Author: Heather Rudow

Take Action: Support The Count Hunger Act (AB 1734)

April 9, 2026

Every week, food banks across California use data to figure out where hunger is growing and which neighborhoods need more resources. That data shapes how we get food to families in need. When it disappears, the families don’t — we just lose the ability to see them. 

Last October, the federal government eliminated the USDA’s annual Hunger Survey — a critical tool the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank and food banks across the state use to measure and mitigate hunger. Futhermore, funding for the food insecurity screener in the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) is also in jeopardy due to unstable funding. Without these tools, food banks and policymakers lose sight of who needs help and where. The Count Hunger Act, AB 1734, would restore California’s ability to track where hunger exists, so communities and lawmakers can act on it. 

AB 1734 heads to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education on Wednesday, April 14 at 1:30 PM. If passed by the Legislators and sign by the Governor, AB 1734 would fund the CHIS food screener study conducted by UCLA for a two-year pilot and expand the survey’s measurement of hunger from 200% of the Federal Poverty Level to 400%. In the Bay Area, a family of four earning $128,000 — twice the 200% FPL benchmark — can still struggle to put food on the table — and right now, the state has no reliable way to count them.  

Our Food Bank is nonpartisan, but we advocate for policies and programs aligned with our mission — eliminating hunger and its root causes. We know we can’t address hunger and its root causes without reliable information on where hunger is in our communities. 

Hunger doesn’t go away if you don’t count it. 

Submit a Public Comment 

You can support AB 1734 by submitting a comment through the Assembly’s online portal. You don’t have to wait until April 14 — any time this week works. Phone comments are not accepted. 

Below is a sample letter. Personalize the bracketed fields, copy it, and paste it into the portal. 

Sample Letter (Please place on letterhead)— Copy and Paste into the Portal 

Hello Assemblymember___________, 

My name is ______________ (please insert your title and organization). I’m reaching out to share my support of the Count Hunger Act, AB 1734. This bill relates to restoring funding for the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) food screener study conducted by UCLA, which is in jeopardy because of unstable funding. AB 1734 would also expand the survey from 200% FPL to 400% FPL to better understand hunger in CA. 

Why this matters: 

In October 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) discontinued its annual hunger survey, the largest and most consistent dataset on food insecurity in the country, and the backbone of Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap. The uncertainty of CHIS funding and the discontinuation of the national service will leave a significant gap in data on food insecurity. 

The CHIS study, unique to California, has been a valuable supplement alongside the CPS-FSS. Conducted annually by UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research, CHIS also measures food security and can reach several Asian and Latine subpopulations that the USDA survey cannot. It also enabled analysis of the relationships between food security and health or social conditions, as well as comparisons of counties and regions within the state. 

This study is vital for addressing hunger based on scope and data-driven information. 

The ask: 

Please support these efforts with an Aye vote! 

Thank you. 

In Community, 

Name Title | Organization 

Public Comment Portal: https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates  

Portal Guidance: https://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/hearings 

Questions? Email Marchon Tatmon at mtatmon@sfmfoodbank.org. 

 

Remembering Gary Maxworthy, a Titan of Food Banking

April 3, 2026

Each year, Farm to Family Each year, the program delivers more than 300 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to food banks statewide to help nourish local communities

Gary Maxworthy transformed a sector. His work impacted hundreds of thousands of families in need by asking a bold question: why couldn’t food banks provide fresh fruits and vegetables grown in California for neighbors in need? 

Gary was charismatic and always had a twinkle in his eyes. He loved people and helped you believe anything was possible.  He was a man whose vision, and unwavering devotion to helping all in our community access healthy fruits and vegetables revolutionized how California food banks operate. He passed away on April 1, 2026. 

After more than three decades in the food distribution business, Gary came to the San Francisco Food Bank at 56 after the loss of his first wife. His children encouraged a change, and volunteering soon became a compass for new purpose. He joined AmeriCorps as a VISTA volunteer, with his first and only assignment at the San Francisco Food Bank.  

Armed with a mission-driven commitment to address the growing problem of hunger, Gary channeled his grief into actions that strengthened our community. 

Gary drew on his deep expertise and quickly saw what needed to change. Food banks at the time relied mostly on canned and packaged goods, while food distributors were sending millions of pounds of fresh produce to landfills every year because it was considered a surplus harvest — nutritious but not photogenic produce.  He knew that if everyone worked together, something transformative could happen. 

Gary believed people facing hunger deserved access to the same fresh fruits and vegetables as anyone else. He was determined to make that happen, even if it meant years of driving up and down Central Valley roads and throughout California to talk with farmers about donating their excess food. In 2000, Gary’s idea took shape as Farm to Family, a groundbreaking program that connects California growers directly with food banks.  

Today, Farm to Family serves nearly every food bank in California. Last year, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank secured 39 million pounds of food through the Farm to Family program, bringing more than 71 types of delicious fruits and vegetables into our neighbors’ homes. The innovative program he launched at San Francisco-Marin Food Bank has now scaled across California, greatly expanding access to fresh, healthy food for those who are food insecure. Each year, the program delivers more than 300 million pounds — about 9,000 tractor trailer loads — of fresh fruits and vegetables to food banks statewide to help nourish local communities

Thanks to Gary, more than 70 percent of what San Francisco-Marin Food Bank provides to participants is fresh produce.  This is the gold standard in food access — providing desired, fresh, culturally responsive produce — a dramatic shift from the canned and packaged food of the past, and a change that continues to set us apart nationwide.

Gary and Radha met through their shared passion for the Food Bank — and even held their wedding at our San Francisco warehouse.

For 23 years, Gary poured his heart into the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. His colleagues remember the way he led with care,

mentored the next generation of food bankers and never lost sight of the heart of this work and who really mattered: the participants we serve.  

Gary’s connection to the Food Bank also led to new pathways in his life. He met a kindred spirit in Radha Stern, who shared his commitment to help those struggling to put food on their tables. It was not just the Food Bank’s mission; it was a personal one for the couple. Their connection to the Food Bank was so deeply rooted, they held their wedding at our San Francisco warehouse. 

Gary’s legacy lives on with every moment neighbors enjoy nutritious produce from a community market. It lives on when families gather around a table for a meal made from fresh groceries from our Neighborhood Pantry Network.And it lives on when a parent selects food of their family’s preference at a partner’s farmer’s market style pantry, packing a delicious nectarine into their child’s school lunch. So many in the communities we serve, and across California, thrive because of the transformational work that Gary started.   

We are deeply grateful to have had Gary as part of our Food Bank family.  

Two Colleagues, One Cause, and a Smarter Way to Give

March 23, 2026

For 26 years, Chris and Paul were colleagues at Shartsis Friese, a San Francisco law firm. Both supported the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank for decades. Both volunteered. Both donated year after year. Then Chris told Paul about a tool that would make their giving go even further: donor-advised funds (DAFs). 

“Somehow I missed donor-advised funds all of that time,” Paul says. “And [when I heard about them] I was like, ‘Really, that’s so great and so simple.'” 

How DAFs Work 

The concept really is that simple. A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a charitable giving account through a financial institution. You contribute cash, appreciated stock, or other assets and get a tax deduction for the full market value right away. The money is invested and can grow over time, though returns depend on your investment choices and market conditions. Then you recommend grants to any eligible charity, whenever you want and in whatever amount makes sense. Your regular causes, a disaster relief fund halfway across the world, all from the same account. 

Chris (right)and Paul are longtime donors of the Food Bank who have been able to deepen their impact through opening donor-advised funds.

When the Maui wildfires hit, Paul didn’t have to think twice. “That really got me because I love that island,” he says. “And so I just went on to my donor advice fund and brought up Maui Food Bank and sent them some money.” Within a week or two, the Maui Food Bank had a check. 

Chris put it in real-world terms. 

“If you’ve got Apple stock you bought 20 years ago and now it’s worth 10 times as much, you can put the stock in the DAF, get the tax benefit of having made the charitable contribution at that time, and avoid capital gains taxes,” he explains. “Then you direct grants to nonprofits whenever you want.” 

Paul wants others to know it’s not as daunting as it sounds. “If it sounds complicated, give it a try once,” he says. “And you’ll realize it’s really not that difficult.” 

And he’s found an unexpected benefit to DAF giving: “Since it’s easier, I [donate] a little bit more than I would otherwise.” 

More Than a Check 

If you ask Chris and Paul why they commit money and time to the Food Bank’s mission, it’s not about the tax benefit. 

“Food is fundamental,” Chris says. “You can’t have a life without it.” 

There’s also a human element. 

“What I love about [the Food Bank] is not only is it a great organization, but it’s the rare organization that you can support financially and also be a regular volunteer,” he continues. “You become a regular and you know everybody, which is much more fun to do.” 

During the pandemic, that’s exactly what he did. When a Catholic Charities pantry serving seniors at Temple Methodist Church lost its regular volunteers (many of whom were older adults staying home to protect their health), Chris got a call asking if he could volunteer at the pantry. He said yes, and kept showing up every Thursday for three years. He eventually brought Paul along. 

For Paul, showing up runs in the family. In his 20s, he and his four siblings made a pact: stop exchanging gifts and donate to charity instead. That habit never left. 

“I’ve certainly spent even more time volunteering than I had before,” he says. “That just feels like it’s necessary for people to do.” 

Pass It On 

Chris puts it simply: “Every organization ought to have the DAF on their radar.” 

For Chris and Paul, the DAF is just the latest way to show up for a cause they’ve believed in for decades — and a way to make every dollar go even further. 

Showing Up for Community During the Shutdown

March 17, 2026

Paul Russell, director of operations at NMCS

On a Friday morning in early December, volunteers load fresh produce into car trunks at North Marin Community Services (NMCS) in Novato. The 43-day government shutdown, the longest in our nation’s history, ended weeks earlier, but the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank’s emergency food distributions continued.

The shutdown had cut off CalFresh benefits — California’s SNAP program — for 125,000 people across San Francisco and Marin, while leaving thousands of federal workers without paychecks. Both groups were still catching up on bills, with no relief in sight.

Working with partners throughout the region, the Food Bank launched its Shutdown Community Response to quickly get fresh, nutritious food to the people who needed it most. Twenty-four community partners and 7,000 volunteers stepped up to meet the surge in need. An unprecedented public-private partnership distributed more than $14.3 million in direct purchasing power to 67,597 San Franciscans.

By the end, the response delivered 1.1 million extra pounds of food, providing 800,000 meals to households that would have otherwise gone without.

Valerie, a retired nurse who has volunteered with the Food Bank since 2020.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

“When we put out a call for help, we knew our community would answer,” said Paul Russell, director of operations at NMCS.

“NMCS started to get calls directly from the community saying, ‘I hear this is happening. I’m concerned my neighbors are going to go without food. What can we bring for you that will be helpful for them?'”

They showed up in droves. Valerie, a retired nurse who has volunteered at the Novato pantry every Tuesday since 2020, drove up from Mill Valley for the extra Friday distribution.

“People don’t ask for hard times,” she said, “but hard times happen when you don’t expect it and you aren’t prepared for it.”

In just one month, NMCS received approximately 12 pallets of donated food from neighbors, schools, churches, and businesses, complementing the fresh produce NMCS distributes through the Food Bank’s Neighborhood Food Network. Together, the Food Bank and NMCS added emergency Friday distributions to supplement the regular Tuesday pantry, serving 60 to 70 households each week.

Jennie, a longtime participant who was grateful for the extra groceries.

“It Was Absolutely Horrifying”

Among them was Jennie, who has relied on the pantry at NMCS for seven years. Living alone in Novato, she depends on it and her CalFresh benefits to make ends meet. Without the pantry, the cost of groceries alone would be overwhelming.

“Sometimes it just comes down to dollars and cents,” she said. “It’s 10 bucks for this, eight bucks for that… it could be $50 a week.”

When the shutdown cut her benefits, she faced an impossible choice between paying rent and buying groceries.

“It was absolutely horrifying,” Jennie said. “None of us knew when they were going to come back.”

The extra Friday distributions kept Jennie afloat while her CalFresh benefits were paused. They’ve since been reinstated, but she knows that plenty of people in her community are still struggling with food insecurity.

For Jennie, though, the pantry has become more than a place to pick up groceries. It’s where she sees her community show up for each other.

“If I’m just feeling really depressed and I come here, it really helps my mood ” she said. “Just seeing the people get the food and that makes me happy.”

The Mission Continues

After nearly six years volunteering with the Food Bank (and through two unprecedented emergencies), Valerie saw firsthand how hunger touches every corner of her community.

“I see all the faces of people who do experience food insecurity, and it’s all walks of life,” she said. “Seniors, and I’m a senior now. I just can relate. It could be me.”

For Jennie, Valerie, and Russell, the shutdown made one thing clear: hunger is a policy choice. With billions in SNAP cuts on the horizon, the threats to food security aren’t going away. But neither is the community that showed up.

Over those two months, Russell saw the proof of community in the parking lot.

“The fact that I look right in front of me and I see pallets of food that have been brought in as a response from neighbors, from schools, from churches, businesses,” he said.

“Everyone came to us right away. And it was gratifying that they saw us as the organization that’s going to respond.”

When the safety net fails, partnerships between the Food Bank and organizations like NMCS — fueled by volunteers like Valerie and neighbors who refuse to let anyone go hungry — hold people up.

“The mission is just so necessary, especially now,” Valerie said.

Jennie is in agreement.

“There’s so many horrible things happening in the world that I try to create joy and beauty and observe it whenever I can,” she said. “This [place] is one of those little nuggets.”

Reflections On Being in Service to the Community

February 26, 2026

Ending hunger takes more than food. It takes trusted partners who know their communities and show up for them week after week. For Black History Month, we’re spotlighting three partners whose service to their neighbors is also a reflection of the Food Bank’s mission and commitment to the leadership of our partners in providing community-led solutions to hunger. 

Shanell Williams, Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness 

In partnership with the Food Bank, Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness recently opened a Community Market at Umoja Health Access Point in Bayview Hunters Point. Resembling neighborhood grocery stores, Community Markets let participants choose the proteins, produce, and culturally relevant foods they bring home, and are open multiple days each week. The program centers on respect for participants and the power of choice. It also connects them to behavioral health, wellness, and other supportive services that address the root causes of hunger, all under one roof. 

For Shanell Williams, Rafiki’s executive director, food is an entry point for overall well-being. “To really be healthy, it’s not just one domain,” she says. “It’s making sure that folks have access to mental wellness, complementary medicine, supports for chronic health conditions. And food is a big part of that.” 

Bayview Hunters Point has long been a food desert, and Shanell sees Community Markets as a direct response to that history. “What we love about the community food market is that it’s open access, low barrier, and it’s also about dignity,” she says. “Just because folks are needing to access services doesn’t mean we lose that piece around dignity.” 

Shanell grew up in the Fillmore, San Francisco’s historic Black neighborhood known as the Harlem of the West. Her community-focused leadership journey includes community organizing serving eight years on the San Francisco Community College Board and a decade at UCSF as the Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships at the school’s California Preterm Birth Initiative program. At Rafiki, she hires from the community and builds career pipelines for the people who do the work alongside her. She calls them “PhD doers,” honoring their lived expertise. “It’s really for me about community empowerment,” she says. 

Chester Williams, Community Living Campaign 

Shanell’s work connects people to food and services in one place. Chester Williams brings both directly to people’s doors. 

Every week, the Community Living Campaign (CLC) helps get bags of fresh groceries to roughly 140 elderly neighbors who can’t get to a pantry on their own. The Food Bank supplies the fresh produce and groceries. Meals on Wheels San Francisco provides the operational space. And Chester’s team of volunteers packs the bags and delivers them door to door.  As Bayview food coordinator for CLC, Chester has spent more than a decade coordinating home-delivered groceries for seniors across Bayview, Visitacion Valley, Parkmerced and Lakeview.   

Chester grew up in the Fillmore. He’s Catholic, raised in a tradition of service and commitment to the common good at St. Dominic’s and Sacred Heart. That foundation carried him from teaching elementary school to directing a community technology lab to His delivery routes today reach seniors who speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and other languages. For Chester, making sure every participant feels understood and cared for is the whole point. “I grew up with that feeling of you need to help others no matter who,” he says. “After a while, it’s not even a job anymore. You just automatically put that in.”  

Veronica Shepard, San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition 

Chester serves individuals one door at a time. Veronica Shepard mobilizes entire congregations. 

When Veronica and a colleague conducted food security screenings at Black churches across San Francisco, the results were stark: congregants were going hungry, and their pastors had no idea. “These pastors learned their own congregants were hungry and they were blown away by the results,” Veronica says. “Food is relative to everything. You can be unhoused, but you still got to have food.” 

That discovery united faith leaders across the city. In 2016, Veronica formed the San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition, bringing pastors, ministers and leaders from across denominations together around the urgency of food insecurity. The coalition impacts some of the city’s most vulnerable populations (Black/African American, Pacific Islanders, Latinx, Black and Middle Eastern Muslims) which have been   partnered with the Food Bank for the past six years. 

Each December, the coalition produces Feeding 5,000, a holiday food distribution that has brought food to more than 22,700 households since the pandemic. But the work continues year-round. “Hunger is not just a holiday event,” Veronica says. “Hunger is every day.” 

Veronica is a native San Franciscan and grew up in the Bayview Hunters Point Neighborhood during the civil rights movement, and she carries that history with her. 

 “I know there’s strength in numbers,” she says. “Just like then, we’re working to make justice happen today.” She reflects on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech to the Medical Committee for Human Rights, in which he stated, “injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman.” 

Veronica emphasizes that hunger is merely a symptom of a much deeper ailment.  

“If we don’t address the root cause of hunger, which is poverty,” she explains, “we are failing to confront the structural injustice that keeps our community in a cycle of need. Without addressing the underlying poverty, the cycle of inequity remains unbroken.” 

Looking Ahead 

The Food Bank works with 265 community partners across San Francisco and Marin to end hunger. The works of Shanell, Chester and Veronica reflect what that partnership looks like when antihunger efforts are led by those who know their community best. We are grateful to walk and work alongside them. 

Strength in Numbers: Meet Veronica

February 23, 2026

For Black History Month, the Food Bank is proud to spotlight a partner whose work aligns with our mission: ending hunger and creating a community free of its root causes, where everyone can access nutritious food of their choosing.

Ending hunger takes more than food. It takes trusted partners who authentically know their communities and show up for them week after week.

More than ten years ago, Veronica Shepard was with the San Francisco Department of Public Health when she and a colleague conducted food security screenings at Black churches across San Francisco. The results were stark: congregants were going hungry, and their pastors didn’t know.

“These pastors learned their own congregants were hungry and they were blown away by the results,” Veronica says. “Food is relative to everything. You can be unhoused, but you still got to have food.”
That discovery united faith leaders across the city. In 2016, Veronica formed the San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition, bringing together faith leaders from across denominations to address food insecurity. The coalition supports some of San Francisco’s most food-insecure populations: Black and African American, Pacific Islander, Latinx, and Middle Eastern and Black Muslim communities.

Each December, the coalition distributes food through Feeding 5,000, reaching more than 22,700 households since the pandemic began. But the work continues year-round. “Hunger is not just a holiday event,” Veronica says. “Hunger is every day.”

A native San Franciscan, Veronica grew up in Bayview Hunters Point during the civil rights movement and carries that history with her. “I know there’s strength in numbers,” she says. “Just like then, we’re working to make justice happen today.”
She reflects on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech to the Medical Committee for Human Rights. In it, he stated: “Injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman.”

Veronica names hunger for what it really is: a symptom of deeper structural issues. “If we don’t address the root cause of hunger, which is poverty,” she explains, “we are failing to confront the structural injustice that keeps our community in a cycle of need. Without addressing the underlying poverty, the cycle of inequity remains unbroken.”

The Food Bank works with 265 community partners across San Francisco and Marin to end hunger. When communities lead, the work becomes real. That’s what we see in Veronica and the San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition. We’re grateful to walk alongside them.

Hunger Doesn’t Go Away If You Don’t Count It

February 2, 2026

“Hunger doesn’t just go away because you stop counting it.” 

That was the message from the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank’s Executive Director Tanis Crosby at a Jan. 30 press conference announcing new state legislation to protect food insecurity data in California. 

“Let’s be clear. Our neighbors are counting on us, so we’ve got to count what matters,” she continued. “We cannot serve our community without data and insight into hunger.” 

State Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-19) introduced The Count Hunger Act, which would restore funding for a screening tool that identifies food insecurity across California. In early January, the food insecurity screener, a critical part of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), was canceled when the administration eliminated SNAP-Ed funding. 

“The federal government chose to stop counting hunger and hope no one would notice,” said Assemblymember Stefani. “But hunger doesn’t disappear when you stop measuring it — it just gets easier to ignore. This proposal is about California stepping up where Washington walked away, restoring the data communities need to understand who is struggling, target help, and confront food insecurity with honesty and urgency.” 

This latest cut is part of a pattern. In October 2025, the USDA canceled the nation’s annual Hunger Survey. Now, expected cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could cause as many as 22,000 San Francisco and Marin residents to lose access to this critical food assistance program. 

Noriko Lim Tepper, the Food Bank’s Chief Strategic Partnership, Advocacy and Voice Officer, emphasized that the proposed legislation goes beyond restoring data collection. It would also pilot expanded guidelines to assess hunger in high-cost areas. 

“We cannot afford to leave valuable information on where hunger exists in the dark,” said Noriko. “Reliable methods for identifying food insecurity can help improve outcomes for our working families. Families earning nearly twice the 200% FPL — the federal poverty level — benchmark, which is about $64,000 for a family of four, are still struggling. If the FPL in the CHIS screener doubles, this ensures every Californian experiencing food insecurity is seen.” 

Greer Dove, a former Food CARE (Community Advocacy Resilience Equity) Council member, knows these challenges personally. 

“Living in the Bay Area is so expensive,” she said. “I am so happy that Assemblymember Stefani is proposing this bill, both to be able to continue finding the people that need this help and also to be able to expand the benefits that people need.” 

If approved, the two-year pilot would restore CHIS food insecurity funding and expand eligibility to reflect reality: many working families earning above traditional poverty thresholds still can’t afford food amid rising housing and living costs. This expanded definition could eventually inform eligibility criteria for programs like CalFresh. 

For the Food Bank, backing this legislation is a natural fit. Data-informed decision-making drives everything we do, from the policies we support to how we get food to our neighbors. We can’t solve a problem we can’t see. And as Tanis said: we’ve got to count what matters. 

The January 30 press conference received ample media coverage, with several news outlets covering the event, including KQED, KCBS, KTVU-TV and KRON4-TV.

Listening, Connecting, Supporting: Meet the Peer Navigators at Western Addition Community Market

January 22, 2026

Peter helps participants connect with housing assistance and other city resources.

Peter and Annette have been married for 37 years. Their biggest piece of advice? 

Listening. 

“Listening,” says Annette, “is key.” 

It’s also one of the keys to the couple’s success as Peer Navigators at the Western Addition Community Market, where they’ve spent the past three months getting to know participants and connecting them to resources that address the root causes of hunger. 

The couple has been volunteering with the Food Bank for four years, initially through their church, Cornerstone in the Mission. They live in the Castro but volunteer in Western Addition because they see the need across the city. When they saw the opportunity to become Peer Navigators, it felt like a natural next step. “The Community Market provides dignity — folks can come in and choose their items,” Peter says. “As Peer Navigators, we can offer something beyond food.”

Annette greets participants and connects them with supportive services.

A New Model for Food Access

Community Markets resemble grocery stores, where participants can shop for what they need, just like they would at a local market. Responding to community feedback, markets are open multiple days with extended hours, making it easier for people to access food at a time that fits their schedule. 

Last year, the Food Bank launched two Community Markets, supported the opening of a partner-run Community Market, and paved the way for more to open this year. Markets run by the Food Bank, like Western Addition, offer referrals and guidance from Peer Navigators, who use their lived experience to help neighbors find and access local services. 

“There are a lot of resources out there, but people don’t know where to find them,” Annette says. “Being a Peer Navigator means getting people the help they need. Attaching resources to food is huge.” 

Peter and Annette are just two of the Peer Navigators at Western Addition Community Market. 

Glenn went from policy advocacy with the FoodCARE Council to helping neighbors as a Peer Navigator.

From Policy Advocate to Peer Navigator 

Glenn first got involved with the Food Bank through the FoodCARE Council (Community Advocacy Resilience Equity Council), where people with lived experience of hunger learn to advocate for policy change. After working on systemic issues that impact the whole state, he saw the Peer Navigator program as another way to help at the neighborhood level. 

“San Francisco’s going through a difficult time right now,” he says, “and people are not aware of the resources available unless they sit down and talk to someone.” 

From Healthcare to Community Care 

Michael brings three decades of healthcare experience to connecting people with resources.

Michael brings three decades of healthcare administration experience to the work. He spent years helping patients navigate complicated medical systems at a large cardiology practice. When he read about the Peer Navigator program, he recognized the same challenge: people who don’t know what resources are available or how to access them. 

“A lot of people when they come in have one thing on their mind — to get the food and get back home,” he says. “But quite a few people will stop, take the time, and listen to what we have to offer.” 

Connecting Neighbors to Resources 

The Peer Navigator role takes research, quick thinking, and genuine listening. The team maintains contact lists with direct phone numbers for city resources, from utility assistance to job training programs. When someone only has a few minutes between shopping and catching the bus home, that preparation matters. 

“We take them inside, sit down, get on the phone to see what’s available,” Peter explains. 

Housing concerns come up frequently. Peter recalls helping someone whose name wasn’t on the lease. The landlord was trying to push them out. Peter and Annette sat down with them, wrote a letter on their behalf, and connected them with legal assistance. 

Meeting People Where They Are 

Not everyone who walks through the doors is ready to talk about needs beyond food. Annette recognizes the stigma some people carry about accessing support. But showing up consistently builds trust. 

“You’re not just talking to people, you’re encouraging them and supporting them,” Annette says. “Even if they don’t have interest right away, we encourage them to think about it for later or share with someone they know who might need it.” 

These connections are at the heart of the Community Market model. By pairing dignified food access with thoughtful, supportive services, the Food Bank is helping neighbors address not just hunger today, but the root causes that create it.  

Introducing Community Markets: More Than Food, A Path to Stability

January 5, 2026

Building from Experience  

Guadalupe Gonzalez, Bilingual Community Connections Manager at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, remembers what it was like to figure out complex systems on her own. 

Born outside Mexico City, Guadalupe moved with her family to the Bay Area when she was eight. Her parents spoke little English, so she enrolled her younger sister in after-school programs and helped the family manage daily life.  

“The help to get through these systems is often there,” she says, “but it can feel inaccessible and overwhelming to find without support from someone who’s been there before.” 

Years later, when her sister went to college, she thanked Guadalupe for paving the way.  

“Having someone to guide you through those processes makes such a difference,” Guadalupe says. 

Now, Guadalupe is bringing her own experience to the work of building out the volunteer-led Peer Navigation program for the Food Bank’s newly launched Community Markets. 

More than Food 

Community Markets are grounded in the belief that drives Guadalupe’s work and all of ours at the Food Bank: no one should have to struggle to access food, housing, or health resources. 

“Community markets are the next evolution of the food pantry,” says Adam Hoffman, the Food Bank’s senior program manager, direct service. 

Together with trusted community partners, the Food Bank is launching this innovative model to address hunger and its root causes. Designed to resemble neighborhood grocery stores, Community Markets let participants choose the proteins, produce, and culturally relevant foods they bring home, and are open multiple days each week. The program centers on respect for participants and the power of choice. 

“Here, you have the ability to choose the day that meets your individual schedule, and you can come any time during that day,” Adam says. 

Expanding Access 

Over the next year, the Food Bank and its partners will open eight Community Markets, some run directly by the Food Bank and others led by community organizations. 

Community Markets led by our partners are pairing food access with the other services they offer to create a more seamless experience for participants. And markets run by the Food Bank are offering referrals and guidance from Peer Navigators, trusted community volunteers who use their own lived experience to help neighbors find and access local services.  

“What makes the Peer Navigators program so powerful is that it’s built for the community, by the community,” Guadalupe says. “The web of services in San Francisco is so big and accessing them can be daunting. “Having someone who’s been through similar experiences and knows how to navigate these systems can make all the difference.” 

Two Food Bank-led Community Markets, China Basin and Western Addition, launched in June. And, El Colibri Community Market, operated by La Raza Community Resource Center in the Mission District, opened Aug. 15. 

Meeting Urgent Needs with Innovative Solutions 

Gabriel Medina, La Raza’s Executive Director, is grateful for another way to reach the neighbors who need it most. 

“Food is a fundamental doorway to our services,” he says. “In a community market, we can not only offer the basic groceries that we have here, but we can also offer more intentional space and connection to our case managers and other resources. Also, with this market, we can keep food a lot longer because it’s a dedicated space. We don’t need to move it, so it can stay here until the next day.” 

El Colibri expects to serve 1,000 participants weekly by the end of October. And, over the next three years, we have the goal of serving up to 4,500 households every week through Community Markets. 

With food insecurity at historic levels and critical supports disappearing, Community Markets are one way the Food Bank is stepping up to meet people where they are and help neighbors keep food on the table, even when times are uncertain. 

 “Community markets are so important, especially today,” Guadalupe says. “We want participants to feel like this is their market, their choice, and that they’re receiving the best quality items. We hope to build community, so participants feel safe and supported.”       

 

At Bayview Church of Christ, Fresh Food Fuels Creativity

December 9, 2025

On a sunny Thursday afternoon in the Bayview, Danielle scopes out tables of fresh produce at the Bayview Church of Christ neighborhood food pantry. She’s bringing them home to her mom, who she’s been caring for full-time for the last 13 years. The weekly visits to this pantry, part of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank’s Neighborhood Food Network, have become woven into their daily life — even sparking Danielle’s creativity. 

Finding Creativity Where You Can 

Danielle is a passionate, professional artist, but being a caretaker means she doesn’t always get to her work. When she can’t find the time, she creates with what she has: the food she cooks for her mom, much of which comes from the Bayview Church of Christ food pantry. Eggs on potatoes with tomato, carrot ginger soup, grapes and pears arranged on a plate. When her mom is delighted by one of these artfully arranged meals, Danielle takes a picture. 

Danielle estimates she’s taken about 500 photos by now. “Those pictures only happen when she wants a picture,” she explains. “I only take those pictures when she says, ‘Ooh, I like this. Let me take a picture.'” 

She’s even turned these pictures into an art exhibit, showing them both with fellow artists and in a solo show. 

The food from the pantry has brought unexpected joy to this family: ingredients that become art, and meals that spark happiness. It has also helped ease some of the burdens. 

Between managing her mom’s Alzheimer’s and trying to afford life in San Francisco, there’s a lot to juggle. So when Danielle noticed the pantry opening in 2023 while walking her dog, she signed right up. She was grateful she wouldn’t have to choose between groceries and paying for other essentials. 

“It’s one less thing I have to worry about,” Danielle says. “Financially, every little part matters and counts.” 

A Partnership That Changed Everything 

Bayview Church of Christ is one of more than 200 pantries in the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank’s Neighborhood Food Network. Each week, about 230 people pick up groceries at the pantry. Nearly 70% of what the Food Bank provides is fruits and vegetables. 

For Chris Elmore, the pantry coordinator, partnering with the Food Bank in 2023 was a game-changer. 

Before that partnership began, he and his brother were picking up donations from Safeway in Chris’s box truck and distributing them from the church parking lot on their own. It was a lot of work. 

When those grocery store donations ended, Chris connected with the Food Bank at their warehouse on Pennsylvania Avenue. 

Now, Chris says, “Everything is fresh. We got onions, we got grapes, we got celery, grapefruit. We usually have some type of meat, maybe milk. Just everything that you can want.” 

When Spices Make the Difference 

And recently, the pantry’s been offering ginger, jalapeños, and cilantro as part of a Food Bank pilot program testing whether spices and aromatics help families use more of the produce they receive. 

Chris has noticed people love the spices and are using them in all kinds of dishes. “The ginger and the jalapeño are the best right now,” he says. 

One man made something that looked like fortune cookies shaped into flowers, using ginger and other ingredients from the pantry. Another woman brought back spring roll-like pastries with beef and vegetables inside. People have brought tostadas to share with volunteers. 

Chris loves seeing how the spices inspire people to try new dishes—and how those dishes reflect the neighborhood’s diversity. Bayview brings together people from all over the world, each with their own culinary traditions. 

“The cultures here are different,” Chris says. “Even [within] countries like China and Japan, you got the Easterners, you got the Southerners, and they cook things different.” He’s learned phrases in multiple languages just from running the pantry each week. “This is my community,” he says, “and the people here are great.” 

Chris isn’t the only one who’s found connection. For Danielle, the pantry means food in the house, people who know her and her mom, and one less thing to figure out each week. It’s community care in action. 

“Most of the people here are my neighbors,” she says. “I see them not just when it’s food bank day. I see them when I walk the dog. This is helping each other.”