Tag: calfresh

A Fuller Cart for California’s College Students

October 9, 2026

On October 8, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank to mark one of the biggest CalFresh wins in the Food Bank’s history.  

As of June 1, 2026, nearly 350,000 college students at every public community college, California State University, and University of California campus are newly eligible for CalFresh. 

“We can’t expect students to learn if they’re hungry, and in California, there is no reason for them to be, whether they’re in kindergarten, high school, or college,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get the food benefits you’re entitled to, and now you don’t have to.” 

One less hoop 

The Food Bank championed the advocacy that made it happen, unlocking over $400 million in new annual CalFresh benefits for students. 

For years, students had to clear extra hurdles to qualify for CalFresh that no one else faced, including working at least 20 hours a week. Now, associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs at California’s public colleges and universities count as job-readiness programs, which means financially eligible students enrolled at least half-time can begin qualifying simply by being enrolled. They still have to meet the same income and immigration rules as everyone else.  

“It means that there’s one less hoop for undergrad students to jump through,” said Adrian Tsang, the Food Bank’s Bilingual CalFresh Outreach Supervisor. For a student, CalFresh can mean up to $306 a month for groceries, money that frees up a tight budget for rent, books, and everything else. 

Why it matters 

Students aren’t who most people picture when they think about hunger. Horace Montgomery, a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank board member who helped found Gator Groceries, the student food program at San Francisco State University, has seen who actually turns up.  

“There are athletes, there were folks that lived in housing, there were people who we thought were taking care of,” he said. “They end up being our biggest customers.” 

The Food Bank has spent years working to close that gap, because ending hunger means changing the systems causing it. 

“No student should have to be hungry to earn a degree, and the students most impacted are communities of color,” said Tanis Crosby, Executive Director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. “That’s a policy choice, and thanks to the Governor and the Breakthrough Project, it’s changing. Thousands of California students can now access CalFresh, so they can focus on their degree instead of their next meal.” 

Eligible isn’t the same as having food on the table 

Being newly eligible for benefits is not the same as having food on the table. That’s why the state has also launched Full Cart, a statewide outreach campaign to let students know about CalFresh and encourage them to apply now. The Food Bank is doing its part with a new CalFresh Ambassador Program, which trains students and community members to guide their peers through the application, in their own languages and from their own experience. Our CalFresh Outreach team plans to partner with City College of San Francisco, College of Marin, and San Francisco State University to recruit, train, and support student leaders. 

Elsy, a San Francisco State student, worked two jobs to make ends meet while in school and leaned on CalFresh to put food on the table.  

“It was just such a comfort to know that I could afford groceries, and healthy groceries like that,” she said at the Governor’s roundtable. “It felt humanizing to be able to walk into the grocery store and just be able to buy normal things like kale without thinking about if it’s going to break my budget.” 

She knows what this change will mean for the students coming up behind her.  

“I’ve had friends who are struggling financially but couldn’t qualify for CalFresh because of their student jobs on campus, where they were scheduled just under 20 hours [the old work requirement for CalFresh eligibility],” she said. “I know this is going to be such a relief, not just for them, but for incoming generations of college students.” 

Food is one less thing a student should have to worry about, and for hundreds of thousands of them, it no longer has to be. If you think you might qualify, your campus Basic Needs Center or the Food Bank’s CalFresh team can help you apply, or you can start at BenefitsCal.com. 

The Narrow Door: 15 Years of Expanding Access to CalFresh

September 17, 2026

Liliana Sandoval, Senior Associate Director of Programs Outreach

Opening the Narrow Door

“Students used to have a big block [to accessing SNAP/CalFresh benefits],” explains Liliana Sandoval, Senior Associate Director of Programs Outreach. “They were ineligible unless they could fit through this very narrow door, a long list of extra requirements. This policy change opens the door. They still have to meet the income and immigration rules like everyone else, but they don’t have the extra barriers anymore.” 

This year, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank blew that door wide open. We led advocacy efforts that made it dramatically easier for nearly 350,000 income-eligible students at every public college and university in California to qualify for CalFresh. 

The impact of this change meets the immediacy of the moment. As of June 1, any student pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree at a public California community college, CSU, or UC no longer has to meet the burdensome employability requirements that used to shut so many out. They still have to meet the regular income and immigration rules, but the extra barrier is gone. For a student, CalFresh can mean they receive between $23 and $292 a month for groceries, money that frees up a tight budget for rent, books, and everything else. 

This has been one of the biggest CalFresh wins in the Food Bank’s history, and one of the biggest anti-hunger wins in California this year. But it didn’t start with this policy fight. The Food Bank’s CalFresh work started 15 years ago, with one caseworker, a small grant, and a lot of neighbors who needed help getting food.

The Food Banker Who Built It 

In 2010, what Liliana was doing wasn’t even called CalFresh outreach. It was “benefits outreach,” and the Food Bank hired a single staffer to help neighbors sign up for what everyone still called food stamps. Liliana took over that role less than a year after the program started. She’s still here, and the program she built from scratch now spans two counties in the fourth largest economy in the world. 

There was no playbook when Liliana started. We were still the San Francisco Food Bank (before the Marin merger), and the department was hers to define. She sat down with the county’s food stamps director to learn where neighbors were falling through, then went out into the community to ask people, directly, why they weren’t applying. 

Liliana’s caseworker predecessor left her with one rule that still guides the team today: never make anything up. If you don’t know, say so, and go find out. When the rules keep changing and misinformation spreads fast, people need a place they can trust for clear, accurate information about the help available to them, in their own language and without judgment 

The Not-So-Simple evolution From Food Stamps to SNAP to CalFresh 

The program’s name changed twice in quick succession: federally to SNAP around 2011, then to CalFresh in California soon after. But the name was never the real barrier. The rules were. 

In the beginning, Liliana spent weeks at a time at school food pantries, staying long enough that families came to trust her with their income, their housing, their Social Security numbers. She met older adults and people with disabilities who were turned away because receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) made them ineligible then, a rule that wouldn’t change for years. In those days, people were even fingerprinted just to get help buying groceries. 

Closing the gap between who qualifies and who actually gets help has been the root of this work ever since. 

Two Fights At Once 

Signing neighbors up to receive benefits was always just half the work. The other half was changing the rules that kept neighbors from accessing the support in the first place. The Food Bank’s CalFresh advocacy runs on two tracks: defending SNAP, known locally as CalFresh, from cuts and harsh work requirements, and expanding access here at home. We co-sponsored AB 518, which pushes the state to find and enroll eligible neighbors, and AB 2033, which put an EBT retailer on every California college campus. 

Students Matter 

Even after a decade of advocacy, one group kept slipping through the sign-up process: college students. Enrollment stayed low, because students faced extra hurdles no one else did. Even when they qualified on income, federal rules shut most of them out unless they could clear a narrow set of exemptions, like working at least 20 hours a week, qualifying for work-study, caring for a young child, or receiving cash aid. 

That gap between benefits and accessing them had real consequences for students. Research out of UCLA and other campuses found that huge numbers of students at public universities were going hungry, and some were experiencing homelessness. That evidence helped push Gov. Gavin Newsom to fund basic needs initiatives across California’s public college systems. The student rules loosened over the years. And this year, they finally broke open. 

But being newly eligible for benefits isn’t the same as immediately having food on the table. 

Adrian Tsang, the Food Bank’s Bilingual CalFresh Outreach Supervisor, spent the last two years informing the greater community about accessing benefits. He’s now turned his focus to students. Adrian’s team is building a volunteer peer-outreach effort modeled on earlier work in Marin, where students help other students find and finish an application many don’t know they can complete. The goal is to meet students where they are, whether that’s help from the Food Bank or a warm handoff to their campus basic needs center. 

For Adrian, the work has come full circle. 

“Some of these students are in a position where what they do in school could be a pathway to financial stability, not just for them, but for their whole family. Being able to help with that, by making the path to CalFresh easier, is rewarding in its own way.” 

Looking Ahead, Remembering Where We Came From 

The fight to end hunger and increasing access to benefits is far from over. The Farm Bill is still moving through Congress, and the painful cuts under H.R. 1 are still rolling out. More than 121,000 neighbors in San Francisco and Marin rely on CalFresh, and 19,000 of them are at risk of losing it. In both counties, it now takes more than four full-time minimum-wage jobs to cover a family’s basic needs. Families are already stretched to cover rent, groceries, and everything else, and losing that support can be the difference between getting by and an impossible choice between food and another basic need. 

But 15 years of showing up, one policy fight and one student at a time, is why a door that once barely opened now stands wide open for the people who need to get through it. 

If you’re a student, whether you’re sure you qualify, think you might, or aren’t sure, our CalFresh team is here to help. And if you know a student who could use it, share this with them. It starts with one conversation, and our team members like Liliana or Adrian will walk you through the rest — just like we always have. 

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank Statement on the Passing of the Big Beautiful Bill Act

July 3, 2025

SNAP is a proven, effective program that reduces hunger and poverty, and sparks local economic development.  The passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” guts SNAP and reverses decades of progress to address hunger in the US.  

This outcome is truly anguishing. Hunger is a policy choice, and there is no justification for the widespread pain that will be inflicted on millions of families with children and seniors who will struggle to put food on their tables as a result of these cruel choices guided by the politics of avarice.  

Food is a human right, and we remain committed to providing healthy food to our community and advocating policies that align with our mission — eliminating hunger and its root causes. Our Food Bank is collaborating with Feeding America, the California Association of Food Banks, and local, state, and federal leaders to monitor developments on other food security programs related to the farm bill and federal commodities funding. We will continue to advocate for the protection of critical food security programs and work to address these consequences. 

While this is a truly disappointing day, we are grateful for the ongoing support from those in our community who raised their voices to oppose these regressive measures. We are resilient and unapologetic in ensuring people have access to healthy food. We will never back away from our mission to end hunger and pursue our vision where everyone has access to nutritious food of their choosing and is uplifted by a network of support.    

 

In solidarity,  

Tanis Crosby, Executive Director 

Bay Area Food Banks Unite to Reject Proposed SNAP Cuts

June 18, 2025

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank Executive Director Tanis Crosby gathered with leaders of four other Bay Area food banks for a press conference to draw attention to the proposed federal budget bill that would slash an unprecedented $211 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — the largest cut to food assistance in U.S. history.

Feeding America estimates that, nationally, up to 9.5 billion meals a year would be lost if SNAP is cut. In California, the estimated number of annual meals lost is 1.1 billion.

“SNAP is the single most effective anti-poverty tool that we have in this country. And it worked in the pandemic. It was used as a tool to fight poverty and hunger, and SNAP benefits combined with other policies meant that in the pandemic, child poverty in this country was cut in half. It was cut in half,” Tanis observed at the podium. “So we’re raising the alarm because we know what’s at stake and we also know what kind of difference policies can make.”

A California Budget & Policy Center data tracker tool, shared by the California Association of Food Banks, looks at congressional districts with households — including those with children and seniors — that are at risk of losing some amount of SNAP/CalFresh benefits due to new and onerous work requirements. In her remarks, Tanis referenced it, noting that around 175,000 people in the congressional districts linked to the greater Bay Area could lose SNAP benefits.

“To give you a real scenario of that impact, if you added up all of the SNAP recipients at risk of losing some benefits — you could fill every major stadium in the area, from Levi Stadium to Oakland Arena, to Oracle Park and the Chase Center,” said Tanis.

Hosted at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, the June 17. 2025 press event was a show of unity by the five food bank leaders who together spoke in one voice in opposition to cuts to SNAP — known in California as CalFresh. Speakers included Leslie Bacho, CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley; Allison Goodwin, president and CEO of Redwood Empire Food Bank; Caitlin Sly, president and CEO of Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and Regi Young, executive director of Alameda County Community Food Bank.

Leslie Bacho observed that SNAP is a lifeline, helping more than 40 million Americans put food on the table, including tens of thousands of people right here in the Bay Area—one of the wealthiest regions in the country but also home to some of the widest income gaps in the nation.

Caitlin Sly spoke on how low-income individuals are already stretched thin by rising food and gas prices, and now their essential lifelines, like SNAP, are being targeted by government cuts.

Allison Goodwin highlighted the impact of SNAP cuts on the local economy, noting that every $1 in SNAP generates up to $1.80 in economic activity, making it one of the most effective ways to boost local economies—especially in underserved and rural areas.

Regi Young urged those in Congress not to actively dismantle a program that has successfully served those struggling to feed their families and called on the public to protest these cuts, as they are not inevitable—they are a policy choice.

The collective message to those listening was to Take Action: Like the other participating food banks, the San Francisco Marin Food Bank urges all our supporters to sign our petition: Reject SNAP cuts and protect SNAP and other critical food security programs. We must strengthen, not cut, critical food benefits for households facing hunger.

Caring about CalFresh

April 4, 2025

At the Food Bank, we know ending hunger means disrupting its root causes, which include poverty and housing instability. Real change is impossible if we don’t tackle these issues together — a belief that was front and center at the Episcopal Community Services’ (ECS) inaugural Housing Symposium in February, where San Francisco’s leading hunger and homelessness advocates gathered to discuss solutions. 

Noriko Lim Tepper, chief officer for the Food Bank’s Strategic Partnerships, Advocacy & Voice department moderated a panel discussion on improving food security through CalFresh.  

“The symposium is gathering community and government leaders to strategize ways we can develop inclusive policies and give more people the opportunity to access social services like CalFresh and other benefits,” she said. 

Noriko was joined by Rohit Naimpally, senior director of Impact at Tipping Point Community, and Troy Brunet, a member of the Food Bank’s Food Policy Action Coalition (PAC). Each panelist brought a unique perspective on how CalFresh serves as a critical tool in the fight against poverty. 

The Impact of CalFresh 

Rohit shared Tipping Point’s research on the significance of CalFresh’s impact on hunger and poverty and details from its latest report on the issue. One key takeaway was that, when comparing multiple social safety net programs, CalFresh played the largest poverty fighting role statewide. 

CalFresh — known nationally as SNAP and formerly as ‘food stamps’ — is a cornerstone of our food safety net in California. CalFresh alone kept over 100,000 Bay Area residents from dipping below the poverty line, according to Tipping Point’s findings. Additionally, the report noted that, compared to the five most populous states in the U.S., California has the lowest percentage — at 55% — of eligible people accessing CalFresh. And, while San Francisco has the highest eligible enrollment rate in the Bay Area at 81.5%, Tipping Point’s findings showed most of the Bay Area averaged below the state at 52%. Marin’s rates weren’t included in the findings, but the county does slightly better at 58.9%, according to 2021 data from the California Department of Social Services. 

Because CalFresh is recognized for its effectiveness in addressing a root cause of hunger — poverty — increasing greater access to the program is a priority for the Food Bank. It’s why we helped pass AB518, a bill requiring California to identify people eligible but unenrolled in CalFresh and to find ways to enroll them. 

Speaking from lived experience with food insecurity and as a CalFresh recipient, Troy weighed in on why he thinks the number of CalFresh users isn’t higher. “People don’t know that they qualify and that it’s there for them,” he said.  

Troy also spoke about the enrollment process, which can be a barrier.  

“The applications are kind of long and drawn out,” he said, “and some people don’t want to fill all of that out or even have the energy to do it.”  

As a member of the Food PAC, Troy and 12 other people who have also experienced food insecurity help the Food Bank advocate for just, equitable public policies that address the root causes of hunger and strengthen the social safety net. For Troy, CalFresh especially matters.  

“CalFresh to me is very important,” said Troy. “I’m HIV positive, so I deal with a lot of health issues. Having quality, good food to eat is a big help for my health. I’ve also found a lot of seniors don’t get the access they need, and they do need to be able to eat and have quality food.” 

A Call to Action 

Looking ahead, the panel members and others at the symposium expressed concern about our vulnerable social safety net — especially CalFresh, which is at risk of federal funding cuts.  

“We just think that more needs to be done in terms of bringing attention to this issue,” said Beth Stokes, executive director of ECS.  

A Food Bank community partner, ECS focuses on the needs of the unhoused, and “food is a very, very basic need,” she continued. “For folks that are in supportive housing to be able to have easier access to hot meals, it’s quite a challenge. We do have access to the Food Bank, but we also have over two thousand units of supportive housing in the city. That means a lot of people need food.” 

A clear takeaway from the gathering was the importance of collective advocacy to ensure CalFresh remains intact. 

 “CalFresh benefits are critical for our community,” Noriko said. “It’s the first access point that people have in receiving healthy, fresh foods. People being able to access those benefits are vitally important for them to then participate and be healthy enough to just survive but be a part of a thriving economy.”  

Hunger Action Day 2024

May 16, 2024

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. 

Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy Marchon, Community Organizer Alex, and Community Builder Jesus all traveled to Sacramento to represent the Food Bank. After an energetic pep rally outside of the Capitol, where we saw neighbors from partner organizations like Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) representing their communities, advocates got down to business.  

Key Demands 

This year, we lobbied in coalition for some key funding requests:

  • Increased CalFresh benefits for Californians 
  • Continued funding for Market Match, which gives CalFresh recipients $10-$15 extra dollars at farmer’s markets 
  • $60 million for food banks to purchase California-grown produce and pantry staples 
  • Increasing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to keep pace with the cost of living 
  • …and many others! 

Together other CHAC members, Marchon, Alex and Jesus shared directly with our elected officials how dwindling government support is affecting our neighbors already struggling with the high cost of living in the Bay Area and stretching food bank resources thin – emphasizing the need to double down on and invest in proven anti-hunger solutions like CalFresh.  

Staff Takeaways  

Reflecting on a jam-packed day of collaboration, Food Bank staff came away feeling energized to continue pushing for impactful, equitable policy. 

On being able to build community with other advocates, Jesus shared: “We’re able to see how interconnected all our efforts are and advocate for CalFresh, Food for All and increased funding for food banks. All of our collective efforts have an impact on our communities.” 

“It was amazing to hear everyone’s stories, and the way that they are affected and connected to the policies,” Alex added, speaking to neighbors who showed up to drive home the personal aspect of these policy and funding asks. “I hope that people feel empowered to vote positively for these measures, and that legislators are empowered by our stories.” 

One such neighbor was Ms. Liu, who showed up to advocate for fully funding Market Match – a program that helps match CalFresh shoppers’ dollars at farmer’s markets, giving an extra $10-$15 to spend on farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Personal Stories, Passionate Advocates 

Ms. Liu is a San Francisco resident, Home-Delivered Groceries participant, and an active member of TNDC’s Tenderloin Chinese Rights Association.  

She spoke passionately about Market Match’s impact on her family, telling staff of our elected officials: “My husband and I are both chronically ill, and it’s vital that we have access to fresh produce. With the closures of many Tenderloin corner stores, we highly depend on the benefits of the Market Match for fresh food within our means.” 

Since the end of CalFresh emergency allotments, Ms. Liu’s health has declined – but even that couldn’t stop her from traveling to the Capitol to advocate for better CalFresh benefits.

“I showed up today because it is imperative that they see that we are the people who are struggling,” Ms. Liu told us, gesturing to her friends and neighbors who also came to advocate. “We are elders, and many of us are chronically ill with mobility issues. We need more sustainable resources that work for us.” 

Moving the Needle on Hunger 

Thank you to all the advocates, including Ms. Liu, who spoke truth to power about the resources and support our communities need. Everyone has a right to nourishment and the ability to thrive – and our Policy and Advocacy team will continue pushing for equitable policies that uplift and support our neighbors while addressing the root causes of hunger. 

In Marchon’s words: “Can’t wait to see what we continue to do to move the needle forward!” 

 

Trust the Process: Building Roots by Being Together

April 17, 2024

Walking into La Raza Community Resource Center on a hot San Francisco summer day last year, we were immediately greeted by an extra layer of warmth: the enthusiastic welcome of La Raza’s staff and pantry volunteers. Nestled in the historic Mission district on Valencia Street, La Raza is a trusted one-stop shop for food and social services that’s been serving the Latinx community since 1979.

a man and a woman holding produce and food pantry itemsa woman handing out celery

Collaborating With Community 

In partnership with the Food Bank, La Raza holds a farmer’s market style food pantry for the community on Wednesdays, serving roughly 330 families each week. Volunteers worked in tandem, passing out leafy greens, onions, plums, and many other dry pantry items. Even in hot weather, it wasn’t enough to slow down their determination to meet the needs of their participants – all with smiles and kindness. Whatever neighbors are seeking assistance with – be it weekly groceries, diapers, or parenting classes – they know they’ll find answers, support, and a friendly face here. a smiling woman with sunglasses holding a box of produce

“It’s always word of mouth – ‘Come here!’ It’s a very trusted space, especially for newcomers,” said Zabrina Olivares, a case manager in La Raza’s Family Advocacy and Social Services department. Though she’s a newer staff member, Zabrina has witnessed first-hand how this legacy of trust with the community has cemented La Raza as such a crucial support system for neighbors in the Mission.

Trust as the Foundation for Success

La Raza’s immigration services are just one example of how trust and relationship-building create better outcomes for community members. In-house immigration attorneys can advocate for and walk with neighbors through their immigration journey, while case managers connect neighbors with other support services. This holistic approach makes a huge difference for neighbors like Carolina, a participant and pantry volunteer at La Raza.

“La Raza is one of the most complete community centers available. It has a lot of services that help with immigration, counseling/therapy for immigrants, and assistance with rent,” Carolina told us. After experiencing threats of violence to her family, Carolina left her home country of El Salvador with her two daughters. The services she found through La Raza provided a supportive launch pad while she found footing in her new home, San Francisco.

two women having a conversation while setting up a food pantrytwo women looking at a box of romaine lettuce

Barriers to Food Security

Creating food security for Latinx community members is a central tenet of La Raza’s work – and this has only become more challenging in recent years. “I’m witnessing that more people need food. During COVID, and especially after COVID, food got more expensive,” Zabrina shared. Our community is being squeezed on all sides by the steep cost of living, including childcare, gas, utilities and more. This fact is underscored by the Food Bank’s participant survey, which found that 83% of those surveyed report being worried about running out of food each week. Additionally, government support is declining,
including the slash in CalFresh benefits last year.

“Food stamp (CalFresh) funds have decreased, but even with that, many of our population aren’t eligible for food stamps,” Zabrina shared. With this in mind, La Raza supports other food access solutions for community members: “We are also an Emergency Food Box site, a partnership with the Food Bank, where participants call ‘211’ and can receive a box of food when the need is extra urgent.”

With a three-day supply of shelf stable food, these boxes are an important resource for people in crisis with no immediate way to access food. On average, the Food Bank supports La Raza with 20-30 Emergency Food Boxes per month. Folks can access this service once every twelve months, and while there aren’t any requirements, it’s helpful to call ahead for availability.

two women holding a large bag of onionsa group of staff standing in a circle having a meeting

Towards Self-Sufficiency for the Latinx Community

While the Food Bank is squarely focused on ending hunger and advocating for solutions to the root causes of hunger, many of our partners – including La Raza – take a more holistic approach to supporting their community members.

Core to La Raza’s mission is empowering their neighbors with self-sufficiency and agency, many of whom migrated to this land for better opportunities. Empowerment can take many forms. One effort La Raza is focused on is advocating for policies like Immigrant Parent Voting. This law allows noncitizen parents to vote on measures that affect their children’s welfare in public school.

As case manager, Zabrina encourages parents to get involved: “This is affecting your child’s education and who you want and don’t want in there. I remind them that this is part of self-sufficiency, advocacy, and empowerment. This is your power, your vote, and to feel part of your community. And that’s something that we encourage a lot here – to be part of your community – be together.”  It’s this sense of agency and power that informs all of La Raza’s work, and one that permeates the attitudes of volunteers, participants and staff alike.

Carmen Callejas, La Raza’s current Pantry Coordinator and a former La Raza participant, shared that her trust in this community is informed by her own story of reaching self-sufficiency: “I learned to respect the community, and especially that the work is for them. There is nothing better than that. Working with love and passion to help people out is invaluable.”

logo of La Raza CRC

Finding Joy with Ms. Chang

February 28, 2024

As rain drizzled down on an early Saturday morning at Florence Fang Community Garden (FFCF), Ms. Chang finished loading up her cart with groceries and beckoned us over to view her most recent crop: a bountiful patch of cauliflower! Each plant boasted a still-growing cauliflower head, already larger than an outstretched hand.  

Ms. Chang is an eight-year volunteer and five-year food pantry participant at FFCF, a Food Bank partner and beautiful one-acre community center located in Bayview-Hunters Point. “It’s a really diverse space, with all kinds of people,” Ms. Chang told us. “I live in Hunters Point, so I walk here. My motivation to come out was that I’m retired, and now I have free time! This is an opportunity to find some joy, and it’s just really fun to socialize.”  

Return of the Food Pantry 

It’s not only social hour at the farm: Ms. Chang, along with around 15-20% of other farm volunteers, stops by FFCF’s Saturday morning food pantry before beginning her farm workday. Though it was forced to close because of pandemic precautions, the pantry reopened with the support of the Food Bank back in February of 2023.  

Now, FFCF provides pantry essentials and fresh produce each week to mainly Chinese elders. It’s a much-needed service, especially as high prices persist and safety net programs are rolled back – because neighbors like Ms. Chang and her eldest daughter, whom she lives with, are already feeling the impacts. 

Ms. Chang shared her experience: “I have CalFresh, it helps me with getting groceries. It was definitely easier during the pandemic with their extra funding [emergency allotments]. But it barely holds me over now. I cope by just not buying as much – I have retirement (SSI) too, so I’m not completely depleted. It does feel like not enough sometimes, though.” 

Saturday (Farm)er’s Market 

Neighborhood pantries like FFCF help fill the gap with fresh, healthy food for thousands of neighbors across San Francisco and Marin who are facing similar difficulties. On the Saturday we visited, volunteers laid out items like rice, bok choy, beets, carrots and celery farmer’s market-style, so each participant could take or decline items as they wished. 

“It’s great to see all of the offerings and get to choose what I want to bring home. I tend to like everything, though,” Ms. Chang told us. “With today’s offerings, I’d throw together the carrots, celery, bok choy, throw some sort of meat in and make a lovely soup. It is great for bringing down inflammation in the body!” 

A Joyful Space 

Upon immigrating to San Francisco from Guangzhou, China in the 80s, Ms. Chang worked as a sewist in San Francisco Chinatown’s garment factories. Now retired, the farm offers a different, more enjoyable kind of work: “I get to do some work on the farm, grow green vegetables and romaine lettuce. I grow really big winter melons. It isn’t too strenuous, and we get to pick whatever jobs we want. Plus, I like the exercise!”  

As we talk, she helps another volunteer carry a basket of recent harvests up the hill, where they’ll be divided among the volunteers – “we all get to share our harvests with one another,” explained Ms. Chang. That’s not all they share, because food and fun go hand in hand at FFCF. Typically, Ms. Chang will volunteer with her two younger sisters, but her daughter and grandchildren also stop by occasionally: “There’s a lot of events and activities at the farm, and my family enjoys coming to these events. We throw parties, sing, dance, everything. You’ll have to come visit us when we put on talent shows!” 

After marveling at the beauty and vibrancy of the farm and learning what Ms. Chang is planting for spring (tong ho and yao choy!), we finally wave goodbye. The rain has stopped, the sun is beginning to peek out, and Ms. Chang heads back to her fellow volunteers. From the smile on her face, it’s safe to say that FFCF has built not only a flourishing farm or food pantry, but a true community on this plot of land.  

As Ms. Chang put it so succinctly: “I have a lot of friends here. Being here makes me happy.”  

2023 California Policy Wins

October 17, 2023

Here at the Food Bank, our mission is to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin. On its face, the solution might seem simple: provide nutritious food so people facing hunger can thrive, not just survive. But while providing food on the ground is an essential part of our services, we know it’s not enough to simply address the hunger we see today – we must also work to address its root causes and change the policies that allow hunger to continue in our communities and plan for long-term solutions.

That’s why, in partnership with our community and other supporters, our Policy and Advocacy team works to promote proposed laws and create new policies that benefit everyone. We advocate at all levels of government, from local to state to federal – and we’d like to share with you some key wins we’ve achieved in the California legislature.

“Changing policy is a marathon, not a race,” said Marchon Tatmon, associate director of policy and advocacy at our Food Bank. “Nonetheless, we’re proud of how we’ve worked together with other advocates to achieve some pretty audacious goals. Our strength is that we’re always in conversation with our community to inform our policy priorities.”

California Anti-Hunger Policy Wins in 2023

 

  • CalFresh: According to a report by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), about one in eight Californians relied on CalFresh (also known as food stamps) in 2022. The state adjusted this existing program to make it more effective, including:
    • Allocating $15 million to fund a pilot program raising the minimum CalFresh benefit to $50/month (currently, minimum benefits are $23/month).
    • Funded increased summer benefit amounts at $47 million, providing families with school-age kids more money to spend on food – a critical lifeline when free school meals disappear during summer vacation.
    • Secured $40 million to speed up the implementation of California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) benefits, which are similar to CalFresh benefits for undocumented immigrants.
    • Legislated reimbursement funds for skimmed CalFresh benefit dollars and increased benefit theft protection.
    • Secured $9.9 million for a broader Fruit and Vegetable pilot program giving extra CalFresh money for purchasing produce.
  • School Meals for All: Chances are, more kids are hungry than you think: according to the same report from PPIC, roughly half of the children in our state will participate in CalFresh by the age of six. Together with other activists, we successfully lobbied for more than $300 million to fully implement free school meals for all kids in California.
  • Social Security: Many older adults and adults with disabilities rely on this safety net to pay most or all of their expenses, including buying food. We helped secure a grant increase of 8.6% to raise the incomes of these vulnerable groups.
  • CalFood: Secured $60 million in funding for food banks across the state to buy California-grown produce, strengthening our local economy while also providing fresh fruits and vegetables to neighbors facing hunger.

These policy wins over the last year bring us another step closer to ending hunger – but our work isn’t done yet. In coalition with partners, participants and other activists, we’re determined to continue advocating for just, compassionate and equitable public policy that truly makes a difference for our communities.

Breaking the Cycle with Homeless Prenatal Program

June 29, 2023

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are life-changing challenges even at the best of times. But for pregnant people staring down the barrel of poverty and homelessness, paying for rent, food, medical care, and everything a growing baby needs to thrive is a near-insurmountable task. That’s where Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP) comes in. Located in the Mission District, HPP offers a staggering breadth of services for low-income families. We spoke with Linda Huerta, the distribution coordinator for HPP’s weekly food pantries.

Food Bank (FB): How did you get involved with Homeless Prenatal Program?

Linda Huerta: I learned about HPP first through our Community Health Worker program, which is a 16-month, paid, accredited job training program that prepares clients and other women from the community for careers in community health. I make sure our 400 families can get nutritious food – this week, we had broccoli, tomatoes, bananas, eggs, and more. I’m always thinking about how we can make the distribution more equitable.

Pacifiers are just one of the host of family items that participants can pick up at HPP

FB: Does HPP provide any other services to the community?

Linda: Absolutely – folks don’t just get food when they visit us on Fridays. It’s also diapers, pacifiers, and teething crackers; housing assistance and CalFresh application help; legal services and other family support. These things are available all week, but it’s so accessible to be able to offer more help or sign people up at the same time as the food pantry. And if we can’t help them, then when they come to get food, we can let them know if there’s another organization that can work on their problem.

FB: How does HPP break the cycle of family poverty and homelessness?

Linda: There are so many ways we work towards ending poverty, and a big part of that is food – it allows families to budget their money; maybe dollars that they were gonna spend on food can go to something else that supports them, especially with how expensive food is getting. It makes me feel good inside, honestly, to know that I can do this for my neighbors. Food means nutrition. Food means energy, food means love. And then we can build off that to offer even more services.

Linda smiles after our conversation in HPP’s back garden

Linda closed our conversation by telling us, “It really does take a community. We can’t all do it alone, we need partnership.” Our Food Bank is proud to be a part of the solution by joining hands with organizations like HPP to make a difference in our neighbors’ lives.