SAN RAFAEL, CA (March 20, 2018) – The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is pleased to announce that we are expanding our operations in Marin with the acquisition of a large warehouse property in San Rafael.
The 38,000 square foot building, located at 2550 Kerner Boulevard in San Rafael, contains both warehouse and office space, and is approximately three times larger than the facility we currently lease in Novato. The Food Bank completed the property purchase in early January 2018, and will move staff and operations into the new facility beginning on March 30th. We will vacate our leased facility in Novato, which we have occupied for many years.
Food distribution to Marin pantries and partners will continue uninterrupted during the move, but volunteer shifts in Marin have been temporarily suspended as the new site undergoes some construction to create optimal work-space.
“This new property is a game changer for our organization – and for our community,” said Food Bank Executive Director Paul Ash. “For several years, we have been looking for additional warehouse space that would enable us to continue growing our operations and serve even more neighbors in need. This new facility will enable us to do just that – to increase our food distribution, add more services, and engage with more Marin residents who wish to volunteer their time in our warehouse.”
The Food Bank acquired the San Rafael property at a favorable purchase price. In addition, the building owner made a generous donation to the Food Bank to facilitate the sale.
The Food Bank plans to make improvements to the Marin property over the next several months. In addition, the organization is planning a Capital Campaign to raise funds for the expansion of its facilities and operations in both San Francisco and Marin Counties.
The last time the Food Bank expanded was when the San Francisco Food Bank merged with the Marin Community Food Bank in 2011. The table below shows the Food Bank’s growth since the 2011 merger.
| Marin totals | 2011 (merger) | 2017 |
| Pounds of food distributed annually | 2.1 million | 6.1 million |
| Number of food pantries | 18 | 51 |
| Number of volunteers | 2,000 | 3,200 |
In spite of the phenomenal growth and success that the Food Bank has achieved since 2011, there still remains a substantial unmet need in Marin. The latest data from the Food Bank’s Missing Meals report shows that Marin residents missed out on approximately 9 million meals in 2015, a significant meal gap that persists even with the food provided by government programs and nonprofits like us.
Please check out some photos of the new facility at 2550 Kerner Boulevard, San Rafael CA here.
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About the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank’s mission is to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin, where one in four neighbors is at risk of hunger. We envision a community where everyone is able to obtain enough nutritious food in a dignified manner to support the health and well-being of themselves and their families. We address hunger head on: from our pantry network and home-delivered groceries, to our nutrition-education classes and CalFresh food-stamp enrollment, we work in many ways to nourish and empower neighbors in need. Every week, 30,000 households count on us for food assistance. More than 60 percent of what we distribute is fresh fruits and vegetables. Learn more at www.sfmfoodbank.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mark Seelig, PR Manager
San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
(office) 415-282-1907 ext. 270; (cell) 415-246-9146
mseelig@sfmfoodbank.org
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