Hunger Report Shows Systemic Challenges are Driving Hunger
San Francisco-Marin Food Bank 2024 Hunger Report Reveals 70% of Food Bank Participants are Working
San Francisco (September 15, 2024) – The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank released its 2024 Hunger Report, showing that a stubbornly high cost of living and wages that can’t support basic needs are straining families.
Based on responses from more than 3,000 Food Bank participants and people on our wait list, the report shows our community continues to struggle:
- 77% of participants sometimes or often worry about running out of food. With even more stark numbers among BIPOC communities and those with children (especially single parents):
- 88% of Latinx participants 80% of Black participants, 87% of single parents, and 83% of households with children sometimes or often worry about running out of food.
- 70% of respondents have at least one person in their household working, and 35% are working multiple jobs.
- 92% of those on our wait list are experiencing food insecurity compared to 75% of those who are enrolled.
“We see first-hand the tradeoffs our participants are making,” said Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. “The high cost of living means that participants just can’t afford to buy enough food. This is a policy choice. We must work with our community and elected officials to invest in safety net programs and find lasting solutions to the root causes of hunger.”
The cost of living in Marin and San Francisco is so high that an individual would need to work approximately 1.5 full time minimum wage jobs in San Francisco and 1.75 in Marin just to cover their basic expenses[1]. This financial reality is why even with 70% of respondents working and 35% having multiple jobs, many in our community are struggling to get by.
Solutions to End Hunger
While we are proud to see 96% of our participants worry less about having enough food thanks to our services, as we move to the future, we must transform our services and advocate for policy solutions that drive lasting change.
One such policy solution, was the passage of AB 518 earlier this year which will hold the state of California accountable for increasing CalFresh enrollment. There are currently an estimated 2.7 million Californians who qualify for CalFresh but are not accessing this critical anti-hunger program – placing California in the bottom 5 states for enrollment. This bill will require the state to develop a methodology to estimate CalFresh participation rates and identify characteristics of those who are eligible but not yet receiving the services.
CalFresh is one of the most effective tools we have to address hunger, which is why the Food Bank helped lead statewide advocacy efforts that resulted in the passage of this bill. We are tremendously grateful to Governor Newsom for signing the bill into law and Assemblymember Corey Jackson and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks for their leadership in the development of this bill.
Looking to the future, we will continue to advocate for systemic policy changes and are working to amplify the voices of those with firsthand experience with food insecurity. We are also collaborating with our network to expand capacity and working with other partner organizations to open community markets that imagine a new way of service that not only provides dignified food choices but also access to other support services.
Hunger Report Methodology
The Hunger Report is based on findings from the Food Bank’s annual participant survey. This year the Food Bank heard from more than 3,000 participants and wait listed individuals in Food Bank-run Pop-Up Food Pantries and partner-run Neighborhood Food Pantries. Surveys were sent via SMS or email through Survey Sparrow in spring 2024. The survey is a critical part of the Food Bank’s commitment to data driven decision making and ensuring participant feedback is incorporated in service planning.
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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. Almost 50,000 households count on us for food assistance. 70% of what we distribute is fresh fruits and vegetables. Visit sfmfoodbank.org to learn more.
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[1] Based on United Way’s Real Cost Measure (https://unitedwaysca.org/realcost/) and a $16 minimum wage in Marin County and a $18.67 minimum wage in San Francisco County. Full time is defined as 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year.
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