Blog - Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

Innovative Program Gives Hunger a Voice

June 4, 2018 By Carly

To support grassroots solutions to hunger, the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano has piloted the Speaker Series. This advocacy-training program for community members with lived experiences of hunger is designed to lift up the voices of real people facing hunger issues so they can become agents for change in their community.

The Food Bank‘s inaugural Speaker Series kicked off in 2017 with the Vallejo-based food pantry Faith Food Fridays and Toastmasters International. This year the Food Bank and Toastmasters co-hosted the Speaker Series with the financial services nonprofit SparkPoint Contra Costa in Bay Point.

The 3-month program consists of weekly workshops on public speaking, advocacy, and civic engagement. The participants come together to share their stories of hunger and build a community of hunger fighters.

Patricia Romero-Aguasvivas, a graduate from the first Speaker Series class, returned as a facilitator and encouraged others to speak out against hunger. “I decided to come back because after participating in last year’s series, I had a real feeling of empowerment,” she said. “I felt confident in talking about something that is so personal to me…and advocating towards ending hunger.”

Graduates from both Speaker Series attended Hunger Action Day in May in Sacramento to put their advocacy skills to work. Participants met face-to-face with their state elected officials, shared their personal stories of hunger and called for the passage of public policies that support food access and economic security.

Community members and elected officials attending June’s release of the Food Bank’s Hunger Study results also heard from some of the graduates of the Speaker Series as they described what it’s really like to be food insecure.

“It’s more powerful for an elected official to hear directly from those who are personally affected by hunger and poverty,” said Mary Ann Buggs, Advocacy & Community Engagement Coordinator at the Food Bank. “It puts a face on the issues. That’s what these graduates are able to accomplish.”

This year’s graduating class more than tripled in size, growing from 4 to 14! Jesse Alvarez, a senior and disabled veteran from Antioch who graduated from this year’s Speaker Series wants to see the program continue to grow. “It helped me to be confident in myself, fine tune my speaking skills, and become a positive influence in all aspects of life,” he said. “I am a proud advocate against hunger.”

For many seniors the monthly decision is food or…

May 15, 2018 By Guest

“I always felt there were other people that need it more than me… but after I had gone three days without eating, I was so hungry.” – Mary age 90 on why she applied for CalFresh

For 74 year-old Theresa of Antioch, her retirement years are anything but golden. Theresa shares, “I thought my older years would be easy. Instead of easy, I’m not making it.” Theresa is not unique. For a growing number of seniors, that is the reality. In fact, 1 in 11 seniors in California may have to choose between paying rent, filling prescriptions or purchasing food. CalFresh, a state-run nutrition assistance program, could be the answer for many limited-income seniors. CalFresh benefits are automatically loaded onto a debit-like card that can be discreetly used at most grocery stores, neighborhood stores and farmers’ markets.

Despite being one of the most effective solutions to hunger, the majority of seniors who are eligible do not use CalFresh. Why? Because of some persistent myths seniors believe about the program.

MYTH: “Other people need CalFresh more than I do.”
FACT: There are enough CalFresh benefits available to everyone meeting the eligibility requirements. There is no need for qualifying seniors go without.

MYTH: “It’s too hard to apply for CalFresh.”
FACT: Friendly Food Bank staff help seniors find out if they may be eligible. They can provide further assistance by mailing out applications or helping apply over the phone or online.

MYTH: “I own my house, so I won’t qualify.”
FACT: Seniors can have savings, a house and cars and still receive CalFresh.

The Food Bank is letting seniors know about the help CalFresh can bring, because no one should have to choose between buying food or filling a prescription.

To learn more about this important program, visit foodbankccs.org/seniorcalfresh.

Behind the Scenes: Letter Carriers’ Food Drive-Coming up this Saturday!

May 7, 2018 By Jenny

The Letter Carriers’ Food Drive is the largest one-day food drive in the nation and this year it takes place on May 12th. Every year we ask you to participate by putting a bag of food by your mailbox on the Saturday before Mother’s Day before your normal mail delivery time. But where does the food go? How does it get in the hands of the people who need it? How much is collected? Here’s a little breakdown of the process:

BEFORE:

All residences receive a post card about the food drive.
Some residences will also receive a paper bag (provided by generous sponsors who support the letter carriers) to help publicize the drive.

DURING:

When nonperishable food (please, no glass) is left by a mailbox the letter carrier will pick up the food when they deliver the mail that day.
Food Bank trucks and volunteers are stationed at the post offices to help the letter carriers unload their trucks.
It is a longer than usual and tiring day for the letter carriers, but it’s a rewarding one–as they know their hard work will add smiles to many faces during the summer months.

AFTER:

The food gets inspected, sorted and boxed by volunteers at the Food Bank warehouses and then gets distributed to agencies who then bag it up for those in need.
Some of the food sometimes goes to the Food Bank’s Senior Food Program.

This nationwide drive collects over 70 million pounds of food a year!

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano received 222,413 pounds of food last year! Our goal is to beat last year’s total. When you see your letter carrier, please let them know you appreciate their hard work in making this event a success.

Please help us fill the shelves this year!

The shelves in our Concord warehouse before and after a Letter Carriers’ Food Drive

10 Tips on RE-PURPOSING Food

April 21, 2018 By Jenny

The concept of “being green” has evolved over the years. The Food Bank takes pride in our use of solar energy and the fact we recycle papers, glass and plastics, and have an organics bin. As you might imagine, we also have a special interest in preventing food waste. When we divert food from going into the landfill, our hungry neighbors and our environment all benefit.

Here are 10 easy, cost-saving tips to re-purpose food at home:

Add drained juice from canned tomatoes to your water or broth when making flavored rice or quinoa.
Plant discarded white bottom part of green onions in soil to regrow. This works for some other vegetables too.
Save the juice from canned garbanzo beans to use as a substitution for egg whites. Do a search on “acquafaba recipes” to learn about all of its other uses!
Chop surplus herbs at their peak and place into ice-cube trays. Add water and freeze. Defrost “cubes” as needed to flavor food.
Make croutons out of stale bread.
Freeze unneeded fruits and vegetables BEFORE they spoil (remove unedible parts beforehand).
Use bruised/overripe fruits in blended smoothies.
Add used coffee grounds and eggshells to amend soil in vegetable gardens.
Use vegetable scraps to make broth (store scraps in freezer until you have enough).
If you use vinegar/water as a cleaning agent, add fresh citrus peels (lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit) to the vinegar and marinate in fridge until strong vinegar smell disappears. Then add water to dilute.

We want to hear from you! What are your favorite food-saving tricks?

Volunteer Spotlight: Renee Schlicting

April 16, 2018 By Rachel

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month! We’re celebrating with a few stories submitted by regular volunteers. Tell us why you volunteer in the comments. Take it away, Renee!

“I retired from work two years ago and I knew I wanted to do something to help people. I never had the time to volunteer while I was working full time and raising my two sons.

I started searching the wonderful web to see what opportunities were out there. I came across the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and signed up.

I primarily help distribute the fresh produce at various sites throughout Fairfield and Vacaville. It so good to see the wonderful produce we hand out and to see how grateful people are to get produce. It gives me a chance to interact with people and I love working outside. I have also really enjoyed working with Elaine who drives the food truck.

It amazes me how many people the Food Bank helps feed. I also never realized how many people need help with food and it makes me realize how fortunate I have been to have never really been hungry my entire life. I look forward to many more rewarding experiences!”

To find a volunteer role that suits you, visit www.foodbankccs.org/volunteer.

Volunteer Spotlight: Roger Hancock and CSAA Insurance Group

April 12, 2018 By Rachel

Roger Hancock has been a long-time friend of the Food Bank as a regular volunteer and donor. Ten years ago he brought along a team of CSAA Insurance Group volunteers and the rest is history. Now he helps organize numerous events throughout the year for employees to volunteer at the Food Bank. New hires at CSAA Insurance Group headquarters in Walnut Creek also participate in a volunteer event at the Food Bank as part of their on-boarding process.

What was your first impression of the Food Bank?
Amazing facility and truly amazing staff and volunteers. It is extraordinary what the Food Bank accomplishes on a daily basis to serve hunger in our community. I was most impressed that Larry Sly, Executive Director of the Food Bank, stopped by to thank the volunteers for the important work that they do. Larry continues to find time in his day to swing by to thank the food sorting volunteers. Incredible, personal touch.

When you last volunteered, how did that make you feel?
I always have a rewarding, meaningful, and fun time at the Food Bank. Our employees at CSAA Insurance Group also report feeling fulfilled and enjoying spending time with their colleagues. And, I also like that I can volunteer alongside of my wife, Sunny. I also like the “physical workout.” I usually volunteer to lift, tape, and weigh boxes that are about 30 – 40 pounds.

What do you wish other people knew about the Food Bank?
Volunteering at the Food Bank truly is rewarding and an excellent place for our employees to volunteer in teams. The time commitment to successfully complete a volunteer shift is very manageable – lasting 2 – 3 hours. I leave the Food Bank pretty exhausted. But, I feel great at what our team of volunteers accomplishes.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about volunteering?
Do it. Volunteer. When I go to the Food Bank — I arrive happy and excited. When I am at the Food Bank, I am working hard and having fun. And, when I leave the Food Bank, I know I have made a difference in the lives of others… and in my own life too.

Thanks for all you do Roger and team!

Join the Food Bank for Hunger Action Day 2018

April 2, 2018 By Carly

Did you know that 1 in 8 members of our community turns to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano each month? The Food Bank supports neighbors from all walks of life and in all corners of our community.

Emergency food assistance is essential, but it isn’t enough. The Food Bank can’t solve the issue of hunger alone. We need YOU to join us in speaking out against hunger and advocating for policies to help eradicate it.

Each year the Food Bank participates in Hunger Action Day, a statewide day of organizing to raise awareness of the issue of hunger and work toward real solutions. We join hundreds of passionate Californians in calling on our elected officials to partner with us to end hunger and poverty.

This year Hunger Action Day will take place on Wednesday, May 16^th. The Food Bank will rent a bus to Sacramento and fill it with Food Bank staff, volunteers, Board Members, food assistance recipients, community partners, and concerned neighbors just like you.

On a daily basis, the Food Bank provides free nutritious groceries to seniors struggling to get by on fixed incomes, college students working toward their degrees, families trying to keep up with rising rents, and individuals who have lost their housing. We work with community partners including senior centers, soup kitchens, school pantries, and churches to meet people where they are at, but we know that we still aren’t reaching everyone in need.

That’s why we gather with anti-hunger advocates on Hunger Action Day in front of the capitol for a rally in the morning where we hear from community leaders, elected officials, and food assistance recipients about the urgency of ending hunger. We will finish the day by having meetings directly with the state elected officials that represent us in Contra Costa County to ask them to use their power to pass anti-hunger policies.

Hunger Action Day on Wednesday, May 16^th will be a full day of action – we typically leave the Food Bank in Concord at 7:00am and return by 5:00pm. In 2016, we brought a crowd of 15; in 2017, we doubled that to a group of 30…could you help us double in size again to reach 60 this year?

Mark the date in your calendar and RSVP this month to reserve your seat on the bus and guarantee a free lunch, snacks, and Hunger Action Day t-shirt! Please reach out to Carly Finkle, Advocacy Manager at the Food Bank, with any questions you may have or to confirm your attendance: cfinkle@foodbankccs.org or 925-849-8361. See you there!

When Two Incomes Aren’t Enough: Meet the Medinas

March 1, 2018 By Jenny

Sometimes two full-time jobs aren’t enough to support a family in the Bay Area. Jorge and Silvia Medina of Richmond work hard to provide for their young boys. However, their combined incomes don’t cover all of their basic expenses.

Jorge recently switched to the night shift at the high-end restaurant he works at in Marin County, so he and his wife could save on daycare expenses. It means less time together as a family, but it also means being able to pay more bills.

They consider themselves to be luckier than some because their friend is currently renting an apartment to them at a below-market rate. They do, however, worry about the future because the property is up for sale.

Receiving supplemental groceries from our Food Assistance Program allows the Medinas to pay for other necessary expenses like utilities, transportation to get to work, and mandated public school uniforms for the kids.

By helping the Medinas and other struggling families today, our supporters are giving our youngest generation opportunities to thrive tomorrow!

Shamrock Smoothie: It doesn’t taste green!

February 28, 2018 By Jenny

No shamrocks were actually harmed in the making of this smoothie…but it does make the perfect drink for March to celebrate both National Nutrition Month and St. Patty’s Day!

Consisting of only 4 whole-food ingredients, this smoothie is easy, delicious and packed with vitamins and minerals. It’s also a good way to use up over-ripe or bruised produce and prevent food waste!

Place the ingredients in your blender in the following order:

1 peeled and sectioned orange (or 2 cuties)
* ½ peeled banana
* ¾ Cup pineapple chunks (1 Cup if you like it sweeter)
1 Cup tightly packed spinach, including stems
1 Cup ice

*Frozen banana and/or pineapple can be used instead of fresh fruit. Just decrease the amount of ice in the recipe or add additional liquid.

Blend and serve.
Serving size: Approx 20 ounces, enough for two small smoothies or one large smoothie. The recipe can easily be doubled.

The great thing about smoothies is that they are super flexible, here are some possible adjustments you can make and still maintain that bright green color:

Optional additions
½ a green apple
vanilla protein powder of your choice
green grapes
plain or vanilla yogurt
¼ cup milk or milk substitute of your choice
kiwi
pear

You help us purchase healthy food

February 26, 2018 By Jenny

The decisions you make while buying food for your family are the same ones our Purchasing Manager, Veronica, makes on behalf of the people served by the Food Bank. Like most of us, she too has to balance cost and convenience with nutrition and taste.

Veronica purchases about 10% of the total food we give out. The perishable and nonperishable items she buys supplement the donations we receive to keep up with demand. The food is purchased with financial donations from our supporters like you.

With a master’s degree in Health Education and Holistic Nutrition, Veronica takes the time to read labels. She pays special attention to added sugar and salt content and isn’t tricked by unrealistic serving sizes. When a vendor approaches her about purchasing a new item, her response is always, “Send me the label…with both the nutrition facts AND the ingredient list.” She knows that food manufacturers will often add unhealthy ingredients to make up for poor quality and taste.

When asked what item she is most proud that we distribute, she answers, “Eggs. They provide a big nutritional bang for your buck. If you don’t have a sensitivity to eggs, they are a great source of protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.”

Shelf-stable items she purchases include bagged beans, brown rice, lentils, whole wheat pasta, low-sodium or sodium-free canned goods, and canned fruit in 100% juice.

Although March is National Nutrition Month, we value the importance of good nutrition year round. Our goal is to not just feed the 182,000 people who turn to us each month; we want to nourish them.

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