Originally posted on thereporter.com: Recently, I received a letter from a financial donor who apologized for her family’s minimal donations during the last year. She told me her story and I realized how easily circumstances can change. Her husband was laid off in December 2010 after 35 years in his job as his company closed down the entire division where he worked.  He has been looking for work with little success for three years, leading her to believe businesses prefer hiring younger people rather than those who bring hands-on experience to a position.  As an optimistic person, she is happy they are getting by and recognizes that there are many others in worse positions than her family.  Because of that optimism and her concern for other people in need, she recommended that her credit union direct part of their charitable giving to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.

I also had a conversation with one of the senior citizens we serve through our Senior Food Program.  He retired when he was 62 from a job he hated yet held for nearly forty years to support his family. He had a small retirement package from his employer and had saved enough money so that he could get by.  As a retired man, he spent a good deal of time hanging out with his friends at a small restaurant, drinking coffee and sharing stories of their service in World War II.  He became friends with the restaurant owner so it felt like a good idea when he was offered an opportunity to invest in the business.  He and his friends were always there and the place seemed really busy.  He didn’t realize that the owner was covering cash flow issues by not paying payroll tax.  When the IRS closed the business down, the gentleman had to demonstrate his lack of financial resources and his lack of hands-on management in order to avoid further penalties.  He lost his savings and had to sell his condo in order to make things right.  He was lucky enough to get into subsidized housing after spending several years in the terrible places that qualify as low-income housing in our community.  He is now just getting by on Social Security, a $300 a month pension and the food he receives from the Food Bank’s Senior Food Program.

The power of circumstance and coincidence speak with force.  People have bad things happen, or sometimes make a mistake in judgment.  It can be a fine line between a comfortable life and needing help from the Food Bank. Hearing stories like these, I more fully understand how necessary it is to have a safety net because it could be any of us needing help at some point in our lives.

 Guest post from Michael Altfest of the Alameda County Community Food Bank: One of the Bay Area’s most remarkable fundraising efforts to support local Food Banks has achieved a significant milestone. This season, the Holiday Dinner Drive – an effort among congregants at local synagogues and churches – raised its millionth dollar to help families in need.  As of December 22, 2014, the drive has raised more than $1,042,000 in 17 years to support Alameda County Community Food Bank, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, and San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.

The milestone will be commemorated in a ceremony at Alameda County Community Food Bank on December 23 – the day leading up to the eighth and final night of Chanukah.

The Holiday Dinner Drive was started in 1998 by Dan McClosky, a congregant at Oakland’s Temple Sanai synagogue, after reading a report that Alameda County Community Food Bank did not have enough turkeys for the upcoming holiday season. That year, McClosky raised $550 among family and friends. Temple Sanai congregants joined in the efforts the following year, raising $13,000 for the Food Bank. The drive has continued to grow every year since – in the number of congregations as well as faiths; in the number of Food Banks supported; and the amount raised.

The Holiday Dinner Drive personifies the importance of community to hunger-relief causes. This started as a simple idea resulting from one man’s passion and dedication to ending hunger – passion and dedication that proved to be contagious. The enthusiasm for this drive is palpable – and it has resulted in one of the most outstanding efforts to help those struggling with the burden of hunger.

The drive raises funds that help food banks purchase and provide holiday-specific food to families in need, including chickens and turkeys, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and fresh and canned vegetables.

In 2014, 22 synagogues and churches participated in the Holiday Dinner Drive to support the three food banks.  Fundraising for the drive continues through December 31.

NBC Bay Area has once again teamed up with Safeway Stores for a month-long effort to fight hunger with food banks in the Bay Area. The “Help Us End Hunger” food drive is taking place at 155 Safeway locations throughout the Bay Area making it easy for community members to participate and help feed their neighbors in need.

In addition to providing on air promotion, NBC Bay Area anchors and reporters helped at their own neighborhood Safeway Stores alongside Kiwanis Club members and Food Bank volunteers on Saturday, November 22 to encourage shoppers to donate food items. On this day, 21,663 pounds of food was collected, meaning that more than 17,000 meals can be provided from one day alone!

To make the donation process easier, a specially produced shopping bag filled with items that food banks need the most will be available for $10 at all local Safeway stores. Items include pasta and sauce, canned vegetables and important protein items like peanut butter and canned tuna. Once collected, the bags are delivered to food banks for distribution to families in need. The bags will be available for Safeway shoppers to purchase now through December 25.

Originally posted in the Vacaville Reporter: In looking for signs of economic recovery, current job growth is not encouraging. The national unemployment rate has fallen, but increases in job growth are consistently low and do not indicate a recovering economy. The low job growth numbers back up the stories we hear of people losing a corporate job and not being able to find work for years, if at all. People have lost their job when the recession began and have not been able to find meaningful employment since then. Times are getting worse because the long term unemployment insurance people relied on to pay for housing and food for their families expired at the end of 2013.

Because Congress did not extend the Emergency Unemployment Insurance Program more than 325,000 people will lose their unemployment benefits in the first six months of 2014 according to a report from the Ways and Means Committee. We know these people because they have been coming to the Food Bank’s Food Assistance Program or Community Produce Program. The 25 pounds of food they get at one of these sites helps, but it is not enough food for an entire month. Our help will not pay rent or utility bills, nor will it buy a warm coat for a child. As President Obama read Misty D’s story in his State of the Union speech: “I am confident that in time I will find a job…please give us this chance”

The people the Food Bank serves are incredible at gathering together the bits of community support that can help them hold their lives together. A meal from a soup kitchen, food from the Food Bank, clothes from the Vacaville Storehouse all help. Unemployment insurance is there to help those who can’t find work at a time when jobs are still not readily available. We have the resources to help and it’s important that we do.

Originally posted in the Vacaville Reporter: As we near the end of 2013, we are concerned about the needs of our hungry neighbors more than ever before. We are seeing record numbers of people at our food distributions, yet federal nutrition programs keep getting cut. In spite of this challenge, we are committed to helping end hunger in Contra Costa and Solano counties, and easing the burden of those in need. But we can’t do it without the help of our amazing community.

Twice per month, an average of 6,000 households in Contra Costa and Solano counties are able to take home 20+ pounds of fresh produce twice a month through the Community Produce Program. The people who support our work help put fresh produce on families’ tables.

One of those families belongs to Mauro A. Mauro used to work full-time but his hours have been cut and he just doesn’t make enough for a whole month of food. He really appreciates the selection of vegetables at the Community Produce Program. The Food Bank is now averaging one million pounds of produce every month going to your neighbors, people like Mauro. Thank you to our amazing community for everything you’ve helped accomplish this year. Together we are working to end hunger in our community.

Submitted by Lauren Strouse: The Food Bank is blessed to have many long term supporters. The Sons of Italy, Solano Lodge #2534 of Northern CA, is one of those. They have been making a financial contribution at holiday time since 2001. This year they presented a check for $500. They also volunteer at the Food Bank’s Fairfield warehouse on a quarterly basis. They are one of our most energetic and productive regular groups. Fifteen to twenty people typically show up for a Monday morning shift ready to sort and box food. They work together like a well-oiled machine. Our warehouse staff just keeps the food coming and the group does the rest! They usually sort in excess of 3000 pounds of food each time. The person responsible for coordinating this effort and energizing the group to work hard on our behalf is a bundle of energy named Joy Bruno. Joy is the organizations’ Food Bank Chair, responsible for all the scheduling and work done on behalf of the Food Bank. Joy was president of the club from 2005 to 2008 and is currently serving a second term as State Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of California of Sons of Italy. The Solano Sons of Italy lodge was founded in 1983. It currently has 165 members and is part of a nationwide philanthropic organization. We are very grateful for all of their support over the years!

Executive Director Larry Sly with members of The Sons of Italy, Solano Lodge #2534 of Northern CA