Charlie’s Story: “That food box is a real life-saver.”

At 69, Charlie is high-spirited in spite of a multitude of physical ailments. Charlie lives in an assisted living facility near the Castro and really appreciates the monthly box of food he receives from the Food Bank through a government program called CSFP.


We met Charlie as he waited in his lobby for the food distribution to start. He smiled and waved us over to talk. “This is my car,” he said, rapping on his mechanized wheelchair. “I use it to get up to church, go to FoodsCo and make all my doctors’ appointments.” Charlie is diabetic and watches his diet carefully. He stocks up on fresh vegetables and other groceries at the beginning of the month.

“You see, I know just how far my check is going to go every month. So I go ahead and take care of the groceries first. I get my meats and put them in the freezer. I get pasta and I get canned tomatoes, carrots, red peppers for sauce. And I build up a stock,” he said. “But sometimes it doesn’t get me to the end of the month,” he continued. “I might have an extra prescription I need. Or maybe I have to turn the heat on. Sometimes I run out of food and I’ll just have to do without breakfast and lunch for a few days.”

Referring to his senior food box, he says, “That box is a real life-saver. And then there’s always extra vegetables they give with it, too. That really helps.”

Learn more about how we support seniors like Charlie with our Commodity Supplemental Food Program.

Thank you! We made the match for the Morning Snack Program!

Thanks to hundreds of supporters like you, we raised enough to meet the $30,000 FedEx matching gift and then some! These funds help us continue to serve more than 10,000 school children each year. On behalf of the schools, volunteers, teachers, and the entire Morning Snack Program team at the Food Bank, thanks to all our friends and supporters who contributed! And special thanks to FedEx! Learn more about the Morning Snack Program »

If you’d like to learn more about supporting the Food Bank through a Matching Campaign, please contact Susan Morenstein at smorenstein@sffb.org.

Food from the Bar

Food from the Bar, the legal community’s annual competitive food and fund raising drive sponsored by the Bar Association of San Francisco, kicks off on April 30. Last year’s campaign was a record-breaking success and inspired this year’s lofty goals: raise $520,000, collect 14,000 pounds of food, and host 700 volunteer hours. To register your firm or find out more, please visit foodfromthebar.org.

KIND Bars

KIND has chosen the Food Banks as the beneficiary of their “mission of kindness” in May. Take the pledge between April 24th and May 1st and KIND will partner with the Food Bank to provide enough food for thousands of much-needed family meals. KIND team members will even volunteer at the Food Bank to help us provide food to our community!

Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornel West

KALW Presents — Tavis Smiley & Dr. Cornel West at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre
Saturday, April 28th at 6pm
In their new book, The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto, award-winning broadcaster Tavis Smiley and leading progressive scholar Dr. Cornel West take on the “p” word — poverty. They challenge all Americans to re-examine their assumptions about poverty in America — what it really is and how to eradicate it. The event will be free and open to the public. To learn more, visit www.kalw.org.

Ways to Give — Car Donation

Turn your old car into a donation for the Food Bank by contacting the Center for Car Donations. Just designate the San Francisco and Marin Food Banks as your car donation beneficiary, and proceeds from the sale of your car will be directed to us. If your vehicle sells for over $500 you'll receive donation IRS 1098 forms.

Seasonal Produce & Recipe

Peppers are a great source of Vitamin A and beta-carotene. Here’s an easy, delicious, and healthy recipe for peppers! Read more here »