Category: Food Bank Life

Responding to Hurricane Harvey

September 6, 2017

Food Bankers know that our primary task – today and every day – is to help hungry people get enough to eat.  Most of the time, we focus on neighbors close by – people living in our city, county or region. But during times of disaster – like Hurricane Harvey – making nutritious food available to all who need it crosses county lines and even state lines.

As Hurricane Harvey pounded southeast Texas, we at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank were eager to help. With flood waters receding, thousands of people who lost their homes and most of their belongings are now in need of food.

The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is responding by sending both food and staff to Texas. As a member of Feeding America, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is part of a national network that provides assistance to food banks impacted by natural disasters.

Food Bank Staff Head to Houston

Associate Director of Operations Geno Geerlof departed yesterday, and Director of Food Sourcing and Allocation Barbara Abbott will head to Texas on Sunday. They will assist the Houston Food Bank with the massive food sourcing and distribution efforts now underway, helping provide food and water to thousands of people impacted by the storm and its aftermath.

The response from the community has been overwhelming – the Houston Food Bank is receiving as many as 120 truckloads of food every day.  They are operating 24/7 to receive donations and get them out into the community as quickly as possible.

Barbara is excited and ready for the challenge. “I imagine I’ll be looking at very long hours, and no days off while I’m in Houston, but I’m ready to help in any way I can,” she said.

40,000 lbs. of Food and Water 

In addition to sending personnel, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is also gathering food and water for relief efforts. We have teamed up with two other Bay Area food banks (Alameda County Community Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank in Santa Clara) to provide foods requested by the Houston Food Bank.  This week, we will ship more than 40,000 lbs. of peanut butter, granola bars, bottled water, crackers, canned meats and veggies, instant oatmeal, and other ready-to-eat foods.

Want to help Hurricane Harvey survivors and food banks in Texas?  At this point in the disaster, monetary donations are the most effective way to provide support. Make a donation now at FeedingTexas.org.

Check out recent media coverage about our efforts to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey:

Food Banker Spotlight | Mike Perry

August 4, 2017

What is your role at the Food Bank?

I’m the Operations Manager in our warehouse in Marin.  A typical day there starts with a meeting with my team, in which we go over all of our scheduling and special deliveries.  I then set up, and open the shop floor to our partners. This is one of my favorite things to do, as I’m moving food items around to make it easier for our partner agencies to pick out the food they need.  It’s also my responsibility to make sure the shop floor coolers and freezers are fully stocked and at the proper temperature.  Then it’s all about managing the Marin operation, including welcoming in the many people who come to volunteer every weekday.

What’s your favorite thing about working at the Food Bank?

I would have to say it is all the amazing and talented people that I’ve encountered within the organization as well as the community. As the youngest of 3 children raised by a single mother on a fixed income, it was the norm for us to wait in line for a bag of food at our local church. My mother would accept this kindness, bring it home, and make magic with it in the kitchen. We didn’t have a lot of the finer things in life, but we always had enough; and each other. I never forgot about all the nice people handing out the food, or the smiles on the faces of those receiving it. Those types of fond memories make me the Food Banker that I am today.

Have you been personally impacted by your experience at the Food Bank?

My first 7 years with the SF – Marin Food Bank, I was a route driver, delivering food to our partner pantries, and meeting the people that we serve and hearing their stories.  I can honestly say that those encounters have made a lasting impression on me, and inspire me to work harder to better serve the people in need.

What motivates you to do what you do?

Passion and purpose. Being a member of a successful team. Having a career that is meaningful, rewarding and exciting, and at the same time creative.

What’s something people might not know about you?

I’m a fourth generation San Franciscan. My great grandmother, Sarah, was born in the city in 1889

Tell us your best joke.

How do you make a handkerchief dance? You put a lil boogie in it!  ;^)

Food Banker Spotlight | Chelsea Forbes-Terry

June 5, 2017

Meet Chelsea Forbes-Terry, Volunteer Services Coordinator

What does a typical day at the Food Bank look like for you?

My day starts out with finding out the incoming volunteer projects for the day and reviewing the needs of our Operations team. At 9am I’m greeted with our first volunteer group of the day and then one-two more volunteer groups spread throughout the workday. I get the honor of leading all of our volunteers through the warehouse and telling the story and history of our Food Bank and our Volunteer Program. I get to spend the rest of my day coordinating with groups and individuals interested in coming to volunteer and helping to ensure everyone has an amazing experience.

What’s your favorite thing about working at the Food Bank?

My favorite thing about working at the Food Bank is all the wonderful and interesting people I get to meet every day who are just as passionate and concerned about the growing population of those struggling with hunger as we are. When I’m not surrounded by people from outside the Food Bank, I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by the people who work inside the Food Bank and who are amongst the most hardworking and dedicated people I have ever met.

Have you been personally impacted by your experience at the Food Bank?

All the time! I can be out and about in the city wearing my Food Bank gear and almost always someone will come up to me and comment on the great experience they had volunteering here with their family or company, or just by themselves. Seeing people in the community excited about helping others is the foundation of who I am and why I love working in Volunteer Services here at the Food Bank.

What motivates you to do what you do?

It’s not the what – it’s the who! Volunteers motivate me every day because their commitment to ending the fight against hunger is what keeps our operations moving. Each day I am able to remind myself through introducing volunteers to San Francisco-Marin Food Bank of what we do, how we do it, and why it’s so important. To me volunteerism means doing good things for good people, and the fact that over 40,000 people a year give up time from their busy lives to create a positive impact for all in our community is the ultimate form of motivation.

What’s something people might not know about you?

I’m an obsessive NFL fan and an amateur chef who geeks out every time I step foot in Sur La Table.

Tell us your best joke.

What lives in apples and is an avid reader? A bookworm

For more on Chelsea’s work, visit the Volunteer home page here.

 

Food Banker Spotlight | Henry Randolph

March 31, 2017

Meet Henry, Shop Floor Manager

What does a typical day at the Food Bank look like to you?

I start work at 5:30am every weekday morning on the shop floor, which is a separate part of the warehouse where dozens of nonprofit agencies are able to visit and pick up weekly groceries. These account holders include local churches, homeless shelters and community centers that help feed neighbors in need.  My first order of business is to start restocking the shopping floor shelves.  I’m also building orders for after-school programs.  At 8am, the Shop Floor opens and agency representatives start to arrive.  I assist the shoppers with their needs and do whatever else is asked throughout the warehouse to get food out to the community.

What’s your favorite thing about working at the Food Bank?

It gives me the opportunity to work with so many great people in the community and throughout the organization who all share the same common goal and moral obligation to help improve the quality of life of those in need.

Have you been personally impacted by your experience at the Food Bank?

Yes. Working here is like a dream come true. As a young boy growing up in SF in the 60’s and 70’s I saw the struggles and heartaches that individuals and families faced in the communities that I lived in.  I made a commitment to myself at an early age to give a hand to those who are less fortunate. Working here at the Food Bank for the past 20 years has helped me to fulfill one of my life goals.

What motivates you to do what you do?

I love providing services to people in need, it’s a great feeling and very rewarding. I truly care about the communities of San Francisco, a city I love dearly.

What’s something people might not know about you?

I was an All-City and All-State high school basketball player, as well as an All American JUCO player. One year I lead the state in rebounds.  I was also nominated to tryout for the 1976 Men’s Olympic Basketball team.

Tell us your best joke.

Knock! Knock? Who’s there? Handoff. Handoff who?  Handoff to Randolph!!!

UPDATE:

The Food Bank is proud to announce the Henry was recently chosen as a Walmart Community Playmaker for good deeds carried out in the community. Henry was handed the award, and honored before thousands of fans at a recent Golden State Warriors game.  Way to go Henry!

 

 

Everyday Heroes at the Food Bank

January 13, 2017

Story and photographs by Marilyn Englander, Food Bank volunteer and founding head of REAL School Marin

Joe, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank Community Engagement Coordinator, fondly calls them “The Sustainers.” He explained to me how a loyal group of volunteers faithfully shows up every week to help in the warehouse.

There is the Monday gang, and the Tuesday gang, Wednesday and Thursday groups. But many Mondays are also Tuesdays, and some come all four days. Their volunteer efforts equal the work of more than two full-time paid employees. Without them, the Food Bank could never get so much food out to the neighborhood pantries for neighbors in need.

Andy drives all the way from Vallejo, and Kevin takes a 30-minute bus ride from Mill Valley, then walks two miles on foot. Sandy always brings mouth-watering cookies to share during the morning break. They secretly plot birthday celebrations for fellow volunteers, everyone joining in to serenade as the honoree blushes. Starting out strangers, slowly they have become the backbone of the Novato operation, and also a community to each other.

I had decided to volunteer on a whim, choosing a slot open on the Food Bank website calendar. I assumed everyone did the same: once in a blue moon, we’d consider giving our time. The first day I turned up, I had no idea I was sorting, packing and stacking food alongside real experts. But I certainly admired Bryan’s skill as he rapidly assembled and taped boxes. Betty had mastered sorting slippery packages of frozen meat, and Peggy tirelessly leaned over and over again into a deep bin to retrieve heavy cans of beans. Mary had the wash-and-sanitize station under strict control. Jacky was there five days a week running the “shopping” area where small nonprofits come to choose supplies for their pantries.

The Sustainers exude enthusiasm and drive as they tackle each three-hour shift. You would imagine they were competing in an Olympic challenge, they show such focus and efficiency. They chat a little, but mostly it is a joyful frenzy: bag 300 pounds of pasta before noon, label 1200 jars of instant coffee — and get those labels on straight! One time we dug through 20 bushels of green peppers in 30 minutes, checking for blemishes before boxing them up for the pantries. It’s grunt work, but with the Sustainers in the lead, it’s as if we’re kids playing in a sandbox. And they do it day after day, week after week — heroes guaranteeing everyone gets to eat.

Feeling inspired?  Learn more about volunteering and sign up > sfmfoodbank.org/volunteer.

Joe’s Story | Dedication and Spirit

January 5, 2017

From the first meeting, you know Joe has a background in performing comedy. Funny, quick with jokes and full of antics, his energy is upbeat and infectious. He emanates positivity.

So it is a big surprise to hear his story — the tough times he endured before he started to work at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, where he manages volunteers as well as food donations at the Novato warehouse.

Two decades ago, Joe was immersed in a successful career in computers, doing tech support and later testing sophisticated accounting software. Then, one day, the industry shifted, and Joe’s position was outsourced overseas. His career of 17 years came to a screeching halt.

Undaunted, Joe set out to find other work, first in his industry and later relying on the ingenuity every actor must have in his arsenal. But restaurants wouldn’t hire someone who didn’t speak Spanish, and service stations no longer employed folks at the pumps. It was 2008. The recession had just hit. Every job opening big or small was swamped with 100 applicants.

Things got rough for Joe and his wife. Every day he scanned Craigslist for jobs. Even with his wife’s salary as a registered nurse, expenses began to pressure them. Plunging from full-time employment to joblessness was a huge blow.

The demoralizing hunt for work crawled on for a year and a half, and the Food Bank became a lifeline. Never had Joe imagined how grateful he would be for the simple gift of walking into a pantry and being greeted with warmth as he filled a bag with groceries. So, before long, he too began volunteering at the Food Bank — to give back while he continued to look for work.

In a stroke of luck, a position in the Novato warehouse opened up. Joe jumped at the chance. At age 57, Joe had to learn a lot of new skills. There he was, a confirmed vegetarian, sorting donations of frozen meat every day! But he felt motivated by the contribution he was making, and thankful to be earning a living again.

Seven years later, Joe has moved up to be Food Bank Community Engagement Coordinator, and clearly loves his work. He makes volunteers howl with laughter as he plays air guitar or clowns around in his hair net. He inspires them with his dedication and spirit.

Story and photographs by Marilyn Englander, Food Bank volunteer and founding head of REAL School Marin

Rich’s Story | “I personally know what it means to go hungry”

December 8, 2016

Food Bank staffer Rich Faafiu is our Lead Order Builder. This is his story. 

“People call me “Mr. Holidays” in the Food Bank warehouse. I supervise the massive operation of gathering, assembling, and sending out all of our food to our pantries. And during the holidays when things get really busy, I kick it into high gear.

I personally know what it means to go hungry, especially this time of year. When I was growing up in the projects in San Francisco, I often skipped meals because we didn’t have enough money.

My brothers and sisters and I had a single mom who worked several jobs, so we had to take care of ourselves. By the time I was nine, I was cooking for my siblings. I always fed everyone else first, so sometimes I went without. But my friends’ parents always gave me something to eat or a few dollars to help out.

Now I get to give back through my role at the Food Bank. So when I’m putting together those holiday pantry orders, it’s not just my job. I’m giving from the heart.

In that same spirit, I hope you give from your heart too.”

Day in the Life of Our Delivery Trucks

December 6, 2016

It’s 5 am, and the roll-up door closes with a metal clunk. Secured inside the truck’s cargo hold are dozens of pallets of food, ready to be delivered to pantry sites throughout the city.

Food Bank driver and lead dispatcher Marc Zaminsky checks the log one last time and fires up the truck. He pulls out of the Food Bank’s driveway onto the quiet streets of San Francisco.

His first stop is Marshall Elementary School, located in the Mission District. He pulls up to the curb, then uses the truck’s lift to lower the pallets of food to street level. Marc then wheels the food inside.

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Today’s delivery features cantaloupe, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, rice, raisins, boxes of cereal, oranges, potatoes, carrots, apples and eggs. Volunteers take care to display the fresh produce and other products so they are ready when families arrive to select their groceries for the week.

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Next up is a Single Room Occupancy hotel a few blocks away. The pantry coordinator is waiting by the door. She walks to the curb to greet Marc. The hallway is too narrow for the pallet jack so the pantry volunteers pitch in to help carry the boxes inside. The pantry will open in 30 minutes, so the volunteers quickly unload the boxes and set up the pantry tables.pantrynetwork-header

Afterward, three more stops are made, at a community center, a church, and a middle school, until finally, the cargo bay is empty. Marc checks off his log and heads back to the Food Bank.

Back at the Food Bank, Marc pulls into a loading bay, and the work begins again. The truck is loaded with pallets of food. The heaviest items, like potatoes and melons, layer the bottom of the pallet. Lighter, crushable items like cereal and eggs go on top.

Once the truck is loaded, Marc checks in at the dispatch room for any last minute changes. Then, he heads back into the city to bring more food to the people who need it.

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“This is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. When you arrive at the pantries, people are smiling and happy to see you. There’s joy because you’re bringing them relief, you’re bringing them food,” says Marc Zaminsky. 

Edith’s story | “How brave my mother was”

November 21, 2016

Food Bank staff member Edith collaborates with our pantry partners across San Francisco and Marin. This is her story.

“When I was growing up, my mother would take us to the food pantry. I was so embarrassed that my friends might see us and find out we didn’t have a lot of money.

As I got older and went to college, sometimes I couldn’t afford to eat, and I’d wait for the day I could go to the food pantry. What I realized as an adult was how brave my mother was. But I also came to appreciate the pantry volunteers who were always smiling, making me feel welcome, and creating a sense of community.

I knew that I wanted to give back and be a part of something that helped so many people. So I got a job at my local food Bank, and later came to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. In fact, I just celebrated my one-year work anniversary!

As someone who’s been hungry and stood in line at a Food Bank pantry and someone who now works for the Food Bank, I know the incredible impact people like you have on so many lives. The holidays are especially hard for those struggling with hunger. Together, let’s make everyone’s Thanksgiving special.”

Feeling inspired? Make a donation now to help us provide fresh, healthy food for neighbors throughout this holiday season.