San Francisco-Marin Food Bank Hunger Report Shows Challenges of High Cost of Living & Inflation on Bay Area Families
79% of Food Bank Participants & 82% of Participants with Children Often or Sometimes Worry About Running Out of Food
SAN FRANCISCO (September 22, 2022) – Today the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank released its 2022 Hunger Report, showing food insecurity is not just a COVID-era problem. A high cost of living and rising inflation are making it hard for families to get by.
Based on responses from nearly 6,000 Food Bank participants, the report shows community members continue to worry about the essentials:
- 40% reported living with two or more households under one roof
- 79% often or sometimes worry about running out of food
- 82% of parents often or sometimes worry about running out of food
- 72% have not recovered financially from the pandemic
“This survey shows clearly that our participants are struggling – many are forced to make impossible choices between paying bills and buying food,” said Tanis Crosby, Executive Director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. “As we saw when government benefits were extended during the pandemic, strengthening social safety nets like CalFresh (food stamps) and other meaningful policy changes make an immediate and tangible impact for our neighbors. It will take all of us, from individuals to community partners to elected officials, to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin.”
Ahead of the White House Conference on Hunger, The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank urges the federal government to take steps to protect and strengthen SNAP (CalFresh in CA) – our nation’s largest and most effective anti-hunger program. We are calling on elected officials to improve the adequacy of benefits and make the administrative flexibilities we’ve seen work during the pandemic permanent. We must invest in children and families by supporting the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids act. Finally, we need the federal government to support emergency food commodities as an essential part of addressing the immediate need for food assistance in our community.
Ending hunger means confronting its root causes as well as providing food to neighbors. Our local and national policies must address the high cost of housing, rising inflation, low wages, unaffordable healthcare, racism, and other institutionalized discrimination to ensure families can thrive.
The Food Bank continues to be a lifeline to neighbors in San Francisco and Marin. Every week, we provide 53,000 households with nutritious food, 60% of which is fresh produce. Participants received enough food for 56 million meals last year.
September is Hunger Action Month, a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of community hunger and an ideal time to help. Visit www.sfmfoodbank.org for how to volunteer, donate, or advocate.
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ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO-MARIN FOOD BANK
The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank’s mission is to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin, where even before the pandemic, one in five neighbors was at risk of hunger. We envision a community where everyone has access to nutritious food of their choosing and is uplifted by a network of support. Together with community partners, we work to address hunger head-on through neighborhood food pantries, CalFresh enrollment, home-delivered groceries, and policy and advocacy efforts. We work with our community to create lasting solutions to address both the hunger we see today and the root causes that perpetuate food insecurity in our society. Every week, 53,000 households count on us for food assistance. 60 percent of what we distribute is fresh fruits and vegetables. Learn more at https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/.
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