Second Harvest of Silicon Valley Registration and Sign Up Information | shfb.org

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We inadvertently sent you an email today about an upcoming volunteer shift and the fact that all volunteers are essential workers and we need your help.

We apologize for the error. This email address is not currently registered for a volunteer shift.

But volunteers are essential workers and we do need your help. Please consider signing up to volunteer through the link below or donating at shfb.org/virtualbarrel.

Have a great weekend.

Second Harvest is deemed an essential service provider during the COVID-19 pandemic and must remain fully operational to ensure everyone in our community has access to nutritious food.

We provide food to the most vulnerable members of our community, many of whom have found themselves in need of support for the first time due to the pandemic. Being able to maintain the high level of output we've been producing since March means we are able to provide nutritious food to 500,000 people on average every month, which is twice the amount we served pre-pandemic. Feeding double the need requires a critical amount of volunteer support.

We need you more than ever to help us fill the gap

Second Harvest is considered an essential service, which means you could be an essential key to our success.

For a list of community food distribution sites that have the most urgent need for support, click here.
You can also find opportunities that work best for your schedule by checking the volunteer calendar.

View volunteer opportunities

Safety is our top priority

Second Harvest has been and will always follow the strictest recommendations of the CDC and local public health authorities to help keep everyone safe. There are official guidelines posted in all public areas of our food sort warehouse facilities that outline proper safety protocols, and face coverings are mandatory in our buildings and at our distributions at all times.

We have always done the following to safeguard volunteers:

Ask that anyone not feeling well cancel their shift and join us another time
Ask any volunteer displaying signs of illness to leave their shift and join us when well
Require all volunteers to wash hands frequently and use gloves at all times (which are provided)

We're taking additional precautions

In addition to cleaning and sanitizing our food sort warehouse facilities as a regular course of business, we have increased the frequency and extent of sanitization throughout the day.

We remain open so that we can continue serving the community, and we are committed to doing everything we can to keep you and our clients safe.

Essential service worker/volunteer letter

Should you wish to have documentation about your role as an essential service worker, please print this letter.

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Our mailing address is:

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134

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Hi friend of Second Harvest,

It''s with a heavy heart we share that Second Harvest board member Loren Mahon passed away peacefully last month after battling a long illness, with her husband Philip and her children by her side. Loren joined the Second Harvest board in February 2012, eventually going on to serve as the board chair from 2017 to 2018. She remained an active and engaged member until June 2020.

Today we would like to honor the memory of a dedicated and passionate member of the Second Harvest community.

"Her passing was beautiful, befitting the loving, humble person she was. Loren spent the beginning of her career in nonprofits. Early on she served as the head of a California statewide program sponsored by the United Methodist Church to serve immigrants and help them apply for the federal amnesty program. Loren also studied applied mathematics at UC San Diego, which contributed to her brilliant analytical skills. When recruited by Oracle she was very intentional that if she entered the corporate world, she would maintain her focus to serving others, to which her thousands of coworkers would attest.

I am honored to be her best friend for 42 years and marriage partner for 35 years. When asked, we are suggesting donations go to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley."

– Philip Sanfilippo, Loren''s husband

Loren volunteering at a Second Harvest food distribution with other board members. Pictured from left: Philip Sanfilippo, Leslie Bacho, Brian Birtwistle, Loren Mahon, Colleen McCreary, Dick Svec

"Loren is someone I greatly admired. She was an extremely talented leader and remained deeply engaged with Second Harvest until the very end of her life. Whether she was leading a board meeting, volunteering at one of our distributions, or saying a thank you at our annual agency conference, her passion for our mission always came through loud and clear. I am grateful for the lasting impact she had on our organization."

– Leslie Bacho, CEO, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

"Loren was extraordinarily responsive, thoughtful and informed as a Second Harvest finance committee member and board director. As board chair during my last year at Second Harvest, and even as she was fighting for her life against cancer, Loren went over and above to attend a Feeding America annual meeting to learn from and connect with other food bank board chair peers. Loren was a joy to work with and the definition of a servant leader; with her passing, we''ve lost an inspiring voice for the underserved in our community."

– Kathy Jackson, former CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

To mail in a donation, make checks payable to Second Harvest and mail to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, ATTN: Donation Department, 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134

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Hi friend of Second Harvest,

We are overwhelmed with gratitude — in a little over an hour you helped us reach our new goal of raising $100,000 for Giving Tuesday Now. All the gifts received after we reached our initial goal of $20,000 have been matched $1 for $1 by a group of Second Harvest friends and Google alumni.

Cat Cvengros, vice president of development and marketing, recorded her thank you in a new video — take a look.

If you weren''t able to donate in time don''t worry — Second Harvest friends and Google alumni have offered to match all gifts through May until we reach $615,000. Please still consider giving if you haven''t already.

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley | 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134
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I guarantee that if you don’t already know someone today, you will know someone who is food insecure.

– Leslie Bacho, CEO, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

Two weeks ago we averaged 200 calls a day from neighbors asking for help. We’ve seen that number continually skyrocket and are now experiencing over 1,000 calls a day.

In response to our community’s growing need, the Khosla Family will match your gift today $1 for $1 until we’ve raised $1 million!

Match my gift

Behind the Scenes:

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo raises awareness

Second Harvest supporters are leading the effort in Silicon Valley to distribute food to vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 crisis. Read more…

Feeling Isolated?

Help bring our community together by connecting your teammates, family and friends with neighbors who urgently need access to food. Start a fundraiser from home to raise awareness and offer hope in these uncertain times.

Start a virtual food drive

Start a Facebook fundraiser

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A lot of clients are very shy to ask for help. It is hard for them to even make the call to our Food Connection hotline. I can imagine how hard it is to have to say, ''I need food assistance.'' We are here to comfort them.

– Kelly Chew, Director of Services, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

Voices from our

Food Connection team

Our Food Connection hotline staff are often the first point of contact for neighbors seeking help. Since the start of the COVID-19 economic crisis, the team has been working tirelessly to keep up with the increased volume of calls — April saw a nearly 1,000% increase over February. A couple of our staff shared their experience speaking with those seeking help for the first time.

A single father of two called us on the hotline, but he couldn''t ask for help because he couldn''t talk. It was just too much for him that he passed the phone to his 7-year-old son. I could hear the father crying in the background. I asked the son to put me on speaker, so the dad could hear me. I told them, ''Everything is going to be okay. You have a referral to get groceries for you and your children and you also have other resources like CalFresh. We''re here when you''re ready.''

– Patricia

One call that stands out to me was from a family of four. Never in their life had they experienced anything like this. This was the first time they had struggled with getting food. Just knowing that, I gave her the names of a couple distributions she could walk to. She went to those places and then the next day she called the hotline. She just kept calling, going from person to person to try to find me to say thank you.

– Quy

Virtual talent show raises

spirits and money

When the students and teachers at Hillview Middle School in Menlo Park decided to make their talent show virtual this year, they used it as an opportunity to help their neighbors by making the event a fundraiser for Second Harvest.

The show, which featured performances from students and teachers along with shoutouts from celebrities like San Francisco Giants player Hunter Pence, raised an incredible $23,665 (nearly four times their goal of $6,000!) to help provide food to those struggling with hunger during the pandemic.

If you also want to raise money to help support your community during this difficult time, it''s easy to set up your own fundraiser for Second Harvest.

Start your fundraiser

What you''re sharing

To mail in a donation, make checks payable to Second Harvest and mail to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, ATTN: Donation Department, 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134

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Volunteers are providing more than just boxes of food to our most vulnerable neighbors. They are providing hope.

– Leslie Bacho, CEO, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

We love our volunteers

At a time when our community is struggling, volunteers are showing up on the front lines of this crisis to help dramatically scale Second Harvest''s operations and serve as many neighbors as possible.

Our volunteers are brave, selfless and inspiring. They are simply the best!

And the truth is, we need more of them. Our volunteer calendar is updated daily with opportunities to sort food in our North San Jose warehouse or pass out food boxes at low-contact, drive-thru emergency distributions.

If you don''t see something that works with your schedule today, check back tomorrow. Please join us – we need committed volunteers now more than ever.

– Diane Zapata, Director of Volunteer Services,

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

Sign up to volunteer

Stepping up to fill the need

When shelter in place began, Christina, a spa owner, was forced to temporarily close her business. Despite this challenge, she felt grateful to be in a position to help others. She started signing up for volunteer shifts at Second Harvest, sometimes doing three or four shifts a day.

Now Christina is a Second Harvest temporary employee and is even considering moving her spa work to part-time so that she can stay connected to the food bank.

She said, "In here I always felt welcomed. I trusted that Second Harvest would treat me in a respectful and kind way… and they''ve definitely done that. I''ve expanded myself professionally and emotionally."

Paying it forward

Facing her last month on CalFresh (California''s food stamps program), Gina came to Second Harvest to get food. She soon realized how great the need was and decided to start volunteering. Last month, she was volunteering at the St. Martin of Tours drive-thru distribution handing out boxes of groceries to her neighbors.

What you''re sharing

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Give now: $1 for $1 match

In gratitude

On this Veterans Day, we want to send a message of gratitude to all our service people, both past and present.

To honor our local veterans, on November 10 Second Harvest partnered with PGA HOPE, a program that introduces golf to veterans with disabilities, to bring a special food distribution to participating veterans during their golf tournament, sponsored by Wells Fargo Foundation. Second Harvest put together this special distribution with PGA HOPE as a way to thank these amazing veterans. Each received a nutritious mix of fresh produce, perishables and dry goods.

Stories of hope and strength

Before the pandemic, 70-year-old Ernesto was a special education bus driver and loved spending free time with his granddaughter. Once shelter in place began, he lost his job and became isolated from his family. Alone, he didn't know where to turn for help.

"Because of the coronavirus, I didn''t want to go anywhere. I was scared to even take a step outside."

The help he received from Second Harvest through our home delivery program gave him piece of mind. Now, he's focused on family and looks forward to the day he can be close to his granddaughter again.

"My granddaughter is the world to me, and I just want to hug her. When all of this is over, we got to make up for those hugs that we missed."

Sayara, a single mother of two adult daughters, has been receiving food from Second Harvest for seven years, and her passion for our mission motivated her to eventually become a site lead volunteer. As a site lead, she's responsible for running the grocery distribution and helping with everything from loading boxes into car trunks to setting up tables and directing traffic.

But the work doesn't come easy - Sayara has lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, which can make it difficult to maintain the energy she needs. Despite her medical conditions, Sayara's enthusiasm and love of her community keeps her going:

"When you help others, it's the best blessing. Blessing is healing. If you want to heal from something, help other people."

Learn more about Ernesto and Sayara by visiting shfb.org/stories.

Start a new holiday tradition

Second Harvest has made significant organizational changes in 2020 to meet double the need since the pandemic began. Unfortunately, that means you won''t find our food donation barrels out in the community during the holiday season and we won't be able to accept food donations - including turkeys - at our warehouses this year.

We still need your (virtual) help! Start a holiday tradition this year by filling our virtual barrel or starting a virtual food drive to connect with your family, friends or coworkers.

And if you act now, all gifts are eligible to be matched $1 for $1 by Second Harvest supporters Jeff and Marieke Rothschild, up to $1 million.

Fill the virtual barrel

Start a virtual food drive

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Our mailing address is:

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134

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Give now

"I''m so happy I got a turkey!"

- Maria, picking up her Thanksgiving turkey at San Jose Buddhist Church, looks forward to a holiday meal with her husband and teenage sons thanks to incredible support like yours.

Celebrating the giving spirit

As a child of the Great Depression, Jennie knows how it feels to live with extreme financial hardship. When it came time to celebrate her 90th birthday over the summer, Jennie asked for just one thing: for her family and friends to make a gift to Second Harvest to help those struggling due to the pandemic.

"Seeing so many families suffering these days made me want to do something to help. The gift of knowing those contributions would enable most families to put nutritious meals on the table gave me far greater satisfaction than receiving any gifts."

Thank you to Jennie and all our supporters for sharing the giving spirit and thinking of others this holiday season.

We're excited to invite our Second Harvest community to participate in this year's GivingTuesday celebration, a global day of giving. This is a great opportunity to support our neighbors struggling with hunger this holiday season and join a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions to celebrate generosity.

To take part in this annual tradition, visit shfb.org/givingtuesday.

Share gratitude virtually this Thanksgiving

While you may not be able to gather to share a meal with family and friends this Thanksgiving, you can still come together virtually to share meals with local families who need help putting food on the table.

Join the more than 5,700 friends, students, colleagues and congregants who have joined together to raise money for our neighbors.

It's easy to get started - check out what others are doing and set up your fundraiser today.

Start a fundraiser

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Our mailing address is:

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134

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This entire operation is need driven. We are faced with serving new and more people in a very safe and secure way. This has made us change our method of distribution as much as possible.

– Stan Edde, Chief Operating Officer, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

Check out the latest update from our Vice President of Development and Marketing, Cat Cvengros.

Watch video

Creative solutions:

Drive-thru pop-up distributions

Second Harvest has started emergency drive-thru distributions in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties as a way to ensure there are no gaps in services while still maintaining the safety of our clients, staff and volunteers.

A client picking up food at the St. Martin of Tours drive-thru distribution in March shared: “It is very hard getting food for our shared family household. I like how this distribution site is drive-thru so I don''t have to go into a grocery store with my small children."

Second Harvest’s 2018-19 Annual Report is now available and illuminates what’s at stake during this crisis. Thank you for continuing to play a vital role in leading our community to ensure anyone who needs a healthy meal can get one.

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Hi friend of Second Harvest,

Pain, anger and outrage are rippling through our communities in the wake of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd''s murders. The fact that these heartbreaking losses of life are only some of the latest and starkest examples of the ongoing racism in this country does not make them any easier to understand. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley condemns all racism, white supremacy and police brutality.

Second Harvest exists to serve the underserved — our mission is to bring nutritious food to anyone who needs it — and we acknowledge that one of the greatest underlying forces of food insecurity is systemic racism and oppression. By providing food we also provide a sense of safety, stability and dignity to our clients, which everyone deserves. COVID-19 has only magnified inequities in our community: we are now the safety net for more than 500,000 people in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

As a leader in the social service sector, Second Harvest must lend our voice to those in our community who have faced violence and murder because of the color of their skin. The sooner we begin the work to end systemic racism in our country the sooner we can also address the root causes of hunger in America, because everything is connected.

We are deeply grateful for friends and partners like you. Together, we will continue working toward the day when all our neighbors have equitable access to food.

In service,

Leslie Bacho

Chief Executive Officer

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

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Hi,

Today is GivingTuesday - a day to give back, originally conceptualized in response to the mass shopping done from Black Friday through Cyber Monday. More than any GivingTuesday before, today it is vital that you support Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

An average of 500,000 people each month rely on supporters like you to ensure they have uninterrupted access to food while they navigate the pandemic. For thousands it''s the first holiday season spent without enough food. If you are still able to give, it will make all the difference for neighbors from Daly City, out to Pescadero and down to Gilroy.

Second Harvest is seeing twice as much need as before the pandemic. Please give today and your gift is eligible to be tripled by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, up to $200,000.

Triple my impact

Please, if you can, help neighbors like Chu, who told us that getting back to work is all she hopes to do and, when asked what she thought about the food distribution, replied, "This is awesome."

If you''re able to give, save and share the below badge with your network with the hashtags #igave #givingtuesday. And don''t forget to tag us @2ndharvest!

Please make this GivingTuesday awesome while helping neighbors like Chu. Thank you.

P.S. If you recently made a gift, thank you. We''re working hard to process gifts while maintaining strict safety protocols for our staff. As a result, we may not have seen your gift before emailing you.

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Our mailing address is:

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134

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September is Hunger Action Month

This September, Second Harvest needs you to help us put an end to food insecurity in our community. Check out our Hunger Action Month Bingo Card for all the ways you can get involved. Track your actions, share what you''ve done, and get your friends and families to join our #HungerActionMonthBingo game on social media.

Take action

Update on brushfire response

Second Harvest activated our emergency response shortly after the lightning fire complexes all throughout northern California began. At this time we have only seen a handful of food distribution cancellations in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties due to air quality. Your support helps us continue to have regular check-ins with our partners, supply both KN95 and N95 masks to those working and volunteering outdoors, and provide for meal programs that are meeting the need of people who have been displaced.

We also partner with other Bay Area food banks and are the food section lead for CADRE, the Santa Clara County Collaborating Agencies'' Disaster Relief Effort, to create a support system that serves vulnerable populations during emergencies.

In this spirit of partnership, we hope you understand that we are not restricting gifts to our fire relief efforts. This allows us to be as flexible as possible in our crisis response and ensure that anyone who needs a meal can get one. Thank you to everyone who has offered to help Second Harvest and our community partners!

Volunteer spotlight

"We began volunteering in April as we really felt we could find some way to help the community in a way that was both safe and more so, to meet an ongoing and critical need for so many individuals within the area. Life during the COVID-19 outbreak has been challenging but we have settled into a place of normalcy as best we can."

- Dave and Mary Ellen Carter, volunteers at our Cypress warehouse

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Our mailing address is:

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134

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At Second Harvest, we are truly in awe of our community’s courage to unite around our shared goal: to provide nutritious food, safely, to the thousands of neighbors who depend on Second Harvest every day.

Because of incredible supporters like you, we reached our goal of $1 million in donations matched by the Khosla Family.

Together that amounts to 4 million much-needed meals.

Words from our community

With so many people telling us they’ve lost their jobs, our work with Second Harvest is even more vital in distributing food to our neighbors. The prophet Isaiah’s question still applies to us: ‘Is not true worship sharing your food with the hungry?’ We’re grateful for our partnership with Second Harvest for such a time as this.

– Rob Schulze, Pastor of Administration and Compassion, Peninsula Bible Church

I think the changes in our economy due to the coronavirus have made everyone realize that we are all more vulnerable than we think. Any family can quickly become food insecure when there is no income and no way to know how long this will last.

– Sigrid Jacobsen, volunteer, with her two daughters at the Saint Martin of Tours drive-thru distribution in San Jose

It’s deeply upsetting how big the need is right now and uplifting the work that our organization is doing. It just makes me so proud to be a part of this organization. That we’re here to help when things are so difficult. I see us really rising to the challenge of the increased need, so that’s a beautiful thing. There’s a lot of creativity and good that’s coming from different sectors to support people.

– Olivia Teter, Client Innovation Manager, Second Harvest

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Hi,

More than 3.5 million meals will be provided from just one day''s outpouring of support by our community.

That is incredible! Over 3,000 supporters, Craig Newmark Philanthropies and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley's Board of Directors joined together to make GivingTuesday a true bright spot in a year of great challenges.

I am so proud to get to do this work with you. It is heartbreaking to see the tremendous need right here in Silicon Valley, but I hope you also see the real difference your support makes in our neighbors' lives daily.

I find myself hopeful and inspired by Sayara, who receives food and volunteers at one of Second Harvest's drive-thru food distributions. Her words of wisdom remind me about the essential truth in the work we do together:

"When you help others, it's the best blessing. Blessing is healing. If you want to heal from something, help other people."

In 2020, that's what GivingTuesday is all about. Thank you for helping feed, protect and heal our community.

In partnership,

Leslie Bacho
Chief Executive Officer
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

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Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
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Seeing long lines of cars at drive-thru distributions is to be expected as we are feeding more people than ever before. The lines may be long, but we do have access to enough food.

– Leslie Bacho, CEO, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

An update on our food supply

Thanks to your support, we have been able to meet the need as it''s grown significantly over the past month.

We are providing meat, eggs, dairy and fresh produce as expected and are working creatively to pack grocery boxes with a variety of nutritious staples. Like everyone else bringing food to our community, we are experiencing longer than normal wait times to receive dry good deliveries which just means those boxes may vary.

We are currently not accepting food donations to prioritize the safe and speedy handling of food for our neighbors. The best way to continue to support us is by donating funds to help us buy exactly what food we need when we need it. Thank you for your generosity!

Photos: Sunnyvale Community Services

You make saying "yes" possible

We wouldn''t be able to distribute the amount of food we do without the help of our partner network, which is instrumental in getting food into the hands of our neighbors.

"At a time when our services are most needed, I am able to say ''yes'' over and over again to those who call, email or walk to our center looking for something so basic as food to feed their families."

– Terri Boesch, executive director, CALL Primrose

Photo: Pacifica Resource Center, Kevin Burleigh

What you''re sharing

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This is a thank you for the delivery of the Second Harvest of Silicon Valley food for the seniors that I received last Thursday. I live in a mobile home park and I was so impressed. It was almost like a second Christmas. I just want to thank you.

– Senior in a voicemail to Second Harvest staff

Ensuring safety for our most vulnerable neighbors: New home delivery program

When the COVID-19 crisis began, we quickly realized we needed a way to get food to our highest-risk neighbors who didn''t feel safe leaving their homes.

Before shelter in place, we only had a handful of volunteers and partners doing home delivery to seniors. Now, we''re delivering food to 6,000 neighbors two times a month, helping seniors and those homebound during the pandemic.

The expansion of this delivery program couldn''t have happened without our partners Catholic Charities and Team Rubicon, who pick up food from our warehouses in San Jose and San Carlos and deliver directly to homes.

Tiffany Sgueglia, senior programs and services manager, calls these partnerships a blessing. She shared that it "really blew me away."

Donate to support programs like these

Caring words from our community

Morrigan Bruce is the director of programs at Cancer CAREpoint, an organization that provides non-medical support services to cancer patients and is one of our local partners. She recently spoke with a client who received food through our home delivery program.

Morrigan shared how grateful the client was for the food she received:

One of our clients called the Second Harvest hotline, and didn''t even have to go further than saying she has cancer before the Food Connection Specialist she spoke to said ''no problem, we''ll deliver food to you'' and proceeded to get her information and let her know how everything would work. The client is also diabetic and was worried that there would be food that she couldn''t eat, but when the food was delivered it was all very healthy with lean protein and whole grains and canned fruit without added sugar. Everything she got is food she can eat. She said she had no idea that she could get this kind of food from a food bank.

We so appreciate all the hard work being done by everyone at Second Harvest. Thank you on behalf of our clients and counselors. You are providing a great source of relief for those of us trying to support the community during this time, we know we can send folks to you and they will get the help they need.

Thank you for being a part of our team.

What you''re sharing

To mail in a donation, make checks payable to Second Harvest and mail to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, ATTN: Donation Department, 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134

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Hi,

One of my favorite weekends each year is the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It's typically a day of celebration and goodwill, with hundreds of supporters dropping turkeys and other food off at the Second Harvest warehouses to help neighbors throughout Silicon Valley.

We see friends and supporters from local schools, faith groups and even motorcycle clubs like the Lane Splitters show up with food in tow. That's me on one of their motorcycles last year.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has forced us to make the difficult decision to cancel this annual tradition. In order to ensure the safety of our team and maximize our efforts to meet the increased need in the community, we cannot accept walk-in, community food donations this holiday season.

I am looking forward to starting an exciting new tradition: I invite you to join me in helping fill Second Harvest's virtual barrel this Thanksgiving.

Fill the virtual barrel

In addition to the food donated directly from farmers, retailers and manufacturers by the truckload, your support today helps Second Harvest negotiate great deals by buying our most needed foods in bulk.

We can stretch your dollar to help provide food for 500,000 people on average every month. Serving double the number of people with double the amount of food has required double the cost and double the effort for our operations team since the start of the pandemic.

I'm grateful to have this community by our side to help scale our operations. Together we'll ensure that all of our neighbors have access to the food they need this holiday season.

In partnership,

Leslie Bacho
Chief Executive Officer
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

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Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
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To say things are "different than before" is a bit of an understatement. Since March, life has been changing for everyone. People who rely on Second Harvest for food need help more than ever before. The sad reality is that we are serving 500,000 people a month, twice as many as before the pandemic, many for the first time.

In order to provide our neighbors with a nutritious mix of food as efficiently and safely as possible during this prolonged pandemic, Second Harvest has made the difficult decision to not accept community food donations or distribute collection barrels indefinitely. This change means we need your help more than ever before.

Please consider starting a fundraiser so we can source enough food for our neighbors struggling to put a meal on their table this holiday season.

Start a fundraiser today

- Cat Cvengros, Vice President of Development and Marketing

Today is the perfect time to start your holiday fundraiser. This month, every dollar you raise with your friends and family will be doubled by two generous local families up to $400,000.

Taking advantage of this match is so important because we are seeing double the need, distributing double the food, and our expenses are double what they were before COVID-19 hit.

Double your impact and start a fundraiser today.

Call for volunteers

Second Harvest and our partners have opened new public food distribution sites all throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. We are distributing double the amount of food than before the crisis, but many distributions have been struggling with only half of the necessary volunteers.

Sign up to volunteer

Our most urgent needs can be found here.

Thank you if you recently signed up for a fundraiser. Let us know if you need any assistance by contacting drives@shfb.org.

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Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
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I have always felt really good about coming to work at a food bank. As they say, ''not all heroes wear capes.'' I have a sense of pride when I go home and say what I did that day.

– Rudy Valencia, supervisor of Second Harvest''s new warehouse

Behind the Scenes:

California National Guard packs thousands of boxes in new warehouse

When we asked for help filling our new warehouse, supporters like you answered the call. Now, 30 members from the Air National Guard 144th Fighter Wing based in Fresno are packaging 20,000 food boxes a day in the 40,000-square-foot facility in San Jose. Watch the video…

Stories of connection

"Although we were in a distribution line, with masks and gloves, we were also in conversation with each family in each vehicle. We were connecting in order to help and serve others, and developing empathy by asking questions, listening, observing and learning."

– Micaela Ochoa, volunteer and vice president of Administrative Services at College of San Mateo

Happy Thanksgiving from Second Harvest of Silicon Valley!

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Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134

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Hi,

Today has been incredible. You joined thousands of your neighbors to help reach our GivingTuesday goal of raising $200,000 by 10:30 a.m. this morning. and have since raised more than DOUBLE that goal!

Your generosity comes as such a relief, because right now Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is distributing double the amount of food, to double the amount of people and it is costing us double the amount to do it. That means 500,000 people are getting nutritious groceries every month from us. We can't do this alone and are so grateful for your support.

It's not too late to join thousands of your neighbors in making a gift this GivingTuesday. Although Craig Newmark Philanthropies' triple match was met, your gift is eligible to be doubled $1 for $1 by Second Harvest's Board of Directors!

That's a reason to celebrate and share the amazing news. Please consider posting your badge on social media:

Your support this GivingTuesday gives hope to parents like Maricela, who says receiving food from Second Harvest "is a great blessing."

Thank you!

P.S. If you recently made a gift, thank you. We''re working hard to process gifts while maintaining strict safety protocols for our staff. As a result, we may not have seen your gift before emailing you.

Copyright ? 2020. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
4001 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134

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At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, the California National Guard and California Air Guard came in to help Second Harvest keep up with the rapidly expanding need. They have worked tirelessly packing thousands of food boxes a day in our warehouses and helping to answer calls to our Food Connection hotline.

Second Harvest thanks them for their service and dedication to this community.

When we start the client calls, we ask them what language they speak. And when you tell them that you can communicate with them in their native language, you can feel that smile on their face through the phone. They''re happy that they can communicate with us using their own language. It''s like a badge of honor that we speak another language.

I''m a Tagalog speaker and it''s been a really eye-opening experience getting all these phone calls from senior citizens. It seems like they are the most under-served community that a lot of people forget about.

Master Sgt. Sophia Rodriquez can relate to what it is like to struggle with hunger. She remembers when times were difficult growing up being raised by a single dad, and being a single mom herself.

I can only imagine somebody opening up a [Second Harvest food] box and there''s a full meal in there. It doesn''t escape my mind that there are people that are going through rough times now. We want to bring smiles to people.

Master Sgt. Adrian Viveros comes from a long line of farmers. Born and raised in central California, he believes his upbringing in the fields and service in the Air Force has prepared him for this moment to serve his community by helping Second Harvest.

The ability to feed our citizens has always come naturally to us. The ability to eat can''t be something we take for granted. It feels extremely rewarding to keep my fellow Californians fed.

From cultural hub to emergency food hub

Second Harvest recently partnered with the School of Arts and Culture to start a new drive-thru distribution in the Mexican Heritage Plaza, a cultural facility located in the Mayfair neighborhood of East San Jose. Watch the video to learn more…

"While we are not hosting quinces, weddings or theater shows, we''ve transformed La Plaza into a convenient, safe location for East San Jose families to access the food, supplies and information they need." – Jessica Paz-Cedillos, Executive Director, the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza

Second Harvest is proud to work with local organizations like the School of Arts and Culture to ensure every corner of our community is supported during this pandemic.

Donate today to support drive-thru distributions like this

To mail in a donation, make checks payable to Second Harvest and mail to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, ATTN: Donation Department, 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134

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When all this is over we gotta make up for those hugs that we missed.

- Ernesto, senior client, San Jose

Ernesto''s story

Ernesto is 70 years old and lost his job as a bus driver serving children with special needs due to the pandemic. Because of his age, he has also been worried about leaving his home. He shared how the food he receives through our home delivery program has given him hope and lifted his spirits.

Listen to his story

An update on food donations

As many of you are aware, since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis Second Harvest has not been accepting walk-in, community food donations, and our traditional food drive program has been placed on hold.

We will continue to keep this policy in place for the indefinite future, which means we will not have any barrels placed in the community this holiday season. It is our priority to:

Continue operating at the highest level of efficiency possible to keep up with the skyrocketing need our community is facing.
Ensure our neighbors get a consistent and nutritious mix of groceries. We are better able to control the type of groceries we provide to the community when we purchase food items in bulk.
Keep our community, volunteers and staff safe by limiting the number of people in our buildings.

The best way to support our community is by donating funds to help buy exactly what food people need when they need it. Your support will go straight toward helping the over 500,000 neighbors seeking our help.

Parents go into debt to pay for kids'' breakfasts, lunches

Photo: Andreas Fuhrmann, AP

Lack of access to school meals has put a lot of parents in financial distress, even when school districts make meals available for pick-up, according to a survey from Credit Karma. Second Harvest Board Member Colleen McCreary shares her perspective on the issue in this USA Today article. Read more.

Planning for the future?

It's National Make-A-Will Month (seriously), and people everywhere are using this opportunity to cross an essential task off their list - and take care of their loved ones - by creating a legal will. In partnership with FreeWill, Second Harvest is proud to offer our community an online will-writing tool for free, so that everyone can access this important resource. Write your free will in a matter of minutes.

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CalFresh, also known as SNAP, provides grocery benefits to low-income households that can be used to purchase nutritious food. This program is more important than ever in ensuring that people in our community do not go hungry during this pandemic and economic crisis.

This Hunger Action Month, Second Harvest is advocating for a 15% increase in the benefit levels for CalFresh. Help us by taking action today: Contact your congresspeople and send this letter provided by Feeding America.

Thank you for advocating for our neighbors struggling during the COVID-19 crisis.

- Tracy Weatherby, Vice President of Strategy and Advocacy

This summer our Strategy and Advocacy team worked with Santa Clara County to develop a grant to provide adult caregiver meals at summer meals sites. This allowed everyone in the family to take advantage of nutritious summer meals - not just the kids.

Saralyn Otter, supervising children''s librarian at Morgan Hill Library, shared how this change benefited the families at their summer meals site:

"We loved serving the adults! Before Second Harvest covered adult meals, only the kids could eat the summer meals - so if the little ones didn''t eat all the food, they weren''t allowed to share. With adult meals, we were able to serve the whole family. We could feed the parents, grandparents, adult children, or other grown-ups in the household.

Hunger hurts everyone, and I hate to think anyone is going without, especially right now when so many people are losing their jobs. Being able to provide meals for the adults as well makes families and the community healthier and happier."

Even before shelter in place began, Second Harvest has been advocating for funding and policies that would give all kids access to free school meals. During the COVID-19 crisis, that work is more important than ever.

We are thrilled to report that on August 31, the federal government provided the ability for any student 18 or under to pick up free meals from their local schools. Family circumstances are uncertain for so many right now - we applaud the decision to provide school meals without forcing families to fill out complicated income forms.

School districts in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties are providing meals on a grab and go basis and this waiver allows schools to serve anyone in need and be reimbursed with federal dollars. Some districts provide both breakfast and lunch and may provide multiple days worth of meals at once, including coverage for the weekend.

Visit shfb.org/mealsforkids to find out where grab and go school meals are available in your area.

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Give now: Triple your gift

When summer arrives, families that rely on free and reduced-price meals for their children have a real budget crunch; we advocate for as many community partners as possible (schools, libraries, camps, etc.) to provide these summer meals using federal funding. We assist in identifying locations and providing infrastructure needed to provide meals. And then we ensure that families know about these nutritious meals through our promotion and advertising.

Your support allows our Strategy and Advocacy team to work tirelessly to ensure families in our community can access free summer meals close to home.

Second Harvest invests in promoting summer meals across both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties and works with partners to ensure that families in need have free meals close to home.

This year we are providing partners with bookmarks, flyers and banners as well as promoting meals through Facebook, YouTube, and Spanish language television. Our texting number connects neighbors directly to a map with a full list of summer meals sites in Silicon Valley.

Due to the increased need and safety concerns caused by COVID-19, this year''s summer meals program will follow a new model: In addition to lunch, breakfast will also be available for curbside pickup at most locations across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. It''s estimated that the amount of meals served will greatly increase.

We also worked with Santa Clara County to develop a grant for the provision of adult caregiver meals to encourage families to make these nutritious meals a part of their summer routine.

Behind the scenes: How 12 million pounds of food get distributed during a pandemic

Photo: Magali Gauthier

Follow a Palo Alto Weekly journalist as she goes behind the scenes to see just how Second Harvest is able to distribute food to more than 500,000 neighbors every month during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the warehouse loading docks, to the sort rooms, to the drive-thru distributions, our work is fueled by the passion and dedication of our staff, volunteers and partners. Read more…

To mail in a donation, make checks payable to Second Harvest and mail to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, ATTN: Donation Department, 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134

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Hi friend of Second Harvest,

Second Harvest and our partner sites are the only grocery stores for the most vulnerable members of our community and one of few networks open as we "shelter in place."

We are moving quickly to identify and implement changes to our food distributions that are measured, safe and scalable so we can better serve our community during this crisis.

We have seen a 100% increase in calls this week from neighbors needing food. Now more than ever, we need your help.

You make it possible for us to:

Keep up with the increased need in our community
Provide a mix of shelf-stable foods, perishables and fresh produce
Pre-box food for distributions to keep people moving in and out quickly
Transition to alternative methods of food distribution like drive-through pickup
Replace lost volunteer labor with a temporary workforce

Donate now

We have always said we cannot end hunger alone; that it will take all of us working together. That has never been more true than today.

If there is any community that can rise to the occasion, I am confident it’s ours. Thank you for giving what you can.

In partnership,

Leslie Bacho

Chief Executive Officer

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

P.S. Stay up to date on our response to the COVID-19 crisis and please refer anyone who might need food to our Food Connection team.

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley | 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134
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Hi friend of Second Harvest,

Tomorrow is #GivingTuesdayNow! It’s is a new global day of giving and unity as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.

We have exciting news — all gifts tomorrow will be matched 2:1 thanks to a generous donation from Guy Gecht and Noa Grant!

Help us raise $20,000 in just 24 hours to help provide 120,000 meals for those who’ve had their lives upended during this economic crisis.

Make a gift

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley | 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134
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We know in this COVID-19 pandemic, so many of our friends and neighbors are struggling. They''re struggling to pay rent, they''re struggling to pay for food, and Second Harvest and other food banks are such a huge safety net for so many people in our community.

– Marc Berman, California State Assemblymember

Giving Tuesday Now raises enough for 948,760 meals

We were blown away by the response to Giving Tuesday Now — supporters like you helped raise $227,190.

Our original goal of $20,000 was generously tripled by Guy Gecht and Noa Grant. The additional gifts were then doubled by a group of Second Harvest friends and Google alumni, who have generously offered to match all donations through May up to $615,000.

The need continues to grow

Assemblymember Marc Berman shaves his head for hunger

Last week Assemblymember Marc Berman came up with a creative solution for motivating people to give to Second Harvest: If he reached $7,500 through his fundraiser, he would shave his head live on Facebook.

Not only did he keep his promise, but supporters helped him raise over $14,200 — almost twice his original goal. He shared:

"If you have jobs, if you''ve kept your jobs, dig super deep to help those who are less fortunate right now. My wife and I are both lucky that we still have our jobs. We feel like we have an obligation to step up and help others who don''t right now or who have less hours. Do everything you can. Don''t save it for the end of the year. People need a lot of support right now. Do it in December also but do it in early May too!"

Give now

What you''re sharing

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Give now: $1 for $1 match

It was nothing but herculean: the efforts of our community, of our volunteers, of our staff, and then the National Guard.

– Cat Cvengros, Vice President of Development and Marketing

Give where you live: ABC7 urges viewers to support Second Harvest

Second Harvest staff, volunteers and partners, alongside other Bay Area food banks, share the latest updates on our COVID-19 crisis response in the ABC7 special, Give Where You Live.

Watch how our community''s herculean effort allowed us to respond as quickly as we did, and see what a local San Jose chef cooks up with the fresh ingredients we provide in our food boxes.

Watch the video

Bay Area food banks now serving more than 1 million a month

Photo: Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group

Second Harvest CEO Leslie Bacho talks to the San Jose Mercury News about how things have changed since the start of the COVID-19 crisis and what it will take to meet the growing need for months to come.

Read the article

Given a fighting chance

"I''ve been beat up quite a bit. I had 41 pro fights. So, I got my tail whupped a whole lot," Mike joked while waiting in his car for the St. Lucy Catholic Parish drive-thru distribution in Campbell.

From 1980 to 1992, Mike, a Bay Area native, fought at San Carlos'' Circle Star Theater, competed in Brazil and South Africa, and even became one of Mike Tyson''s sparring partners. He spent over 200 rounds in the ring with opponents like Tyson, George Foreman and Frank Bruno. ⠀

Mike and his wife both face various health problems, and with little income coming in, it was hard to find the nutritious food they needed. He first received food from Second Harvest after his doctor wrote him a "prescription" to pick up nutritious groceries from The Health Trust, one of our partner agencies in San Jose.

Now, Mike visits his local distribution regularly and is improving his diet and lifestyle. He shared, "I''m cooking a lot of good stuff, I''m eating better, that''s for sure."

Donate

A team effort

To mail in a donation, make checks payable to Second Harvest and mail to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, ATTN: Donation Department, 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134

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You feel some butterflies because you know challenges will arise that are going to take some creative thinking. But after your first half hour at the distribution site, you meet all the volunteers and start seeing clients show up to get food. Those butterflies start to settle. You get into the zone. You get into the rhythm of what it takes to run a distribution.

– Sam Carp, Client Innovation Project Manager,

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

Partner spotlight: Catholic Charities

Second Harvest coordinates with our vast partner network throughout Silicon Valley to meet the increased need resulting from the economic crisis. Serving almost 5,500 households each week, Catholic Charities is instrumental in the operation of our new home delivery program, while also running seven large drive-thru distributions.

Joseph Eckert, a volunteer at last week''s Catholic Charities distribution at St. John Vianney''s Catholic Church shared:

"There is a tremendous sense of uncertainty in all of us during this time. By distributing food during the week, we aim to provide people with the feeling of hope that there will soon be an end to this virus and that we all need to support each other as a family during these times."

May is CalFresh Awareness Month

CalFresh (California''s SNAP or food stamp program) is a critical resource for the most vulnerable in our community, providing eligible individuals and families with monthly benefits they can use to buy food at the grocery store.

The number of people applying for CalFresh has skyrocketed since the start of the economic crisis. Second Harvest is working hard to ensure that anyone who''s eligible is getting the benefits they need. Our Food Connection staff are helping an average of 500 households apply for CalFresh each month — a 150% increase from our normal monthly average.

While CalFresh helps to provide much needed support for many in our community, it''s often not enough as it does not account for the cost of living in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Many of our neighbors aren''t eligible for CalFresh, or don''t receive enough to last through the month, and must also rely on Second Harvest for food.

Your continued support ensures that people struggling to feed themselves and their families are having their needs met.

A powerful way to give

Because of recent tax law changes, traditional IRA holders 70½ and older are eligible to make a tax-free gift from their IRA to a qualified organization of their choice, like Second Harvest.

We''ve partnered with FreeWill to provide an online resource that allows you to calculate your required minimum distribution (RMD), and decide how much you want to give back to Second Harvest directly from your IRA, tax-free. Making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is a great way to support our community during the economic crisis.

Try our QCD tool

What you''re sharing

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley | 4001 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134
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Hi,

For many in 2020, receiving food from a food bank was a new experience. For others, Second Harvest was a familiar resource that felt more critical than ever before.

Our community''s support meant the world to neighbors like L?zaro, who lost his job because of the pandemic on top of battling stomach cancer. He shared:

"We are so thankful that we heard about Second Harvest because now we don't have to worry about food anymore. It has been such a blessing for us."

My job is mixed with heartbreak - I have never seen anything near this level of food insecurity in my 20+ years doing this work - and hope. With the support of our incredible donors, volunteers, nonprofits partners and staff, we have accomplished what I would never have thought possible.

As the prospect of a new year inspires us to do more, know that at Second Harvest we are also looking back with profound gratitude. We look forward to continuing our work with you at our side in the months to come, no matter what they may bring.

In partnership,

Leslie Bacho
Chief Executive Officer
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

P.S. Please note gifts sent by mail in December are still being processed and receipts may not have been issued. Staff is working hard and we appreciate your patience.

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Give now: $1 for $1 match

Neighbors attending Daly City and San Jose grocery distributions

Thank you to every donor, volunteer and virtual drive coordinator for supporting our neighbors this holiday season and beyond. Your commitment makes a difference. Maureen O''Connor, retired staff at St. Vincent de Paul at Holy Angels, one of our Daly City partners, shared:

"Good work team. I hear from Daly City residents how important your food items are. Thanks for living the Christmas spirit all year round."

Biking 1,350 miles for over 12,000 meals!

The Sikh Cub Scout Pack 600 took to the road to raise funds for our neighbors this holiday season. Each scout, ages 5 to 10, pledged to ride their bicycles two miles for every $10 they received in donations. In six weeks, they raised over $6,000 and biked 1,350 miles! Cubmaster Montu Mavi shared:

"The holiday season is a special time of the year, and while these scouts are 5-10 years old, they have seen how their lives have been impacted by COVID-19, and didn't want anyone in the Bay Area to struggle with COVID-19, a cold winter and hunger this holiday."

Their successful virtual drive can help purchase food for 12,000 meals for our neighbors. Thank you Sikh Cub Scout Pack 600!

If you haven''t started your 2020 drive yet, it''s not too late!

Start a fundraiser

$1 for $1 match to fill our virtual barrel

This holiday neighbors across Silicon Valley will be struggling to put food on the table for their families. While we are not accepting community food donations this year, you can still help provide food for a meaningful meal by filling our virtual barrel with much needed protein, dairy and more.

Your gift to fill the virtual barrel is eligible to be matched by Second Harvest supporters Jeff and Marieke Rothschild, up to $1 million.

Fill the virtual barrel

Behind the scenes: More restrictions, more need in the Bay Area

Photo: Martha''s Kitchen

"As the coronavirus exacts a growing economic toll, Bay Area food banks and soup kitchens face the triple challenge of raising funds to meet increased demand, attracting new volunteers and distributing food under safe conditions." Read the article from the San Mateo Daily Journal.