-middle class home. After high school, Sarah moved to Los Angeles to “make her mark on the world.”  But when her father started having health issues, she moved back to the Bay Area to be closer to him.  Sarah found a job in a high-end health spa in Sausalito and really took to it.  “I had a real knack for working in that place, and I thought I was going to own my own spa business one day,” she says.

Building a better life

Today, lingering health challenges have made it hard for Sarah to find work. But that hasn’t stopped her from striving for a better life.  She recently secured her own apartment, is receiving treatment for her injuries, and is eating healthier thanks to her CalFresh benefits.

“I get about $180 a month through CalFresh, which is a big help by allowing me to buy fresh vegetables and protein and other things,” she says. “When I finally get back on my feet financially, I hope to stop getting CalFresh.  But for now, it really is a life-saving thing for me.”

Take Action for CalFresh

Unfortunately, her worrying isn’t over. Sarah says she’s fearful that politicians will cut much of the funding for CalFresh when they vote on the 2018 Farm Bill. Losing CalFresh could send her spiraling back to her darkest days.

“If I had a chance to tell a politician about CalFresh, I would say it’s working, that it’s helping people like me be better,” Sarah says. “If anything, more money needs to be added to the program, not less, because there are people in this city who are way worse off than me.”

If you are in need of CalFresh benefits, the Food Bank’s CalFresh Outreach team can help; learn more by clicking here.

If you want to help neighbors like Sarah move forward and realize their dreams, sign up for our Policy and Advocacy Newsletter and we’ll send you alerts when we need your help with petitions and phone calls to elected officials.

Princess’ Story | Healthy Food Helps Bond This Family Together

March 28, 2018

As a parent, Princess can think of nothing more important than giving her kids a healthy future, despite challenges her family faces every day as they struggle to make ends meet. We met Princess recently at the Food Bank’s Healthy Children pantry at Bessie Carmichael Elementary School in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood.  It’s here where this dark-haired woman with the radiant smile shared her story of struggle, and how the Food Bank helped her family move forward.

Out of love and also out of need, Princess shares clothing with her wife, Dina, an army veteran who suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and a host of other physical injuries after multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Her mental and physical challenges, while improving, have taken a toll on the family.

“There is very little income to speak of…we’re depending on V.A. affordable housing as well as the Food Bank to get by,” said Princess. She recounts the time, not too long ago, when the family was homeless and moving from shelter to shelter, sometimes spending nights in their car when shelter beds were full. Princess would hide her pain and tell their kids, “It’s like camping. We are going to have fun.”

While the family was grateful for shelter, Princess said the meals served at temporary housing facilities were often small and not very nutritious. Princess and Dina worried that their three young children weren’t getting the food they needed to grow and thrive.

That changed when one of Princess’ kids told her about the food pantry at school. She was delighted to discover she could get free, fresh vegetables and groceries every Thursday morning when she took the kids to school.

“It was a relief to be able to get good, healthy food for the kids,” said Princess. “The doctor said they need fruits and vegetables for their bodies, and now I can give that to them.”

Dina says the food “is a big part of family bonding and that’s a part of the equation of why our family works.”

Soon after joining the food pantry, Princess and Dina’s gained confidence to move forward. With perseverance and a little luck, they secured an affordable apartment on Treasure Island through the Veteran’s Administration. In their new home, Princess can cook for her family. With groceries from the Food Bank, she prepares home-cooked meals including a family favorite – steamed vegetables with rice and chicken.

Now the family is able to focus on the future.  Dina has gone back to school, while Princess cares for their children and runs the household.  They are hopeful that they will tackle their many struggles so their family can thrive in the long run. “The nutrition helps a lot,” said Dina.  “When your belly is full, you can better manage the troubles in life.  This food is helping to keep my family together.”

Princess and Dina are so grateful to the Food Bank donors. “We hope they never tire of giving because they are really making a difference for families in need,” said Dina. “It’s more than putting food in kids’ bellies. Instead of paying for food, we can pay the bills, like rent, and clothes, and medical expenses. It’s really a big help to families like ours. Thank you so much for making such a big difference in our lives.”

If you would like to help families like Princess and Dina’s, please consider making a donation today.

Gloria’s Story | Aging with Grace

January 22, 2018

Pay a visit to the cafeteria during lunchtime at the Mission Creek Senior Community Center, and chances are pretty good you’ll easily spot Gloria Hernandez from across the room.  She’s the one with the million-dollar smile, which expresses her glowingly positive outlook on life.

It’s been a long journey for this spunky mid-westerner.  She grew up in Chicago, got married there, had three sons, and eventually divorced in the early 70s.

“I was a single mom for many years…then my boys all moved out, and come 1994 I decided it was time for a change, so I moved out too!” she said. “I came to San Francisco for better weather and a new outlook on life.”

The first few years in San Francisco went well for Gloria, but in 2006, she lost her job and her apartment. With just days to go before she would end up living on the streets, Gloria was referred to a new senior center, located just around the corner from AT&T Park. One of the first perks of living there was receiving free food at the on-site pantry, courtesy of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.

“The food is a godsend,” Gloria said, continuing to beam. “My social security income is $915 a month, and nearly half of that goes to rent. After I pay my heat and utilities and get my toiletries and such, I sometimes have $6 left in the bank!”

In her married days, Gloria never worried about money. But after the divorce, she moved between a few jobs to try and get on her own feet.

“I never quite built up my retirement,” she laments.  “But believe it or not, I feel richer now.  Not financially of course, but because I’m surrounded by loving, caring friends, and staff members here.”

What does she like best about weekly groceries from the Food Bank?

“The food is so balanced. It helps feed the mind, body and spirit of the seniors living in this building,” she said. “A good home and good food – if you have one without the other, you just don’t survive. So you’re really saving lives over here.”

David’s Story | Security Alert

January 22, 2018

As a security guard in San Francisco, David’s job is to protect life and property.  It’s somewhat ironic that at home, he and his family face another serious threat: hunger.

“My salary is decent,” said the 62-year-old father of three. “But with kids and living in this city, where it’s so expensive, I’m finding more and more that it’s simply not enough.”

High Cost of Living

David’s story is one told all too often in this city.  A recent report from the California Budget and Policy Center finds that San Francisco tops the list of most expensive counties in California when trying to support a family.  For example, a family of four, with two working parents, needs to earn about $111,000 a year to simply cover the basics of rent, food, healthcare, transportation, child care and taxes. Marin County ranks second at $110,000 a year.  Both figures far outweigh what David is taking home in his paycheck.

“My wife is unable to work right now, so it’s up to me to support her and the kids,” he says.  Two of those kids are high school boys. The third is David’s 13-year-old 8th grade daughter, Shreena, who attends James Denman Middle School in the city’s Balboa Park neighborhood. It’s here where he and his family find a little bit of relief. For the past several months, they have been accessing the Health Children’s pantry on campus, picking up a bag filled with fresh produce, protein, and staple grains every week.

David is most impressed with all the fresh produce they are able to get at the pantry. “The kids love all the fruit – the apples, pears, and oranges. I like the fresh vegetables,” he says excitedly. “The best part is that some of the food lasts for several days. Some of the items, like the chicken, I’m able to freeze when I get home and cook it a couple of days later.

A Better Community

In the end, David figures the Food Bank is saving him and his family a couple hundred dollars a month.  With teenagers who are constantly growing out of clothes and shoes, that money seems to disappear quite regularly. Still, it’s a comfort for him knowing that every Thursday afternoon he’ll be able to get a grocery bag filled with healthy food if he needs it.

“Some people say that it’s a waste of time to help the people of this city who can’t afford to feed themselves. I say that’s not right,” David says. “We are all making this community better in our own way, and it’s important to protect that.”