Author: Mara Sleeter

A Thanksgiving Tradition – Food and Caring

November 4, 2019

How do you make Thanksgiving special for the people you care about? Here at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, preparation for the holiday season begins as early as July to bring much-needed health and comfort to participants and their families.  

32,000 FAMILIES

We have a long-standing tradition of making sure that every person in need takes home a whole chicken and a variety of holiday trimmings when they visit their neighborhood pantry the week of Thanksgiving. It takes a lot of planning, coordination, and support to make it all happen, but it’s a commitment we love.  

 Angela Wirch, Director of Food Sourcing and Allocation says, “Our biggest Thanksgiving items are whole chickens. We have 32,000 families we need to serve to create a special holiday meal.” Angela and her team get to work as early as July securing holiday favorites that are donated from local farms and manufacturers, and purchasing the rest with donations from supporters like you.   

ALL HANDS ON DECK TO PROVIDE THANKSGIVING MEALS  

Fulfilling this holiday commitment takes a community. Each November, volunteers pack and sort ingredients for thousands of holiday meals. Warehouse workers load and unload thousands of pallets to make sure the food is stored safely. Truck drivers carefully navigate tight city streets to deliver the food on time. Agency partners coordinate efforts to distribute the food to people throughout San Francisco and Marin. Many of our agency partners cook large- Thanksgiving meals with turkeys and holiday favorites that they buy at a discounted price from our shop floor.  

Vicky, lives in supportive housing in San Francisco, and she loves getting a whole chicken from the Food Bank for Thanksgiving.  

“Sometimes I roast it, but sometimes I make a curry or fry it,” Vicky says. “I like the cranberries too, and I’ll steam the sweet potatoes. My family gets together for a nice Thanksgiving lunch, and we talk about what we are grateful for.”  

Linda’s Story | The Food Pharmacy Offered a Healthier Life

November 4, 2019

Having healthy food to share with our community doesn’t mean much if people can’t get to it. That’s the idea behind one of our many recent innovations. We work hard to find the best ways to safely transport nutritious foods to people in convenient locations where they don’t have to go out of their way. One of the ways we do that is through our Food Pharmacies. 

FOOD IS MEDICINE

Since 2016, we’ve been working with local physicians and health clinics to run our Food Pharmacies. This program helps connect patients — who already see their doctor at these clinics — with free groceries, nutrition education, and CalFresh enrollment (food stamps), as well as classes on healthy food preparation.  

Alicia Hobbs organizes the program at our Silver Avenue site; she emphasizes that food can be medicine, especially for patients with health challenges, such as diabetes and hypertension. “We’re not just introducing patients to healthy food, we’re teaching them how to cook this food in the healthiest way possible. Perhaps most importantly, we’re trying to create a community where these patients feel supported every step of the way.”  

A HEALTHIER LIFE FOR LINDA 

Linda’s health improved significantly since she linked up with a San Francisco-Marin Food Pharmacy. Fifteen years ago, a car crash changed her life forever when both of her ankles were shattered, and her wrist fractured. The damage to her ankles meant she could no longer walk long distances or even stand on her feet for a few minutes at a time. Even after months of physical therapy, she had to retire early from her job at a local bank. Without income from her job, Linda has to live on only a few hundred dollars in SSI funds every month.  

Linda’s doctor suggested she get involved in the Food Bank’s Food Pharmacy program at SouthEast Health Clinic in the Bayview neighborhood. Ever since, she’s had free access to healthy fruits and vegetables as well as health education. Through the program, she learned new ways to prepare certain foods — such as steaming carrots and broccoli to keep more of vitamins intact.  

As a result of her program participation, Linda has lost weight and dropped her blood pressure, “My health hasn’t been this good in years,” she says, and I owe it to those at SouthEast, and the good people at the Food Bank.” 

Rapid Response in Times of Emergencies

November 1, 2019

We usually operate at a fast clip to fulfill the great need for food in San Francisco and Marin. When an emergency hits the greater Bay Area, we step into rapid response high gear like we did during the Kincade Fire and PG&E power outages that affected hundreds of thousands of our neighbors.

Our strong relationships with sister food banks such as the Redwood Empire Food Bank allows us to respond quickly when disaster impedes their ability to provide food. As Paul Ash, our executive director, said, “Our loading dock is your loading dock.” Such was the case during the Kincade Fire when they too had to evacuate. During the fire and outages, and afterward, we were asked to store truckloads of water and food for them. When needed, we’ll also deliver it.

Food Delivery

As members of the Marin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), we were on calls as early as Sunday morning. When the fire was in full force with evacuees heading to Marin for safety, we rapidly responded to deliver food. During the week we have packed fruit, snacks, peanut butter, canned meat, crackers, and 100% fruit juice for over 1,800 people housed at evacuation centers, churches, and other places like Lawson’s Landing campground.

The PG&E power outages also compounded food shortages when people’s food spoiled or they weren’t able to cook it. Several of our pantries were without power, as well. To help, we pre-bagged the food, like care packages, filled with shelf-safe protein and other food. We set up three pop-up pantries at PG&E community resource centers in Marin and got the word out via social media.

Emergency Pop-up Pantries

Jillian Tse, a senior program coordinator, was on the ground in Marin City. “We offered peanut butter, canned meat, crackers, fruit cups, soups, and produce. People were very appreciative. Many people said that they had lost their food due to power cuts. Many took extra groceries for neighbors that couldn’t make it. At the end of the day, we had some food left and share it with close-by community partners.” Over a four day period, we increased our delivery to Marin County by 10,000 lbs.

We don’t stop responding once the fires are out and the power is back on. We’ll continue to support evacuation centers across Marin with deliveries and any calls for help by our sister food banks, as long as it’s needed. We know that some people and families continue to need our support, and we’re in it to help for the long run.

If you want to support our disaster relief, donate here. 

 

 

Apples in the Pantry, Apples in the Kitchen

October 28, 2019

Right now at our pantries you will get apples as part of the weekly distribution! Red and green – all the colors. They are packed with vitamin C to boost our immune system, and a lot of fiber to keep us feeling full. Eating enough fiber has been shown to keep our hearts healthy too.

So with all this loveliness going out from our pantries, we asked our Nutrition Education team to help us with a couple of apple-based recipes that are easy and fast.

Apple Slaw

Dairy-free | Gluten-free | Low added Sugar | Vegetarian

Serves 4

You’ll need:

  • 2 1/2 apples
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cups Green cabbage
  • 1 Celery stalk
  • 1/2 cup Red bell pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Low-fat mayonnaise

 

Do like this:

  • Peel and core apples
  • Dice apples and place in a large bowl
  • Squeeze lemon juice over apples to help keep them from darkening
  • Thinly slice cabbage to form thin strips
  • Dice celery and bell pepper
  • Add cabbage, celery, and bell peppers to apples
  • In a small container, mix mayonnaise ad sugar, add to salad
  • Mix
  • Enjoy!

 

Microwave Fruit Crisp

Photo attribution: My Tu

Dairy-free | Gluten-free | Low added Sugar | Vegan | Vegetarian

Serves 2

You’ll need:

  • 2 cups Diced and sliced fruit
  • 2 tablespoons Soft butter or vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons Brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons Rolled Oates
  • 2 tablespoons Whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons Walnuts, pecans, or almonds

 

Do like this:

  • Place fruit in a microwave­ safe dish. Use a dish that is wide enough so that the fruit is about 1 inch deep in the bottom
  • In a separate bowl, mix together butter/oil, oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts
  • Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit
  • Microwave on high 1-5 minutes or until fruit is as tender as you like it. Don’t have a microwave? You can also cook this dish in a regular oven: Bake at 375° F for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown
  • Enjoy!

 

You’ll find more recipes and healthy food inspiration on our partner EatFresh’s website

 

 

All Hands On Deck Needed to Fight Hunger

October 12, 2019

Early October is always a thrilling time in the Bay Area, with the Blue Angels flying in perfect formation in clear skies and balmy winds. For us, it’s an exciting time because of the Fleet Week Sailors and Marines taking civic action at our San Francisco warehouse. We greatly appreciate the military members who helped us deploy thousands of lbs. of rice as part of our weekly service to 32,000 San Francisco and Marin households, including many military families.

One of our Fleet Week helpers, Marine Corps Chaplain Andrea Gilkey said her family depended on food assistance when she was a child.

“What inspires me, and what’s exciting to me about this food bank, is that they’re set up like a farmers market. To give people health choices, which we didn’t have. So, I’m thrilled about that,” she said.

KTVU came to visit us, this is their report.

Thank you to all the military member volunteers for joining our squad during Fleet Week.

Food Bank ‘Mini’ Team Favorites: Tomato Recipes for Your Enjoyment

August 27, 2019

The Food Bank ‘Mini’ team lives to figure out-of-the-box ways of delivering fresh, nutritious food to our neighbors in need.  To help celebrate the wonderful fruit offerings as we head into summer, we asked members of our Nutrition Education team to help us out with a few refreshing tomato recipes. They pulled up a few delicious ideas from our friends at EatFresh.org.  Enjoy!

Baby Tomato Bites

INGREDIENTS

12 (4-inch) slices of French bread
¼ cup low-fat mozzarella cheese shredded
5 Tomatoes diced
½ teaspoon Black pepper
8 Basil leaves chopped

PREPARATION

*Preheat oven to 300°F.
*Place thin layer of mozzarella cheese on each slice of bread.
*Toast French bread slices in oven until cheese melts, about 5-8 minutes.
*Mix diced tomatoes with black pepper.
*Place diced tomatoes on top of cheese and garnish with chopped basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Tomato and Garlic Omlette

INGREDIENTS

½ slice Whole wheat bread
½ teaspoon Olive oil
1 Clove of garlic finely chopped
Non-stick cooking spray
¾ cup Egg substitute
2 tablespoons Part-skim Mozzarella cheese grated
1 Large tomato chopped
1 teaspoon Dried basil

PREPARATION

*Preheat oven to 300°F.
*Cut the bread into cubes; toss with oil and garlic in a small bowl. Spread the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown, tossing once or twice. Transfer to a plate to cool.
*Spray a medium pan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Pour in egg substitute.
*When the egg begins to set, spread evenly across the bottom of the pan and reduce the heat to low.
*Once the top layer of egg is almost cooked, sprinkle the cheese and basil on top and scatter the tomatoes and bread over half of the omelet; fold the unfilled omelet half over the filling. Slide the omelet on a plate and serve.

Nutrition Education | Tips To Create Easy, Healthy Meals

August 27, 2019

The kids are back in school, schedules are getting hectic, and chances are your busy weeknights are quickly becoming one of the biggest barriers to healthy eating.  If you find it’s a challenge to whip up a quick weeknight meal, check out these 5 tips great tips, shared by our fabulous Nutrition Education Team!

  • Cook grains in large batches and store for later use. Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat pasta, add healthy bulk to our meals and they are a great source of fiber! 
  • Stock your pantry with canned proteins such as canned fish, canned chicken, canned beans, etc. and add them to meals for a good source of protein. Check out this Whole Wheat Pasta with Diced Tomatoes and Salmon for a healthy meal option. 
  • Roast veggies in batches and store for later use. These add a variety of nutrients to meals in addition to fiber from the vegetables’ skin. Remember, the richer the color of a fruit or veggie, the more nutrients we get from them. Try choosing root veggies such as beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. for nutrient-packed options. 
  • Chop fruits and veggies in advance of dinner time and store them in your freezer. This way you will have choices ready to go when it comes to selecting ingredients to mix into those one-pot dishes, such as omelets, soups, or pastas.

A Letter From Paul | Public Charge Rule

August 13, 2019

News this week that the Trump Administration had decided to finalize the Public Charge Rule has hit our community hard.  This decision essentially forces immigrant families to choose between getting the food they need through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or CalFresh in California) or jeopardizing their chance to remain legally in the U.S.  Many of these people will choose to suffer without food. It’s objectionable that we as a country offer benefits like SNAP only to have our own government discourage hard working, well-meaning people from using them.

This is how the cycle of hunger begins.  A family that is just getting by becomes a family where parents skip meals, so their children have something to eat.  Where children get their best meal of the day at school or at an after-school program (but not today because school isn’t in session for everybody).  When children and parents go undernourished many things happen, but none of them good.  We only need common sense to know that children who come to school hungry cannot learn.  We don’t need more studies to confirm that children and adults who eat “cheap” food (high in carbs, sugar and preservatives) are on their way to diet-related illness like diabetes and hypertension.

What drives our leaders to do this?  Of all the things our country can easily give the world, it’s food.  We are the world’s powerhouse in producing food and to promulgate rules that – with a backhanded stroke – remove meals from a child’s plate is beneath us as a nation.

We know that the first excuse to justify such action will be that people can use “Food Banks” or get help from another charity. The reality is that the benefits from SNAP are so ‘supplemental’ that families who are on the program are likely already attending food banks to get food for the many meals the SNAP program doesn’t cover.  Those who don’t rely on a Food Bank like ours might soon line up to feed themselves and family members.  The system will overload, bend and then break.  Plainly stated, there is no easy substitution for the reliable source of food that the SNAP program provides.

What has transpired in Washington under this administration the past two years is not only unusual, it’s destructive to our communities.  It’s yet another example of a coordinated attempt to erode our entire social safety net, and a plan that I believe will only succeed in creating a poorer and hungrier nation by denying people the assistance they need to lead healthy, productive lives.

Let’s be clear.  Hunger doesn’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat.  Food insecurity doesn’t seek out red states or blue states.  But I do remember a time when both sides of the aisle took this issue very seriously.

As an anti-hunger leader in communities across San Francisco and Marin, we cannot afford to abdicate our responsibility to speak up in opposition to policies that cause direct and catastrophic impacts to our neighbors.  You can join our efforts by asking your Member of Congress to support HR 3222 – No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act.  We become stronger, more compassionate, and more productive communities when our neighbors are able to access the services they need to thrive without fear.

Queen’s Story | Grateful for CalFresh

August 2, 2019

71-year-old Queen shows off her wide, regal smile – befitting her name – as she emerges from the Career Link Center in San Francisco’s Mission District.  She was scheduled for an appointment in this county office recently, to learn more about the new state program giving SSI recipients access to CalFresh benefits for the first time ever.

“Even 25 extra dollars will mean a lot to me,” she says as she looks over her paperwork in anticipation of her appointment.

It’s been a difficult time for this single expat from the tiny western African nation of The Gambia.  She moved to San Francisco more than ten years ago – hoping to make a big splash by opening up her own clothing boutique with authentic items from her homeland.  Shortly after arriving though, Queen had to have major knee surgery, and was also diagnosed with glaucoma around the same time. Both ailments sent her spiraling into a deep depression.  She couldn’t work, and before she knew it, she found herself surviving on less than a thousand dollars every month in SSI benefits.  Access to healthy food was hard to come by, leading to days and weeks when she wasn’t eating much. Queen was starting to really worry about her health.

Life got a little more bearable when Queen found housing at Bethany Center – a housing center for senior citizens in the Mission District.  She quickly enrolled at a nearby Food Bank pantry, healthy eating resumed, and that lead to Queen feeling the difference.  “I wasn’t smiling very much before…and my energy level was very low, but I feel stronger and I think it’s because of all the great food I get at the pantry.”

Now Queen is ready for access to even more food after learning that she’s eligible to receive 50 dollars in CalFresh benefits each month. “I heard I could stretch my dollars even further at the farmers market through the “Market Match” program.” she said.  “Being able to pick up even more healthy fruits and vegetables to make sure I never go hungry again makes me very grateful.”