When Jeni decided to donate her late husband’s red Ford Ranger to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, it wasn’t just about parting with a vehicle. It was about honoring his life in the community he cared about.
“Shel grew up in Marin and loved the outdoors,” Jeni said. “Every summer he and his dad would head to the mountains to backpack into high-country lakes to fish. One of the best parts was packing his dad’s old truck with gear and heading out into an adventure.”
After owning several other vehicles along the way, in 2000, Shel, then living in San Francisco, bought himself a new truck — a bright red Ford Ranger XLT he named El Trucko. From then on, the two went everywhere together: work trips, road trips throughout California, including to the Sierra for hiking, fishing, and photography adventures.
In May 2024, Shel passed away, leaving his well-traveled (and well-loved) truck behind, having logged more than 143,000 miles together. Last fall, Jeni drove Shel and the truck to the Eastern Sierra for one last trip. When she returned, she parked El Trucko in the garage, wondering what to do with it that would honor Shel’s memory.
She searched for environmental and conservation groups whose values aligned with Shel’s, but the donation process often seemed difficult to use. To make things easier, Jeni decided the gift should benefit a San Francisco organization they both admired.
“The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank came to mind,” she said. “We always tried to support the mail carrier’s food drive every May and donate whenever we saw barrels at local businesses or churches. It seemed impossible that in such a wealthy city, people were going hungry.”
Through the Food Bank’s website, Jeni found that donating a vehicle was straight forward and easy. After submitting the required information, she received a confirmation and soon after, a pickup date and time. A few weeks later, she learned that Shel’s truck had sold and that the proceeds were already helping provide fresh groceries for neighbors facing hunger.
Vehicle donations help the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank turn unused cars, trucks, and other vehicles into funding for fresh, healthy food. Each donated vehicle is sold at auction, and the proceeds support programs across San Francisco and Marin — from neighborhood pantries to Community Markets. It’s an easy way for supporters to make a lasting difference.
“For me, seeing El Trucko go on to help our neighbors feels like the right ending to this chapter of Shel’s story,” Jeni said. “I am delighted that even a 25-year-old truck can make a difference. That feels like something Shel would be proud of.”
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