Every Saturday afternoon on the corner of De Haro and Mariposa streets, San Franciscans line up at Saint Gregory’s Episcopal Church promptly at noon to collect groceries provided by the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. It’s one of several initiatives the nonprofit has led over the past 30 years, including sponsoring college food pantries, helping families apply for CalFresh assistance, home-delivering foodstuffs, as well as policy advocacy to reduce the risks of hunger.
The Food Bank distributes to more than 350 agencies in San Francisco and Marin. Food Pantries, volunteer-led dispersal locations, also rely on the Bank.
“Though the Food Bank operates 22 Popup Food Pantries, the majority of the 250 food pantries in our network are run by community partners like Saint Gregory’s Episcopal Church,” said Tina Gonzales, Director of Community Partnerships, SF-Marin Food Bank. “Those that don’t have weekly food distribution may rely on our Food Bank to support their meal and snack programs. Examples of these are schools, meal programs, churches and more.”
Before the pandemic, about one in five Marin and San Francisco residents were at risk of being insufficiently nourished, according to Gonzales. However, the demand for food is even greater today.
“We’re seeing a sustained 72 percent increase in need for our services, and we are spending five times more on food compared to 2019. Over and over, we hear from neighbors that food is just too expensive at the grocery store; especially fresh produce and protein like chicken or eggs.”
The Food Bank works closely with its partners to assess specific food needs and make sure offered items are relevant to the community being served. For example, at some supportive sites that cater to unhoused populations, low- or no-cook meals are provided.
Earlier this year, the CalFresh program announced that federal government benefits provided during the COVID pandemic, which’d been allocated to low-income families across California for the last three years, would end.
“In March, CalFresh participants saw the last payout of extra emergency allotments they received during the pandemic. A return to pre-pandemic payouts means that San Francisco recipients lost an average of $160 a month. Single CalFresh recipients are now receiving as little as $23; what can you buy for $23 in San Francisco?” said Gonzales.
According to Gonzales, there’s a feeling amongst policymakers and the public that the pandemic and its effects are over. But the financial consequences of the emergency continue to linger. According to a recent survey, almost three-quarters of Food Bank participants haven’t recovered financially from the pandemic; and near four-fifths often worry about running out of food.
The Food Bank serves a diverse population; many recipients are multicultural and speak English as a second language. More than two-thirds of Food Bank participants are Asian, and almost one-fifth Hispanic/Latinx. Cantonese is the most common language spoken, followed by English, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, and Vietnamese. Roughly two-thirds are over the age of 60 and women. One-third of those who partake have someone with a disability in their homes and/or have children present, with more than one-third single-parent households. Only five percent are unhoused.
According to Michael Reid, co-director of The Food Pantry, which operates at Saint Gregory’s Episcopal Church, most recipients are Potrero Hill residents, with the rest coming from the Mission, Bernal Heights and Bayview.
“We are seeing more younger people in food lines, as well as new immigrants from war-torn countries and young families,” Reid said. “We would see people come from Alameda occasionally, as well.”
From January to March, the Food Bank’s call center saw a 64 percent increase in requests to sign up for its services. The organization’s staff reports that many participants are visiting pantries weekly, instead of a few times a month as a supplement.
“We are grateful for our community stepping up during the height of the pandemic, but we continue to need their help in its aftermath,” said Gonzales.
Pictured, top: San Francisco-Marin Food Bank distributes groceries. Courtesy of SF-Marin Food Bank
