San Francisco will donate thousands of turkeys to hungry people by Thanksgiving, but tougher times could be ahead for some Bay Area charity organizations as emergency pandemic money starts to dry up.
The San Francisco Human Services Agency and the San Francisco Housing Authority confirmed to The Examiner that the two organizations, in cooperation with Mayor London Breed’s office, began handing out birds to low-income San Franscians and those living in public housing sites last week. They expect to distribute some 6,000 turkeys by Thanksgiving Day.
SFHSA communications manager Joe Molica said that around 5,000 turkeys were distributed in previous years. But increased public support for the annual tradition allowed The City to hand out about 1,000 extra turkeys last year, which they expect to match this holiday.
The City’s ramped-up holiday giveaway comes at a crucial time when public and private agencies’ COVID-19 emergency funding begins to dry up, severing lifelines for thousands of San Francisco households.
The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank announced last month it would close about 20 pandemic-era pop-up pantries by 2025 and scale back enrollment in its grocery delivery program.
“We are seeing social safety nets erode at all levels of government, we are seeing record jumps in child poverty and persistent food insecurity at historic levels,” San Francisco-Marin Food Bank Executive Director Tanis Crosby told The Examiner. “Here at the food bank, we are often the last line of defense, and we’re experiencing a significant decline in funding. The bottom line is the demand has not gone away.”
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Despite the struggles, Crosby said the food bank is steadfast in its dedication to provide for hungry Bay Area residents.
“We are focused on delivering services to as many people as we can for as long as we can with the resources we have available, but no one agency can do this alone,” Crosby said. “We have to work to ensure that we have coordinated services, that there is no wrong door for services and that when people access food services, it is a pathway to safety net support.”
Government officials acknowledged the high demand for food ahead of the holiday and emphasized that San Francisco organizations will work collaboratively to provide for as many hungry citizens as possible.
City officials told The Examiner last month that $89.5 million in local funding will be dedicated to support the agency’s food-security programs over the next two years as part of San Francisco’s budget.
“In this high-cost market, the demand for turkey is always going to be great,” the SFHA told The Examiner in a statement. “The (SFHA) is always and will continue to work in collaboration with our city partners to maximize the number of families and individuals we can serve that are in need of a Thanksgiving dinner.”
