Earlier this week the Trump Administration unveiled a proposal to scrap SNAP payments for hungry families and administer “harvest food boxes” instead.  The idea captured a lot of attention and some news coverage for Paul Ash including this story on ABC7 with reporter Carolyn Tyler

President Trump released his budget proposal for 2018 that – if approved – would cut and cripple a number of vital safety-net programs, including SNAP.  Trump’s proposal includes things like:

• Reduce SNAP spending by $213.5 BILLION over 10 years
• Partially replace EBT benefits with a box of food commodities from USDA
• Penalize large families by imposing a cap at 6 people per household
• Eliminate the minimum benefit

The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank was quick to act, submitting a strongly worded statement (Below).

We are deeply troubled by the President’s proposed federal budget released yesterday, which takes direct aim at our country’s most important and effective anti-hunger program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (called CalFresh in California). These proposals to slash funding and dismantle the program would amount to over $200 billion in cuts over 10 years – equivalent to 30% of the program’s budget – through cruel and ill-conceived ideas like partially replacing benefits with boxes of USDA commodities, capping benefits for large households, and eliminating the minimum benefit. We recognize the harmful effect that this negative rhetoric has on our communities and the people we serve, and we continue to remain firmly committed to using our voice to elevate the importance of federal nutrition programs like SNAP for the 4 million Californians who rely on the program to nourish their families.

ABC7 Reporter Carolyn Tyler did a story on Trump’s budget, featuring a soundbite from our Executive Director Paul Ash.  View that story here.

Paul Ash was also heard on KQED Radio, discussing the Trump Budget and it’s negative effect on Food Banks across the nation.  Hear that story here.

If you would like to help the Food Bank through these trying times, consider giving a donation, filling a volunteer shift, or following us on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram.

A national truck driver shortage, combined with new driving rules, has caused a slowdown in Food Bank deliveries.

KPIX 5’s Andria Borba spoke to Food Bank Food Resources Director Barbara Abbott about it.

There is a saying: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” At no other time has that statement been played out so forcefully at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank than over the past 365 days.

It was one year ago when Donald Trump was officially sworn in as this nation’s 45th president. Almost immediately after the new administration took office, along with Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate, this food bank, and many other nonprofits around the nation, started to wonder how safety-net programs like SNAP (CalFresh here in California) would fare.

Read more about the threats being made to safety-net programs and how we’ve responded, in this Op-Ed by Executive Director Paul Ash that appeared in the Marin Independent Journal on January 21st, 2018.

The Food Bank regularly schedules special volunteer shifts on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday to promote a day of service. 

We received some press coverage of that event

ABC7 News 

It has been well documented how Bay Area Food Banks responded, almost immediately, to the devastating wildfires in Sonoma and Napa Counties in October of this year.   The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank not only sent pallets of non perishable food to our partners at the Redwood Empire Food Bank in the days after the fires erupted, but also sent personnel to assist with food distribution in the REFB warehouse, and assisted in press coverage.  It’s part of a mutual aid agreement that basically states that when disaster strikes, the five main Food Banks in the Bay Area will assist in any way they can.

It was this mutual aid agreement that was the impetus for this San Francisco “Season of Sharing” article by reporter Jill Tucker.

In a wide-ranging interview on KEAR Radio, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank spokesman Mark Seelig discussed the organization’s mission, some of the hunger challenges facing the community, and some new programs unveiled by the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank this past year that are designed to alleviate some of those hunger concerns.  Listen to it here.

For more information about the Food Bank and how you can help, visit the website.

Food Bank Board Member, Kathryn Ellman – of Tiburon – greatly expanded the Reed Elementary School food drive program last year because she wanted to educate the community about the reality that one in four people in San Francisco and Marin face the threat of hunger.  Read more about how that effort has blossomed into volunteer shifts in our San Francisco warehouse in this Marin Independent Journal story, written by Reporter Gil Zeimer.

Thanksgiving Day is a special time at the Food Bank, as dozens of volunteers give up part of their holiday to give back.  That was definitely the case this year, as families and individuals gathered in our warehouse to help divide up food for our neighbors in need.  Longtime Chronicle reporter Bob Egelko stopped by the warehouse to check it out.  He filed this story the day after Thanksgiving, 11-24-17.

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank Executive Director Paul Ash was, once again, invited on to the Chip Franklin Show on KGO Radio the day before Thanksgiving. Paul spoke about the great need in the community in general, and certainly during the holiday season. He also spoke about how that need doesn’t end after Thanksgiving, or on December 26th. The Food Bank raises about half of it’s operating budget during November and December, to keep vital food safety-net programs going year round. Take a listen to Paul’s interview with Chip.  If you come out feeling inspired, consider a donation to the Food Bank today.