Tag: Pantry Network

New Pantries Open to Serve Even More Neighborhoods

February 5, 2020

In the last couple of months, we’ve opened two pantries expanding our San Francisco Neighborhood Grocery Network.

Finding a new pantry partner is not always an easy task. Ask Ashley Wong, one of our Pantry coordinators, “A potential pantry partner needs to have a lead volunteer coordinator and a consistent volunteer team that can dedicate hours of their schedule every week to support the pantry–and that’s a lot to ask.” It’s not only a time investment and physical commitment (those bags of potatoes are heavy!), but also an emotional one because creating a supportive pantry with excellent welcoming service, although rewarding, can also be heartbreaking. Ashley added, “We also need a pantry that is inclusive to people of all abilities. To meet that critical need, we require locations that have sizable storage space and, importantly, easy, safe access for all the pantry participants and volunteers.”

The Father’s House Pantry

We typically find pantry partners through outreach to community organizations, some of which are introduced to us by one of our existing partners. That’s how Ashley connected with one of our latest partner, The Father’s House in the Outer Sunset/Lake Merced area. The organization’s team was looking for ways to further serve their community and was reaching out to its partners. We connected and three months later, last December, they opened the doors to a new pantry.

“This pantry has steadily grown due to the continuing outreach in the community and the Father’s House team’s commitment to providing great customer service to everyone who comes by. Their endless dedication and energy continue to awe me. I look forward to the many years of partnership ahead of us,” said Ashley.

The Father’s House pantry is open Thursdays from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm and is located at 269 Herbst Road at the Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation Center. All San Francisco residents in need of food assistance are welcome to enroll in this pantry. We ask only that they bring a photo ID with a current residential address, or photo ID and a piece of mail with a current residential address.

Serving the Richmond Neighborhood

In early January, we also opened a pantry in San Francisco’s Richmond neighborhood. With more than 19,500 Richmond District residents at high risk of food insecurity—nearly 25% of the entire population of the neighborhood—we’re trying hard to close this hunger gap by looking for potential pantry partners. This time a long-time ally stepped up and is now in charge of three pantries in the neighborhood. “With the help of our dedicated community partners, Richmond Neighborhood Center, and our host, George Peabody Elementary School, we’re excited that we can expand our services in the Richmond neighborhood,” said Gary Lau, Program coordinator.

 

 

Sinat’s Story | Food for Health

August 23, 2018

When Sinat gave birth five years ago, her doctors found an inoperable benign brain tumor. Since then, she has not been able to work full-time. Between parenting her three young daughters, her chemo treatments, and her headaches, finding a job that would accommodate her needs has been next to impossible.

Food Pantry Helps 

As a way to help make ends meet, Sinat temps part-time. But it’s not enough for her family, and she and her husband depend on the food they receive at the Tenderloin Community School pantry to make ends meet.  “With everything going on, healthy food is really important,” says Sinat. “We stay away from junk food, and vegetables are so necessary for the kids, so they stay healthy and energetic.”

Grandparents Pitch In

Sinat’s mom also goes to a Food Bank pantry nearby. Her parents emigrated with Sinat as refugees from war-torn Cambodia. When Sinat is temping, her parents watch her daughters and cook Cambodian food. “They love the vegetables and rice,” she says. “And because of the help we get at the pantry, we are able to afford meat at the grocery store.”

In San Francisco to Stay

Every day, her parents’ health declines from injuries and PTSD from their experiences in Cambodia. Sinat struggles to take care of them while she manages her brain tumor, which causes constant headaches and double vision. Her family has tried to leave the city to lower their housing costs, but that raised other challenges.

“My parents are in San Francisco, and they help us save money on childcare,” says Sinat. “We also have roots. I grew up here and see so many families I know at the food pantry. There, it doesn’t matter your race or where you are from, we are all in the same boat and just need food for our kids.”

“I’m grateful to donors at the Food Bank,” says Sinat. “What you are giving is helping out a lot of families like mine who wouldn’t make it in this city. It’s helping my daughters to grow up to be happy and do what they want in the future and not have to struggle like I do. Thank you.”

If you would like to help out a family like Sinat’s, consider a donation to the Food Bank today.

 

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.