2020 - 2021
Annual Report
MISSION
This Past Year
The Food Bank grew exponentially in learned experience, meals distributed, staff employed, community partnerships started and strengthened, challenges overcome and much, much more.
Our mission – to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin – remains. However, with this growth, during the spring and summer of 2021, the Food Bank staff and board came together to define our vision for creating a San Francisco and Marin without hunger that will guide us through continued pandemic response, recovery, and into the future.
This vision captures a place that both recognizes the journey the organization has been on for a while and where we hope to elevate the work. The Food Bank is a place where the solutions to end hunger center on partnerships with communities, partners, participants, and supporters like you.
Working Together to End Hunger
77,000,000
pounds of food distributed
67,000,000
meals provided
50,000+
households served
every week
$9,000,000+
secured in CalFresh Benefits
5,000
neighbors assisted with
CalFresh applications
Our Partner Network
350+
partnerships built
& strengthened
click to view:
Full Partner Network
Pop-ups
Neighborhood Pantries
Other Food Programs
Pop-ups
Run by San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.
Neighborhood Pantries
Run by partners.
Other Food Programs
Run by partners providing, for example, meal programs and CalFresh outreach.
Our partners and supporters are the backbone of the Food Bank’s work. Together, we increase access to food. Together, we advocate for policy change. Together, we are ending food insecurity. Together, we provided food for over 50,000 households every week this past year.
Our partnerships are instrumental to the work we are doing, so we have invited both partners and Food Bankers to share, in their own words, what happened this past year and what’s next in the coming year.
We serve 300 neighbors every week, each of whom often has four to five family members per household – that’s over 1,200 people in our community who are receiving food. The hardest thing is keeping up with the demand for fruit and vegetables, but thanks to the dedicated team at the Food Bank, we can ensure access to fresh produce. We also have a fantastic group of longtime volunteers who show up rain or shine to support our community; they are the ones who keep the wheels turning.”
Pantry Coordinator, Canal Alliance, Marin
We’re so grateful to Canal Alliance, one of our amazing Marin partners that supports our Latinx immigrant community. The food pantry is just one of many services they provide and this upcoming year, our partnership is focused on the food needs of the community, getting back to farmers’ market- style, and minimizing food waste. Canal Alliance has deep roots in the community, making them a trusted and valued resource.”
Community Coordinator, Food Bank
There are
240+ PANTRIES
in our network
26 POP-UP
pantries were open,
with 4 in Marin and 22 in SF
I love this service. During the pandemic, I lost 91 pounds because of all the fresh fruits and vegetables I got in my box. This past week, we got some beautiful string beans, so I looked up a recipe to roast them with fresh garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I’m low-income and food costs a lot of money, especially really good food. Thank you for having the Food Bank for us. A lot of people I know rely on the Food Bank for most of their food and it really makes a huge difference.”
Home-Delivered Groceries Participant
The generosity and strength of our partners, donors, and volunteers made it possible to scale Home-Delivered Groceries so quickly to meet the new demand stemming from COVID-19.
Now that we’ve expanded eligibility to receive Home-Delivered Groceries to include families with children aged 3 and younger, we are focused on getting the word out to the community. In the coming year, we want to further equity and agency by working to reach more neighbors, increase food choice,
and stay in open communication with participants like Jane through surveys and feedback.”
Program Manager, Home-Delivered Groceries, Food Bank
Home-delivered
8,000 BAGS
of groceries every week to people with disabilities, seniors, & families with young children
Eligibility expanded
to include families with children
aged 3 & younger
We started with a farmers’ market at SFSU about 15 years ago and quickly realized that there was a greater need so we created the Gator Groceries, a pop-up food pantry. It has been a wild success and now serves about 700 students every week.
Having folks at the Food Bank who feel the same way we do about trying to do the best we can to get food to our students is so important. You can’t learn when you’re hungry.
Pantry Coordinator, SFSU Gator Groceries
When the pandemic hit, me, my wife, and my teenage sons ran the pantry ourselves. Our pantry never closed. We just adjusted and started making pick-up boxes for students. Now that students are getting new foods in their box that they may not have chosen before, we’ve created cooking demos and videos that can help students navigate what to do with butternut squash, for instance.
We partner with
4 college pantries
We provide 6-10
different types of fruits and vegetables weekly
Our pantry partners who have remained open have been through a lot too, handling the collective pain and anxiety of the community. In our partner meetings, we make sure to emphasize the importance of taking time for yourself and share self-care strategies. SFSU Gator Groceries was one of the pantries that stayed open, thanks to Horace. Nothing stops him from getting food to the students that need it.
Last year we spent time making sure we were in each neighborhood that needed food in SF and Marin. The food insecurity and trauma that people experience, especially in immigrant communities, is really hard. We want to provide the best experience we can and minimize that anxiety, so we started enrolling participants to come at a specific time and the lines weren’t as long.
Our Call Center Hotline helped more than
22,000 CALLERS
find the food assistance right for them
We distribute about
184,000 MEALS
every day
This year, we want to try to reach those we’re not reaching. Part of that effort will be creating more partnerships with Food Hubs that have the space to give more food choice, have extended hours and be more culturally responsive to the neighborhoods they’re in. We are excited to learn and grow with more partnerships.”
Director of Community Partnerships, Food Bank
Universal School Meals was a big accomplishment this year. The program ensures two free meals are available and destigmatized for all public school students. When this program is run and funded correctly, it can be an example for the rest of the food system.
Let’s get kids the meals they need so that they can be healthy and ready to learn. Let’s not waste this as an opportunity for us all to learn and to move forward.”
Executive Director for Student Nutrition Services, San Francisco Unified School District
Our team focuses on policy that is equitable, responds to the community, strengthens safety nets, and builds change and empowerment within the community. This year, we were able to simplify the CalFresh application process for seniors and people with disabilities, get folks with Supplemental Security Income included in the Golden State Stimulus, and reinstate the Great Recession cuts to SSI/SSP benefits. Universal School Meals is a huge victory for the community and a great model nationwide. Jennifer’s coalition building ability was critical to this success. Partnership and collaboration – that’s what it’s all about.”
Government Affairs Manager, Food Bank
Over
40 HOURS
of virtual lobbying
6 ACTION ALERTS
sent to our community
We provide resources and support services to families. The majority of our families are low-income, monolingual, Chinese-speaking families with children aged zero to five. Over the past year, the most important thing was finding creative ways to assist participants virtually. The Food Bank has been a great liaison between us and the city and county, helping to get us the resources we need to provide these services. In the coming year, we are hoping this partnership can help to keep CalFresh application information from the city and county open and available, so that we can continue to answer questions and get more community members signed up.”
Wu Yee Children's Services / Joy Lok Family Resource Center
Helped over
5,000 NEIGHBORS
apply for benefits
Secured over
$ 9 MILLION
in CalFresh (food stamps) benefits for participants
CalFresh (food stamps) is one of the best tools available to end food insecurity. Participants receive money for food that gives them choice and provides economic benefits. This past year, we worked hard to educate the community about CalFresh assistance, knowing that many eligible households are not yet connected to this valuable service. Through virtual outreach, we’re helping a lot of people apply, maintain their benefits, and get answers. Our partners, including Joy Lok Family Resource Center, are really community-focused and community-driven. In the coming year, I’m excited to strengthen these partnerships and find more equitable ways to get folks what they want and need.”
Associate Director of Programs Outreach, Food Bank
When we take a step back, we’re just in awe of how much our volunteers have done this past year. While we are still in need of more volunteer support going into this next year, it’s important to acknowledge that the work has more than doubled since pre-pandemic times and our volunteer community has grown to support this need. In the coming year, we hope to grow our participant volunteer program and see more supporters ‘adopt’ specific pantries and routes. What we’ve done would be impossible without volunteer support.”
Associate Director of Community Engagement, Food Bank
We distributed food for
67M MEALS,
almost 60% was fresh produce
62,000 VOLUNTEERS
put in over 160,000 hours of work, equivalent to 76 full-time staff
The truly amazing thing about this past year is that despite supply chain and food sourcing issues, physical space limitations in our current warehouse, driver scarcity, and need almost doubling, we were able to continue with very little disruption to our service. That is a testament to the community rallying around us.
This year, with our warehouse expansion set to debut, we hope to strengthen and smooth our operations further and give even more back to this community.”
Director of Food Sourcing and Allocation, Food Bank
LETTER
Reflecting on the Past Year
The first word that comes to mind is community. It is only through the strength, partnership and generosity of this community that we were able to meet the extensive sustained need from the pandemic. Many families in our community lost jobs, incomes, and life savings. When we surveyed our participants, 81% of respondents said they have not yet recovered financially from the pandemic. We are serving nearly double the families we were serving pre-pandemic and food costs remain higher than ever due to supply chain issues. With the expected long-term impact that will result from the pandemic, we anticipate seeing this sustained level of food insecurity for the foreseeable future.
To meet this need, we have grown our operations by hiring more staff, renting additional warehouse space, and most importantly, purchasing more food. This also means an increase in ongoing expenses. While donors rose to the occasion with a tremendous outpouring of support, it will take considerable time for the fundraising to sustainably grow to support this dramatic increase in our expenses.
The community’s generous reaction to our pandemic response efforts will allow us to support current and future efforts to serve our community in times of unexpected and significant need. As highlighted by recent events, these reserves will be critical. As the largest nonprofit food provider in San Francisco and Marin, the Food Bank is an essential food safety net. We must be prepared to continue supporting the ongoing needs of our community.
It is a powerful thing when our community comes together. I am in constant awe of the engagement, commitment, and dedication of our participants, our partners, our volunteers, and our donors. We need your continued support to meet this need – to dig deeper and reach wider to serve more people in our community and address the root causes of food insecurity through a focus on policy change and community-driven solutions. Hunger does not affect us all equally. It is the result of systemic racism and oppression, insufficient social safety nets, and structural inequities. Ending food insecurity in San Francisco and Marin means a comprehensive approach with solutions in mind – one squarely focused on putting the people we serve at the center. With your support, we are steadfast. We will and must work towards ending food insecurity for our community.
We can make real change with your support. It takes a community – thank you for being part of this one. Let’s end hunger together.
Tanis Crosby
Executive Director
FINANCIALS
Financial Statement
Thanks to generous support like yours, the Food Bank was able to provide enough food for 184,000 healthy meals on average each day last year. For every $1 donated, we can distribute two meals.
Funding Breakdown
Revenue
Donated Food and In-Kind Contributions
$ 66,066,392
Government Food Commodities
$ 55,962,725
Government Grants
$ 19,580,840
Private Contributions Including Events
$ 58,626,081
Other Revenue
$ 1,307,714
Total Revenue
$ 201,543,752
Expenditures
Expenses
Program Services
$ 155,594,742
Management and General
$ 2,898,561
Fundraising
$ 5,668,780
Total Expenses
$ 164,162,083
Total Net Assets*
$ 111,426,008
* This figure includes $24 million of restricted net assets related to the Food Bank’s expansion as well as food on hand as of June 30, 2021
Board of Directors
Scott Brubaker, Chair
CFO
GlobalLogic Inc.
Stephen Pearce
Senior Rabbi Emeritus
Congregation Emanu-El
Michael Terris
Partner
CleanSweep Campaigns
Çigdem Gencer, Vice Chair
Executive Coach and Founder
Fazilet Consulting
Barbara Rosston
Nonprofit and
Educational Consultant
Jonathan Walker
President
Economists Incorporated
Noelle Bonner
CEO/Principal Consultant
Bonner Communications
Joseph Sáenz
Managing Director
Fremont Group
Dianna Cavagnaro
COO
Ideas, Events & Rentals
Pepe Gonzalez
Principal
Laurel Dell, Short Elementary
Elliot Schrage
Business and Human Rights
Jessica Berg
Co-Founder & Principal
BergDavis Public Affairs
Randy Gottfried
Consultant
Finance
Hilary Seligman, MD
Professor of Medicine
UCSF
Nadia Rahman
Principal
Rahman Consulting
Jennifer Levy
Retired Partner
Rockwood Capital
Linda Shiue, MD
Director of Culinary Medicine
Kaiser Permanente SF
Tara Seracka
VP & Deputy General Counsel
Cisco Systems
Hyun Park
SVP & Chief Legal Officer
FirstEnergy Corp
Uma Sinha
Chief Scientific Officer
BridgeBio Pharma
Jennifer Chang
Senior Director of Program Management
Zendesk
Thanks for an unforgettable year!
onto
2022
