Carmelo has been at the Food Bank for 13 years, and as our Senior Associate Director of Facilities, he’s helped lead some of our biggest projects. But one thing people might not know? He’s afraid of heights.
So, when it came time for his team to oversee the installation of solar panels on the roofs of our San Francisco and San Rafael warehouses, Carmelo faced his fear — again and again.
“It has been a few years in the making since we started the proposed and now completed solar panel installations at both our San Francisco and San Rafael facilities,” he says. “It’s a major accomplishment that reflects a tremendous team effort — from Operations to our friends in Development responsible for the capital campaign fundraising. It truly takes a village to make something like this happen.”
At the Food Bank, we know that access to healthy nutritious food is deeply connected to the climate crisis. If we want to build a food-secure future, we have to protect the environment we all depend on to grow the fruits, vegetables, and grains that nourish our communities. That’s why making big investments in sustainability is so important for our Food Bank.
“All companies should be doing as much as they can to address the climate crisis,” says Michael Braude, our Chief Financial Officer. “The refrigeration required for our operation uses a tremendous amount of electricity. Being able to produce as much of that as possible on our own helps shrink our carbon footprint.”
And, we’ll be producing a lot: Our San Francisco warehouse solar system is projected to generate approximately 600,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year, reducing our PG&E bill by an estimated 66 %. At our San Rafael facility, we expect to generate about 270,000 kWh annually, with an estimated 90 % savings on electricity costs.
These systems will cover nearly all the electricity we use during the sunniest months of the year, helping us cut costs, reduce emissions, and serve more people with fresh, healthy food. Simply put: every dollar we save on energy costs helps us go further in our mission to end hunger.
And we’re not stopping there. We’ve already streamlined our delivery routes through route optimization technology to use less fuel, and this summer, we’re taking another big step: adding three zero-emission electric trucks to our fleet. Two more are on the way, along with the charging infrastructure to support them.
For Carmelo, who calls himself “a proud Food Banker,” facing his fear of heights was worth it. Reflecting on what’s kept him going all these years: “Of course, it’s our mission to end hunger and the real impact we make in our community. But beyond that, it’s the people,” he continues. “The colleagues I work alongside day in, and day out truly inspire me and keep me motivated. We’re like-minded individuals, united by our commitment to this mission and driven by genuinely kind hearts. That shared purpose and compassion makes all the difference.”
We’re proud to own our energy and to keep moving forward with climate-conscious solutions that support our neighbors, the planet, and our future.
Happy Earth Day!
On April 30, our Policy and Advocacy team gathered in-person with the California Hunger Action Coalition (CHAC) in Sacramento to raise their voices for Hunger Action Day! Hunger Action Day is the single largest anti-hunger advocacy day in California, bringing advocates from across the state to the State Capitol to speak face-to-face with our policymakers.
Reflecting on a jam-packed day of collaboration, Food Bank staff came away feeling energized to continue pushing for impactful, equitable policy.
TNDC’s Tenderloin Chinese Rights Association. 
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As partners reopen, “we’re reaching out to neighbors [currently enrolled in Food Bank-run pantries] to let them know they have a choice to return to their neighborhood pantry,” said Tina Gonzales, Director of Community Partnerships at the Food Bank. “When a pantry reopens, it’s exciting for people who used to go there – that’s their community.” Plus, pantries run by our partners will help us scale back our large Food Bank-run sites (which opened during the pandemic to meet the increased need, and are nearly all at capacity), making them smaller and more manageable. 
Step onto the shop floor at the Pennsylvania Warehouse and you’ll be greeted by racks filled with just about every item under the sun: fresh fruits and vegetables (of course), canned beans and proteins, fresh breads and pastries, eggs, frozen proteins like chicken breasts, and assorted dry, fresh, and frozen grocery items from supermarkets all over San Francisco. 
Henry says that lately, “demand is very high, with a limited supply,” because of inflation and supply chain issues, driving home the need for continued support from our community as we strive to keep our shop floor racks full for our neighbors and partners. 
We met Hui Yu at her neighborhood pantry in the SOMA district, where she volunteers regularly and picks up groceries for her and her husband as well. Prior to retirement, Hui Yu worked in a restaurant kitchen, so she’s no stranger to feeding others. Now, she often cooks meals for friends in her senior living facility who can’t make it out to the pantry. Poultry was at the top of Hui Yu’s list as a holiday main: “
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basis, traditional recipes that comes down from your family. My favorite recipe that was passed down to me is my mother’s okra.” At first thoughtfully pondering what else makes up her usual holiday table, Barbara began quickly listing other favorites: “
neighborhood pantry. He’s a military retiree and a volunteer at his local pantry, where he also picks up groceries for him and his wife. For his family, the holidays are about the joining of different traditions. “I have a traditional turkey dinner, where I usually go up to my sister’s house for Thanksgiving. And then I host a turkey dinner for my wife’s family. My wife’s Chinese, so we tend to do Chinese vegetables, mashed potatoes and cranberries [on the side].”
As Program Manager at the Food Bank, Kim is around good food quite a bit! But nothing quite compares to her family recipe for naw mai fan. “This is my mom’s recipe. She learned how to make this from my grandmother, an immigrant from the 
Sharing is caring! María is a mom, volunteer, and pantry participant in San Rafael. She told us that her family embraces potlucks during the holidays, but also for camping trips and other gatherings throughout the year. 
COVID Pantry Pivots
Every other month, Alex is a steering committee member and also meets with the 
This partnership is crucial. We’re all working in specific areas and in many ways , which can sometimes make us work in a silo. But by broadening and expanding partnerships, as we do in the IRJ Work Group we can do so much more. As a trusted member we can share resources of other organizations, which gives immigrants more ease while they get back on their feet, and that to me is collective impact towards sustainability.
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