Together, We Can End HungerYour Investments at WorkDONOR IMPACT REPORT | SUMMER 2017

Summertime is a time to play and

explore for kids. When I was growing up,

the only signal to come inside was the call

for dinner.

But for kids from low-income families, going home

can mean being met by an empty fridge. So, many just

stay out and ignore their rumbling stomachs, or they

try to go home with a friend with the hope of a filling

meal.

In our community, hunger is even more prevalent

during the summer months. When schools close

their doors, so do most free- and reduced-price meal

programs, leaving many families scrambling to pay for

additional food.

Beyond this seasonal increase in hunger, we are

concerned that the need for food assistance will grow

significantly in the coming months and years. This

Spring, I visited our congressional representatives

in Washington, D.C., and they informed me that it’s

not a question of if, it’s a question of

when school lunch programs and SNAP

(formerly food stamps) will face cuts.

Our representatives — Senator Dianne Feinstein,

Senator Kamala Harris, Leader Nancy Pelosi,

Representative Jared Huffman and Representative

Jackie Speier — all promised they will fight against such

cuts. However, we must be prepared to deepen our

commitment to the thousands of children, families,

seniors, and individuals who will rely on us more

heavily in the future.

Your generosity makes a real and lasting impact in our

community. Thank you for helping us ensure all kids

can have the carefree summer they deserve.

With Gratitude,

Paul Ash

Executive Director

Together, We Feed Kids All Summer Long

On the cover: Participants at the John Muir Elementary School Healthy Children Pantry2

Nourishing Children at Every Stage1 IN 5 CHILDREN FACES HUNGERIN SF AND MARIN

HUNGRY CHILDREN OFTEN FALL BEHIND IN THEIR

SCHOOLWORK

MALNUTRITION PUTS KIDS AT GREATER RISK OF ILLNESS

Healthy Moms, Healthy Babiesworkshops encourage new mothers to think about nutrition for themselves as well as their babies.

Healthy Children Pantries located at public schoOls and community centers provide easy access to healthy foods for families with hectic schedules.

Summer Continuation Pantries stay open all summer to serve families from 17 schools where pantries close for summer break.

Morning Snackreaches students at 14 high-need public schools providing a healthy boost that helps kids stay focused on learning.

Our CalFresh Outreach Team connects with thousands of families at schools, childcare centers, college campuses, WIC clinics, and healthcare settings to help them enroll in CalFresh (food stamps).

Teens Tackle the Kitchenworkshops engage youth in healthy competition to make the healthiest, tastiest meals and snacks they can using Food Bank ingredients.

College Pantries alleviate hunger among low-income students, helping them focus on earning their degrees.

HOW WE HELP

This summer, Betania’s

family will receive food

through our Summer

Continuation Pantries,

now in their second year.

Turn the page to read

more about how we are

expanding this successful

program to reach even

more students and families.

It's been said that all mothers have one true wish: to see their children grow and thrive. You can count San Francisco

resident Betania among them, although her pathway to realizing this wish has more obstacles than most.

The single mother left her home in Central America with hopes of building a better life for her children in the United

States. For now, they are living with Betania’s aunt, who invited them to stay with her until they are able to afford a

place of their own.

"It’s very difficult to live in San Francisco as a single mom,” Betania says. “There were days I wouldn’t eat any

food just so I could be sure that my kids were okay. That’s how it should be though, making sure your kids have

food first.”

Betania’s Story: Hopes for a Better Life

There were days I

wouldn’t eat any

food just so I could

be sure that my kids

were okay.— Betania, pantry participant

Betania was relieved to find out that the SF-Marin Food

Bank operates a pantry at Hillcrest Elementary School,

where her daughter attends second grade. Now she’s

able to pick up 30 pounds of fresh groceries every

Thursday when she drops her daughter off at school.

Her biggest relief came when she learned that the

Hillcrest Healthy Children Pantry would stay open

during the summer months, even when school is

out of session. "I don’t know what I was going to do

without those groceries. But now I can count on the

fresh vegetables and other items all summer.”

The timing couldn’t be better. Betania describes her

growing son's hobbies as playing with a soccer ball

and eating. "He loves all the fresh fruit that we get. I

know that the chicken and other items will help him

and his sister grow."

Betania is eager to find a better paying job and searches

every day, aiming to strike out on her own soon. With

help from the Food Bank, she has less stress about

feeding her family and a little more breathing room to

find a good job.

“Thank you, Food Bank! God has given you a big heart

to give out so much food and to help the community

like this,” she says.

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Summer Pantries Close the Hunger Gap

In June 2016, the Food Bank began a pilot program to

keep pantries that serve students and families open

during the summer. It's a time when many families

face even greater challenges to put food on the table

because their children lose access to free- and reduced-

price school meal programs. In addition, many school-

based pantries close for the season. Through the new

program, the Food Bank ensured that students and

their families continued to get food all summer long.

The program was a big success, serving more than

400 families for 12 weeks and providing more than

180,000 pounds of fresh, healthy food.

This summer, we will build on our success, adding

a new site in San Francisco’s Western Addition

neighborhood, and continuing summer pantries in

Chinatown and Bayview. Together, these pantries will

serve hundreds of families from 17 schools where

pantries close for the summer.

Your Investments at Work

Feeding the Programs that Feed the People

Did you know that almost 10% of the food we

distribute each year reaches neighbors in need through

meal programs? The Food Bank provides ingredients

to more than 200 local nonprofits who host soup

kitchens or provide home-delivered meals.

In 2017, we are on track to provide four million pounds of

food to meal programs throughout San Francisco and

Marin. By purchasing ingredients in bulk and gathering

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEALS ON WHEELS SAN FRANCISCO

Nutrition Education for New Moms

The Food Bank’s work is so much more than distribut-

ing food. Our Nutrition Education Team teaches pantry

participants how to prepare nutritious meals with the

food they receive from us, while encouraging healthy

choices for every meal.

This spring, our team launched “Healthy Moms,

Healthy Babies,” a four-week series of workshops

that encourages new mothers and caregivers to think

about nutrition for themselves and their babies during

one of the most important and often hectic times of

transition in their lives. The workshops are currently

offered in English and Spanish through our partnership

with San Francisco's Homeless Prenatal Program.

Cantonese classes and new partners will be added

over time as this program grows.

“We know that good health depends on good nutrition

right from the start,” said Senior Nutrition Education

Coordinator Nalleli Martinez, who heads up the new

program. “Our aim is to foster smart choices and

behaviors that can boost mothers’ health, their babies’

health, and the health of their entire family moving

forward.”

millions of pounds of donated produce, the Food Bank

provides high-quality, nutritious food to our partners.

We work directly with farmers, packers, manufacturers

and retailers, sourcing fresh ingredients for partners

such as Glide, Meals on Wheels, St. Anthony’s Dining

Room, and St. Vincent de Paul, among others.

“The Food Bank is the foundation of the Bay Area’s

food assistance network,” said Ashley McCumber,

executive director of Meals on Wheels San Francisco.

“We rely on the Food Bank as the primary source

for fresh, healthy produce for our home-delivered

meals and groceries. Thanks to our partnership with

the Food Bank, we are able to nourish thousands of

low-income seniors across San Francisco. Together,

we are a formidable force to end senior hunger and

isolation.”

Your Investments at Work

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Policy & Advocacy Highlights

Raising Our Voices in Washington

In March, Executive Director Paul Ash and our Policy

& Advocacy Team traveled to Washington, D.C. for

the annual Anti-Hunger Policy Conference hosted by

Feeding America and the Food Research and Action

Center. They joined advocates from across the nation to

address food access in the rapidly changing landscape

of the Federal budget. Our team also met with key staff

from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi’s office,

Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Dianne Feinstein,

Representative Jeff Denham, and Representative

Jared Huffman. Together, they strategized about how

to protect and strengthen federal nutrition programs.

Our team urged our representatives to stay resolute

in defense of food assistance programs and explained

how any cuts at the federal level could impact local

food banks and the people we serve.

Helping Food Banks "Shop Local"

In 2016, we successfully advocated for the California

State budget to include new funding for the CalFood

program, which empowers food banks around the

state to purchase more California-grown products. We

secured $2 million last year. This year, we are ramping

up efforts and advocating for $17.5 million in funding for

CalFood. If granted, it would allow California food banks

to distribute enough locally-grown food for 87.5 million

more meals.

Our Policy & Advocacy Team is hard at work, advocating for increased funding for anti-hunger

programs. Through their research, strategic collaboration with community partners, and relationships

with elected officials, they are advancing legislation and policies that improve food assistance.

Inspiring Action in Marin

After hearing concerns from the SF-Marin Food

Bank and our partners about low participation in

CalFresh (food stamps) in Marin County, officials

established a CalFresh Task Force this year to

formalize collaborative efforts to boost CalFresh

enrollment. Comprised of government and nonprofit

representatives, the group has set a goal to increase

CalFresh participation by 30% over the next year in

a county with one of the state's lowest enrollment

rates — currently, less than half of eligible people are

participating. As a member of the Task Force, we will

help identify opportunities for long-overdue system

improvements, with a focus on streamlining the

client experience when applying for benefits.

Building Tools for Change

We continue to play a leadership role in the Alliance

to Transform CalFresh, a statewide coalition dedicated

to increasing CalFresh participation. Our most recent

focus has been on finding innovative ways to increase

dual enrollment between CalFresh and Medi-Cal

(California's Medicaid program). Currently, only about

30% of Medi-Cal recipients statewide are on CalFresh,

even though eligibility criteria is similar. In March, our

Policy & Advocacy Senior Data Analyst, Diana Jensen,

published a data tool for counties to identify Medi-Cal

recipients who are most likely to be eligible to receive

CalFresh.

Report on Missing Meals

Despite a robust food-assistance network and public

programs like CalFresh and school meals, there are still

38 million meals "missing" for low-income neighbors

in San Francisco and Marin. That means one out of

seven meals — 14% — is unaccounted for among our

most vulnerable neighbors. This startling data comes

from our Policy & Advocacy Team’s recently published

report, Missing Meals in San Francisco and Marin,

which the Food Bank updates annually. The report

provides key data for the Food Bank and our partners

to continue to advocate for food assistance funding

and policies.

"Missing" meals

Meals provided by nonprofits

Meals provided by government

Meals afforded with household income

Where do needed meals come from in San Francisco and Marin?

Data from Missing Meals in San Francisco and Marin, 2017 9

Policy & Advocacy Highlights

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Artists Vivienne Flesher and Ward Shumaker have

achieved international acclaim, exhibiting their art

around the world. Through it all, they remain rooted in

our community.

Thirty years ago, Ward purchased a charming, century-

old house two blocks from the Food Bank. “I remember

when the warehouse was built,” he said. “We’ve enjoyed

watching the neighborhood change, and the addition

of the warehouse made us doubly happy.”

Ward and Vivienne made their first gift to the Food Bank

in 1995 and have supported our work over many years.

Their generosity stems from a strong belief that that

everyone should have food, clothing, and a roof over

their heads. For Ward, tithing was part of his Nebraska

upbringing. Vivienne weaves philanthropy into daily life

— when going out, she often brings warm clothing to

give to homeless neighbors.

Wishing to get more involved, Vivienne recently

offered pro-bono photography to the Food Bank. We

jumped at the opportunity. She spent a morning at San

Francisco State University, where we help low-income

students enroll in CalFresh (formerly food stamps). We

also provide free groceries on campus every week.

Rather than hide behind her camera, Vivienne

talked with students, listened to their stories, and

captured their essence with photographs — some are

on this page.

“The kids were so warm and willing to share,” she

said. “It broke my heart to see them struggling, and it

was so moving to be able to help. It was an honor to

photograph them.”

We are grateful for Breadwinners like Vivienne and

Ward, who feel personal responsibility to ensure

everyone in our community has enough to eat.

Meet Vivienne Flesher and Ward Shumaker Members of the Breadwinners Circle

Let their future be your legacy

Make a lasting impact in our community. When you leave a gift to the SF-Marin Food Bank in your will, trust, or by beneficiary designation, your legacy will ensure that children, seniors,

and individuals in San Francisco and Marin are well nourished so they can thrive.

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To learn more about planned giving options, contact Bonnie Feinberg at

415-282-1900, ext. 273 or bfeinberg@sfmfoodbank.org

Together, we can end hunger

in San Francisco and Marin.

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