It all started back in 2001 with a little neighborhood newsletter.
When Pam Smith moved back to San Francisco to begin her retirement after a couple years away on business, in her mailbox was a callout for volunteers at the nearby Richmond Neighborhood District Center Food Pantry. It wasn’t long before Pam was going in every week to help out. What she saw during her time volunteering shifted her perspective on hunger.
“We distributed food we got from the Food Bank, and I saw how many people were coming and getting food – 300 people every Thursday. A lot of them were seniors. It drove it home that there’s a lot of neighbors around who don’t have enough money to buy food,” she told us.
“Life Back on Track”
One neighbor’s story, a young mother of two, always stuck with Pam.
“One young woman I met was looking for a job and having a hard time. I hadn’t seen her for a couple weeks. Then I ran into her, and she had gotten a job! I was so happy that she was back on good footing. I think that having food available for people gives them a chance to get their life back on track.”
Pam remained a regular volunteer and donor at the RDNC until the pandemic hit. When COVID restrictions prevented her from continuing at her neighborhood pantry, she switched her efforts to volunteering with the Food Bank five times a week at our warehouse and Pop-up Pantries all over the city, logging more than 1100 hours to date. She’s also a monthly donor to the Food Bank, because she believes that this work “is helping a lot of people.” Pam, thank you for your dedication to ending hunger in San Francisco and Marin!
Share this quote
Share