COVID-19 changed everything overnight. We sheltered in place, Face Timed family instead of visiting, and did our best to feel centered in the midst of so much uncertainty and fear. Businesses were closing, jobs were disappearing — but people still needed food. For those of us working at the Food Bank, the pandemic was a time to step up. We adapted quickly, met every curveball, and answered the call to help our neighbors. To recognize that journey, the Food Bank hosted a COVID Recognition Event on March 25. It was a much-needed moment to reflect on the past five years and honor everyone who showed up during such a challenging time, from staff and volunteers to board members.
During the event, we posed the following questions: “what accomplishment are you most proud of from COVID” and “what does it mean to be here today?”
“Innovation is in the Food Bank’s DNA”
When the pandemic hit, Food Bankers didn’t have all the answers, but we knew what was at stake and were determined to figure it out. We acknowledged our fears, put them on the shelf and collectively figured out ways to respond by scaling our services to distribute food to nearly double the number of households we were serving before. To meet this historic need, we worked together with the community to create outdoor Pop-Up pantries.
“I’m so proud for many reasons. Including the fact that we operated 28 Pop-up Pantries at the height of the pandemic, relying on the ingenuity and collaboration of our staff to meet the massive need,” said Executive Director Tanis Crosby. They were supposed to operate for just a few weeks but have lasted five years.”
Trenell Greer is a Lead Order Builder. He makes sure food orders that go out to community partners are correct, filled with nutritious, high-quality food, and are delivered on time. He echoed Christian’s sentiments. “The accomplishment I’m proudest of is that we kept pushing food out, no matter what, we kept going. It made me feel good every night knowing we were still getting good food out to the community.”
“Getting together to be together”
A moving slide show brought tears to the eyes of many Food Bankers. Candid interviews, telling stories, and honest contemplations brought everyone back to March of 2020.
Tiffany Wei, chairperson for the Food Bank’s Young Professionals Council, is grateful to be a part of it. “I think it’s amazing to see everyone come together at this time. Especially since COVID was such a huge undertaking for the Food Bank. Seeing all these faces, I think it’s incredible to see so many people with the same drive and passion here today.”
Food Bank Major Gifts Coordinator, Angela Lan first joined as a volunteer before joining the staff two months later as a member of the Pop-Up Pantry (known as PUPs) team. She saw firsthand how COVID-19 affected participants, and how PUPs became a vital lifeline for many neighbors. At a time when many pantries were closing due to health and safety concerns, PUPs provided nourishing food to people who needed it.“ I feel so proud to work for the Food Bank” Angela said, “and to continue to serve our communities in Marin and San Francisco.”
Though we were commemorating the last five years, on this day, at this event, being together meant everything
“We all care. We’re here because we’re part of something bigger,” said Senior Program Manager, Shirley Chen. “We care about the people we work with and those we support in the community. For me, to be a part of this, is really heartwarming.”
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