This year 24 law offices in Contra Costa County, representing 742 employees, recently raised more than $56,000 and 223 pounds of food! The Food Bank sincerely thanks the local legal community and our generous sponsors for fighting hunger!

Winners of the 2017 Food From the Bar Competition:

1 – 5 Employees:
Law Offices of Suzanne N. Boucher

6 – 10 Employees:
Brown, Gee & Wenger, LLP

11 – 20 Employees:
Bramson, Plutzik, Mahler & Birkhaeuser, LLP

21 – 50 Employees:
Gagen, McCoy, McMahon, Koss, Markowitz & Raines, A Professional Corporation

51 and over Employees:
Archer Norris, PLC

Thank you to the Food From the Bar Sponsors:
3D-Forensic
ADR Services
Aiken Welch Court Reporters
Archer Norris, PLC
Brown, Gee & Wenger, LLP
Buchman Provine Brothers Smith LLP
Certified Reporting Services
Contra Costa County Bar Association
Esquire
Ferber Law
First Legal Network
Gagen, McCoy, McMahon, Koss, Markowitz & Raines, A Professional Corporation
Huseby
Law Offices of Suzanne N. Boucher
McNamara, Ney, Beatty, Slattery, Borges & Ambacher LLP
Miller Starr Regalia
Newmeyer & Dillion LLP
QUiVX
Vasquez Benisek & Lindgren LLP

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is proud to be collaborating with Food As Medicine, a group of physicians in the Contra Costa County medical system, to make nutritious food more accessible to the low-income patients they serve.

As their name implies, the physicians linked to Food As Medicine believe proper nutrition can help the country’s obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic. Both organizations understand that one’s economic status often has a direct correlation with the level of nourishment they receive. Empty calories commonly cost less than whole foods packed with essential nutrients and vitamins.

The Food Bank is now running a farmers’ market style food give-away twice a month in San Pablo and Pittsburg.  

San Pablo’s distributions occur at the West County Health Center on the 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays of the month between 2:00pm and 3:00 pm.

Pittsburg distributions occur at the Pittsburg Health center WIC on the first and third Thursdays of the month between 1:30pm and 3:00pm.

Qualified households can pick up approximately 20 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables and recipients are encouraged to bring one or two bags with handles.

“It’s a positive experience to see the physicians be excited by what we can contribute to their efforts to improve people’s health,” said Larry Sly of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.

The Food Bank is happy to work more closely with health care providers as the trend of doctors “prescribing” fruits and vegetables increases. Together we can combat costly, preventable diseases and improve the overall health and wellbeing of our society.

For more information regarding food distribution qualifications, visit foodbankccs.org or call 1-855-309-FOOD.

We want to enthusiastically thank our sponsors and all who participated in the 5^th annual Drive Fore Break on Hunger Golf Classic on April 3^rd. Over 140 golfers enjoyed a sunny day on the beautiful course at Round Hill Country Club. One lucky golfer even sunk a hole-in-one!

This tournament plays an important part in fighting hunger in our community. The money raised helps us feed children during the summer months, when kids are most at-risk of hunger.

Please check out our Facebook page to view photos from the event.  

We will announce the 2018 tournament date soon; we look forward to seeing you next year!

Thank you to our Sponsors:            
Sutter Delta Medical Center
Tesoro Refining and Marketing
Pacific Service Credit Union
Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery and Carbon Plant
Lennar | FivePoint
Contra Costa Electric Inc.
Maze & Associates
Sutter Health
Ameriprise Financial
Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.
Coca-Cola
Jersey Mike’s Subs

This month The Nation covered the impact that immigration fears have been having on hunger in California. Counties across the state have reported increasing instances of cancelled CalFresh nutrition assistance applications and food banks have been seeing decreasing numbers of immigrants at their distributions, which they attribute to fears that utilizing assistance could make families vulnerable to deportation. Read the full article from The Nation here.

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano has also heard these fears echoed within our own community. Parents have called to ask whether they should discontinue CalFresh benefits for their US citizen children for fear it could lead to their deportation. Individuals at our distributions have reported that they are picking up extra food for neighbors who are afraid to congregate in public – or even leave their homes. We understand the gravity of these fears, but also want to stress that at this point in time there have been no changes to eligibility for CalFresh. Furthermore, food assistance is always available from the Food Bank, regardless of immigrant status. Everyone is welcome at our food distributions. Read the Food Bank’s public letter on providing food to all here.

September is Hunger Action Month. Hunger IS real. Many people associate hunger with developing countries, but it’s a domestic problem as well. It’s not just in the big metropolitan cities either. It’s in our own suburban backyards. In fact, over 190,000 people turn to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano a MONTH for help.

So, as a hunger-fighting organization, we realize we need to do more than just provide people with emergency supplemental food. We must be part of building a movement that ends hunger in our society. That is why it is important to us to spread awareness throughout September about Hunger Action Month.

We join Feeding America, the national network of food banks, to encourage people to donate, advocate, volunteer and to turn orange. What does that mean?

DONATE:

For every $1 donated, a food-insecure neighbor can receive two meals. Donations can be made by going to www.foodbankccs.org/hungeractionmonth. Our goal is to raise $10,000 in these 30 days of awareness. As a thank you for donating, we are offering car magnets that let others know that you are a Food Bank supporter.

ADVOCATE:

We encourage people to follow the Food Bank @foodbankccs and share our posts to help spread the word about local hunger.

VOLUNTEER:

We especially need volunteers in our Fairfield warehouse. Visit www.foodbankccs.org/volunteer to sign up for a shift.

TURN ORANGE:

We want people to make a bold statement by wearing orange, the official color of hunger, throughout the month of September.

Through the years, we’ve seen this movement grow, but there is a lot of work still to be done. Producing positive change is difficult and takes time, but we know it can be done. Civil rights, women’s rights and educating people about the health dangers associated with smoking (just to name a few cases where laws and people’s perception shifted) did not happen overnight.

In a society as rich as ours that has enormous agricultural resources, there is no reason anyone should be hungry. We ask you to take action during Hunger Action Month so we can help our neighbors reach their full potential.

The author is executive director of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, based in Concord. Email: info@foodbankccs.org.

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano received a big boost in its never-ending request to feed the hungry thanks to the 4th Annual Valero Sporting Clay Invitational, presented by the Benicia refinery.

The event raised over $70,000 this year, bringing our four-year total to more than a quarter of a million dollars,” said Refinery Controller and event co-chair David Le.

“It takes a huge effort and dozens of Valero Volunteers to make this successful,” said Le. The tournament was held at the Birds Landing facility in Solano County.

Thirty-four teams of four competed for prizes and bragging rights while raising money and awareness for the Food Bank, which just celebrated its 40th year of operation.

Le added, “Because of their network of food producers, donors and distribution systems, every dollar donated to the Food Bank provides two meals to people in need.”

Statistics show that one in eight people within Contra Costa and Solano counties seek assistance from the Food Bank for emergency and supplemental food.