Category: Stories

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.”

Heather’s Story | Young Marin Family Grateful for Pantry Food

November 23, 2017

Life’s not perfect – far from it at times – but you won’t hear Heather complaining about it too much.  She would much rather spend her time counting her blessings, like the time she spends with her two young children and her fiancé.  Unfortunately, sitting down for a family meal is a rarity these days.

MAKING ENDS MEET

Heather wakes up before dawn each morning so that she can get to work stocking candy machines at 5 am. She puts in a two-hour shift, then returns home, so her fiancé can leave for work. He has two jobs as a cook and works six days a week, twelve hours per day.

They hardly see each other, but it’s the only way the family can scrape by to pay the high cost of rent. Heather depends on the Food Bank pantry at the Ritter Center in San Rafael to feed her kids. “This is a life changer, and I think this place is keeping us alive,” she says. “It’s where I get the fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs that make up most of our food.”

This time of year is particularly hard time for Heather’s family because both the kids’ birthdays are in November and then Christmas is right around the corner. She wants to provide them the happiness of opening gifts. “I get them toys at the Goodwill,” she says. “They are young so they don’t know that they are used.”

FOOD BANK SUPPORT

No matter the situation, the Food Bank is ready to respond to the needs of participants, especially during the holidays.  We served fresh, nutritious food to over 32,000 households during the months of November and December of last year, and are on pace to top 33,000 households this year.

In spite of her hardships, Heather keeps a positive attitude. “When I look at our finances, it’s so stressful,” she says. “But life is too short, and I’m thankful for what we have. We aren’t going hungry, and I’m grateful to the Food Bank and its supporters for that.”

You can ensure that families like Heather’s have enough to eat everyday by making a cash donation to the Food Bank today.

Rosetta’s Story | Thanksgiving with the Family

October 25, 2017

When Rosetta was growing up in San Francisco, she was one of five children. She always looked forward to Sunday dinner because that’s when her daddy cooked. “He was the best cook in the neighborhood,” she said.

At Thanksgiving, Rosetta’s father would cook up a storm, somehow squeezing dozens of family members and friends into their small home for a festive holiday meal.

When Rosetta got older and had three sons of her own, she always felt that providing healthy, nutritious food was critical. Buying enough food was no big deal while she was married and working as a nurse.

However, when she was 40, Rosetta divorced and became disabled. Overnight, her monthly income was slashed in half, and she struggled to feed her sons.

“I worked so hard to keep my boys out of trouble,” said Rosetta. “The best way to do that was football. But they really did eat me out of house and home.”

Rosetta started attending the food pantry at her local church, where she picked up fresh produce and other groceries to nourish her children. Today, the church is one of the Food Bank’s 253 neighborhood pantries.

“Financially, the Food Bank saved me,” said Rosetta. “It allowed me to give my children the nutrition they needed to play sports. It’s those sports that kept them out of trouble.”

Today, Rosetta’s sons are all grown up and working hard to support their own families. At Thanksgiving, they’ll all come together. Rosetta will bring steamed greens she’s harvested from her small garden. Saving the ends of vegetables she receives from the Food Bank, she roots them in water, and then plants them in a tidy plot outside her apartment.

“This Thanksgiving, when I’m feeling gratitude for my family, I’ll also be feeling gratitude for the Food Bank for helping me feed my family healthy food,” said Rosetta. “The people who give to the Food Bank are like guardian angels.”

You can be a guardian angel for Rosetta and other neighbors in need by making a donation today.

Food Bank Response | North Bay Fires

October 11, 2017

Updated Sunday, October 15

As massive wildfires continue to decimate the North Bay, causing thousands of people to flee their homes, Bay Area Food Banks are responding. We have been working together all week to provide emergency food assistance to displaced neighbors. Our hearts and thoughts are with our North Bay neighbors who are seeking support.

Need food? Marin food pantries welcome fire evacuees: If you or someone you know in Marin has been impacted by the wildfires (and is not already receiving meals from an evacuation center), food is available from the Food Bank’s pantry network. Click here to use our Food Locator tool to find weekly food pantries that are open in Marin. To help individuals and families recover, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is making emergency food assistance available to evacuation centers and encouraging new participants to enroll at our weekly pantries.

Want to help? Monetary donations are the most effective way to assist right now.  

> Donate here to support Redwood Empire Food Bank,which is in the middle of the disaster zone, serving Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties. 

NOTE: At this time, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is not accepting donations of food, water, or other supplies. Get updates and stay connected with news about how San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is supporting the wildfire recovery efforts by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

How San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is supporting relief efforts

In times of emergency, Food Banks play a key role as “second responders,” providing food and water in the immediate aftermath of disaster, as well as longer-term food assistance as neighbors rebuild their lives.

At the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, our Food Resources and Operations teams sprang into action early last week, assembling 12 pallets of shelf-stable snack items, drinks, and peanut butter. These ready-to-eat foods are being delivered to shelters that are housing people displaced by the fires.

On Tuesday, we moved those pallets of food to our Marin warehouse, which is much closer to the fire lines, and much closer to the people who need it. Within hours of arriving in Marin, two pallets were delivered to an evacuee shelter in San Geronimo Valley in West Marin County, helping 30 people who were forced from their homes the day before. Other shelters are opening daily, and our emergency-relief food is close by, ready to be shipped out as soon as it’s needed.

This weekend (October 14-15), we are providing food for breakfast for 400 evacuees at the Marin Civic Center evacuation shelter. The 11 pallets of food delivered today include cereal, peanut butter, jelly, beverages, apples, and pears.

Our team has also delivered a truckload of food and water to the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB), which is in the middle of the disaster zone, serving Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties. We have also sent four of our skilled forklift operators to help out at the REFB warehouse this weekend. Four members of our warehouse team – Rich, Steve, Leonardo and Carl – will travel to Sonoma County to provide assistance.

In the news, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank was featured on KTSF-Channel 36 TV (Chinese language). Click here to view the 3-minute segment; we are mentioned at the 1:43 mark.

 

Military Fights Hunger During Fleet Week Visit

October 5, 2017

The battle against hunger in San Francisco and Marin really heated up this month when active-duty members from the U.S. Marines Corps and the U.S. Navy stopped by the warehouse for a volunteer shift as part of the 2017 Fleet Week celebration in the Bay Area.

These men and women in uniform rolled up their sleeves (literally) and helped bag thousands of pounds of frozen corn.

Check out their visit in this video produced by the Marines:

Lance Corporal Christine Carter told KCBS Radio that her job in the Marines centers on combat logistics. Her role at the Food Bank was something a little easier, but still vitally important to the community. Listen to KCBS Radio reporter Jenna Lane’s story:

The visit was all part of the community work carried out by the military during the annual Fleet Week celebration in the Bay Area.  This was the fourth year in a row that uniformed volunteers  descended on our warehouse for active-duty food packing.

When it was over, the Marines and Navy personnel had managed to bag 2,800 lbs. of corn, just in time for it to be trucked out to the 250 food bank pantries this week and next. Mission Accomplished!

Click here for more information about how YOU can volunteer your time at the Food Bank.