Blog - Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

Local artists lend their talent to fight hunger

October 4, 2018 By Jenny

Anyone who has ever attended an Empty Bowls in the last 10 years can tell you that selecting the perfect keepsake bowl is like a mini treasure hunt. Ever wondered who is making these beautiful hand-crafted bowls?

This year alone, we have had over 600 bowls donated to us by a generous mix of local artists, ceramic/pottery students and instructors, and classroom volunteers. We are so thankful to all of those who support the Food Bank by donating the materials, labor and time to create these functional pieces of art. These bowls are meaningful mementoes that remind the attendees of the thousands of local people who battle hunger daily.

Lucy Snow, Ceramic Instructor at Los Medanos Community College, recently dropped off their contribution of 100 bowls! After four years of sculpting and glazing, she’s looking forward to attending Empty Bowls next weekend for the first time. She believes this partnership between the Food Bank and her school is mutually beneficial and “powerful.” She expanded, “Our volunteers are excited to help. It’s a chance to get their artwork out there for a great cause.”

It’s the kindness of others that allow us to help the food-insecure people within Contra Costa and Solano counties. We are thankful that we can count on our supporters time and time again.

Thanks to the following schools, artists and studios:

Cheryl Wolff Ceramics
Clay Creations
Color Me Mine Lafayette
Color Me Mine Walnut Creek
Contra Costa College
Los Medanos College
The Mad Potters
MAKE
Play with Clay
Red Ox Clay Studio
Richmond Art Center
Solano Community College
Toni Gates
Erik Scollon
Walnut Creek Clay Art Guild

Proposed Public Charge Rule Would Undermine Efforts to Fight Hunger and Poverty

September 26, 2018 By Larry

CONCORD, September 23, 2018 — The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano strongly opposes the proposed public charge rule announced this weekend by the Department of Homeland Security. This proposal would make it extremely difficult for many immigrants to come to the U.S. or receive green cards if they are determined likely to become a “public charge,” which would include using public benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as CalFresh).

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This proposed rule targets low-income immigrant families that legally access benefits to help meet their basic needs, but it has had widespread chilling effect throughout the immigrant community. Over the past month, 1 in 5 individuals approached by the Food Bank’s SNAP outreach workers have declined to apply for food assistance due to immigration fears.

Our staff have even heard from naturalized U.S. citizens – who would never be impacted by this policy – asking to terminate SNAP benefits for themselves and their citizen children out of fear that it may affect their immigration status. Whether this proposal directly targets them or not, the threat of public charge is forcing immigrants to make impossible choices between keeping their families together and accessing vital programs that safeguard their health and well-being.

Only 71.8% of eligible Californians actually use SNAP benefits, and anti-immigrant proposals like this threaten our local efforts to improve program access and participation. Every $1 in SNAP generates $1.79 in economic activity, and the program has long-term benefits for participating children’s health and economic outcomes. Public charge threatens the nutrition, health and shared prosperity of our communities.

The Food Bank has joined the national Protecting Immigrant Families campaign to help mobilize the public to condemn this attack on our nation’s health and well-being. We will soon share model comments to submit to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. We urge you to join us in denouncing this mean-spirited proposal, which will undermine decades of progress in reducing hunger in this country.

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La norma propuesta de Carga Pública quebrantaría los esfuerzos para combatir el hambre y la pobreza

El Banco de Comida de Contra Costa y Solano se opone fuertemente a la propuesta de ley cargo público, anunciada por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. Esta propuesta haría que sea extremadamente difícil para muchos inmigrantes venir a Los Estados Unidos o recibir tarjetas de residencia si se determina que se convertirán en una carga pública, lo que incluiría el uso de beneficios públicos como el programa de nutrición suplementaria (SNAP, también conocido como CalFresh.)

Esta nueva propuesta se dirige a las familias de inmigrantes de bajos ingresos que tienen acceso legalmente a los beneficios para ayudar a satisfacer sus necesidades básicas, pero tiene un efecto de escalofrió generalizado en toda la comunidad inmigrante. Durante el último mes, 1 de cada 5 individuos a los que se acercaron los trabajadores de programa SNAP del Banco de Comida se han negado a solicitar asistencia alimentaria debido a los temores de inmigración.

Nuestro personal incluso ha escuchado a ciudadanos estadounidenses naturalizados, que nunca se verán afectados por esta política, pidiendo que se terminen los beneficios de SNAP para ellos y sus hijos ciudadanos por temor a que pueda afectar a su estado migratorio. Si esta propuesta se dirige directamente a ellos o no, la amenaza de la carga publica está forzando a los inmigrantes a tomar decisiones entre mantener a sus familias unidas y tener acceso a programas vitales para proteger su salud y bienestar.

Solo 71.8% de los Californianos elegibles realmente usan los beneficios de SNAP, y las propuestas antiinmigrantes como esta amenazan nuestros esfuerzos locales para mejorar el acceso y la participación en el programa. Cada $1 en SNAP genera $1.79 en actividad económica y el programa tiene beneficios a largo plazo para la salud y los resultados económicos de los niños participantes. La carga pública amenaza la nutrición, la salud y la prosperidad de nuestras comunidades.

El Banco de Comida se ha unido a la Protecting Immigrant Families Campaign para ayudar a movilizar al público para condenar este ataque a la salud y el bienestar de nuestra nación. Pronto compartiremos los comentarios modelo para presentarlos al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. Le invitamos a que se una a nosotros para denunciar esta propuesta, que quebrantaría décadas de progreso en la reducción del hambre en el país.

Featured Partner: Loaves and Fishes Contra Costa

September 26, 2018 By Jenny

It’s no easy task distributing 22 MILLION pounds of food a year, which is why we have developed partnerships with 180 nonprofit organizations serving our community. One such agency partner is Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa.

We have been collaborating with Loaves and Fishes since they opened up their doors in the early 1980’s. Along with our other partner agencies, they help us get the food into the hands of those who need it the most. They provide drop-in lunches Monday through Friday to anyone needing a home-cooked balanced meal. Most of the food they prepare and serve in their five community dining rooms within Contra Costa County comes from the Food Bank.

The Kitchen Manager and Chef for Loaves and Fishes, James Porter, comes to our Concord warehouse and picks up the needed food every week. He typically leaves with fresh produce, canned goods, bread and healthy grains.

For those of you who have been to our annual Empty Bowls event before, you might be surprised to find out that the delicious 15-bean soup served is actually made by Chef James. He was nice enough to write down the recipe that is normally stored in his head and we are featuring it this month.

We are proud of our 30+ year partnership with Loaves and Fishes. They continue to do amazing work that improves the lives of our community members in need.

Your support is helping fire victims

September 11, 2018 By Jenny

The Food Bank’s efforts to help during Northern California’s unprecedented fire season have been ongoing. The unpredictable nature of fire means things change quickly, but we have a team helping whenever and wherever we can be of assistance.

In case you missed our prior updates, you can catch up by checking our Facebook posts on August 9, August 24 and August 31. Though the CARR fire is finally 100% contained, the devastation remains and many residents remain displaced. One of our staff members deployed to the area reported back that “people are tired–VERY TIRED, the air is bad and smells of toxic chemicals.” She explained that even though the conditions are really hard–with an almost unbearable combination of heat and poor air quality–people are so very thankful that we are there for them.

Early on, we sent CalFresh outreach workers to the Redding area to help people affected by the fires apply for Disaster CalFresh. This federal program helps victims meet the temporary nutritional needs within a 30-day period following a natural disaster. Many of the people we met with were initially unclear about the benefits and assumed that they would not qualify because they aren’t eligible for traditional CalFresh. After we dispelled myths and clarified half-truths, people were surprised and relieved at the potential for benefits. Many spoke of complete loss and while CalFresh won’t replace everything in their refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, they were grateful for our outreach assistance.

Moving forward, here’s the latest update on our fire relief efforts:

Late last week it was decided that we’d continue weekly food distributions to Dignity Health Connected Living agencies through October to assist in the CARR fire recovery AND continue weekly food distributions to two low-income schools in Shasta County.
- We are receiving, processing and transporting emergency boxes from Feeding America, as well as donations of cereal and shelf-stable groceries from Kellogg’s and C&S Wholesale Grocers.
- We are donating and sending produce to the affected area.
We are continuing to send staff to oversee these distributions in Redding.
We are also communicating with agencies serving the Shasta and Siskiyou counties to see how we can help with the Delta fire AND with officials in Napa County to offer aid with the Snell Fire.

It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we all work together for a common goal. Whether it’s fighting chronic hunger, or responding to a natural disaster, the Food Bank is prepared to help our neighbors get the food they need.

Students serving students

August 2, 2018 By Jenny

Before the Fairfield Police Activity League (PAL), a community service club, opened the doors to their food pantry three years ago, area middle school and high school students experienced hunger long after the last class bell rang. Thanks to the dedication of students wanting to be a part of the solution and financial donations from supporters like you, this “for students by students” pantry is changing lives.

On the 2^nd and 4^th Friday of the month, the PAL student volunteers open their pantry to students and their families. The volunteers are in charge of marketing, stocking the pantry, and conducting food demos using recipes they hand out. (See their latest recipe below.) The students and families are encouraged to try new things with the taste tests and the demos–but ultimately they may take what they want.

Coming to the pantry is a way for students to help their families relieve some of the stress that comes with not having enough money or food to eat. As each student takes their one or two bags of groceries, they are often heard talking about how they “like helping their moms out” because they realize mom can then spend money on other basic unmet needs.

Heather Sanderson, the PAL Coordinator and staff member shared with us, “The pantry is a nonjudgmental way for the students to get food. It is better that it is ran by young people so they feel safe. The students try hard to make sure that any local student who might need items, knows that it is here –and feels welcome to visit.”

The student volunteers believe that without the food pantry, there would be more kids getting in trouble. Nazjha, a volunteer and high school senior, explained, “You’re not yourself when you’re hungry. It’s tough to make decisions.” And Chloe, a newer volunteer and freshman, added, “When you’re hungry, it’s like a whole other person is controlling you.”

When asked what they’d like to say to the Food Bank supporters, the student volunteers collectively offered, “We thank them and appreciate them and don’t know what it would be like without the food pantry.”

The Fairfield PAL pantry is looking for more student volunteers to do marketing and food demos. Students can earn hours for school or other programs–but most just do it to give back and strengthen our community. To inquire about the volunteer position(s) or for more information about the program, please contact Heather at HSanderson@fairfield.ca.gov.

Get the PAL recipe for 2 Ingredient Dole Whip.

Farm 2 Kids helps fill the summer nutrition gap

July 9, 2018 By Jenny

It’s easy to take fresh summer fruit for granted. Many of us go to the grocery store or farmers’ market and place our seasonal favorites into the basket without giving it much thought. This is not everybody’s reality, which is why the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano works hard to provide healthy food to our community members daily.

Farm 2 Kids is one way the Food Bank gets fresh food into the hands of people who need it the most. Children attending after-school programs within low-income schools are given 3-5 pounds of fruits and veggies weekly to share with their families. Farm 2 Kids continues to operate at after-school programs that are still in session even when school is out.

Thousands of children who receive free or discounted meals through their schools are at risk of going without food during the summer. To extend the reach of Farms 2 Kids during this vulnerable time, the Food Bank gives out fresh produce at schools, public libraries and community centers where the federal Summer Lunch Program is available.

Not only does this program nourish their growing bodies, but it allows children to try foods they couldn’t otherwise afford. A little girl in Fairfield told us they had never actually eaten a fresh pear before. She had only tasted canned pears and did not recognize the fruit in its natural form. We also learned of a boy at a Farm 2 Kids site in Vacaville who had only tasted a fresh nectarine once in their lifetime. His parents were not able to afford the sweet delicacy and they were all surprised and delighted when they received a bag FULL of nectarines.

You can make a difference to the children in our community by volunteering to bag produce in our Fairfield warehouse or making a financial gift to the Food Bank. Your investment in the development of our future generation will have a lasting effect on our society.

3rd grade class donates crops to Food Bank

July 8, 2018 By Jenny

The folks at Red Nose Day (RND) recently reached out to the Food Bank and asked us to speak to a classroom of third graders in Brentwood. They told us how Gabriel, a student at Krey Elementary, was the winner of their national contest challenging students to come up with ways they could help children living in poverty. He and his teacher, Mrs. Berry, won a trip to New York City to attend the RND televised special. When they returned, Lisa Sherrill, the Communications Director at the Food Bank, went to the school and gave the class an overview on how food banks operate and why they are needed.

Lisa shared with the class that 1 in 8 people living in Contra Costa and Solano counties turns to the Food Bank each month in order to get by. She helped the students count off in eights to give them a visual and better understanding of hunger’s magnitude. She also discussed ways they could get involved including by volunteering at a Family Food Sort or by donating food.

The students were quite excited to share the surprise they had waiting for Lisa! Together they walked to the class’ garden on a small corner of the campus and showered her with produce they had grown themselves. They generously donated 17 pounds of cabbage, lettuce, carrots, and broccoli to the Food Bank because they wanted to give it to people who don’t have enough healthy food to eat.

We are grateful for the food and inspired by the compassion shown by Gabriel, his hunger-fighting classmates, and their teacher who started the garden at the school!

Seniors and People With Disabilities Finally Get Hunger Relief

July 2, 2018 By Carly

In a historic budget agreement signed by the Governor on June 27th, the state of California is finally easing hunger for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. This 2018-19 budget deal will allow Californians on SSI to qualify for CalFresh nutrition assistance beginning in mid-2019.

SSI is a safety net program that provides a minimal basic income to older adults and people with disabilities who have little-to-no other income and resources. Although the maximum income grant for an individual is just $910.72 a month, SSI recipients have been ineligible for CalFresh, formerly known as food stamps, since the 1970s.

During the Great Recession in 2009 and 2010, the state of California cut its contribution to SSI grants down to the minimum amount allowed by the federal government and stopped automatically adjusting for inflation. The maximum individual benefit now stands at less than 90% of the federal poverty line.

After nearly a decade without meaningful restorations to this program, the 2018-19 budget finally lifts the ban on CalFresh and reinstates annual cost-of-living adjustments. Although the base grants still need to be brought up above the poverty line, the addition of CalFresh benefits will have an enormous impact for the 1.3 million Californians on SSI.

“So many SSI recipients try to apply for CalFresh because they just can’t afford food on their fixed incomes,” says Lidia Gutierrez, CalFresh Outreach Coordinator at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. “But I always have to tell them, ‘no you aren’t eligible.’ These are our elders and people with disabilities and they are hungry.”

The state estimates that a single adult on SSI will likely qualify for $171 a month in CalFresh benefits.

“To get CalFresh means that I would have enough to actually make it through the month,” says Edward Williams, a 77-year-old Richmond resident who receives SSI. “I would have more money to buy simple things, like laundry detergent, that I normally wouldn’t have enough money for because I would need to use that money for food.”

With the current CalFresh ban still in place, most SSI recipients turn to community-based organizations like food banks just to survive. Nearly 1 in 4 households served by the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano includes an SSI recipient.

Janet Ternes, a 70-year-old SSI recipient from San Pablo, relies on the Food Bank’s Senior Food Program to stretch her limited budget. “They give me vegetables and canned foods and dried foods [at the Food Bank,] and I can only afford to go to Grocery Outlet for the rest. If it wasn’t for the Food Bank, I don’t know what I’d do,” she says.

The new state budget also provides food banks with $8 million to purchase California-grown foods and another $5.5 million to support distribution capacity by investing in trucks, refrigerators, and other infrastructure. Because CalFresh benefits won’t be available to SSI recipients for about a year, due to necessary administrative preparations, the $13.5 million designated for California food banks will help meet SSI recipients’ food needs in the meantime. Food bank distributions are open to anyone in need, but SSI recipients in particular will benefit from this investment since so many rely on food banks as their primary source of food.

Finally, because a monthly income of $910.72 doesn’t even come close to the cost of a market-rate studio apartment in the Bay Area, this budget will provide additional relief to some SSI recipients through $500 million in grants for California cities to address homelessness.

On the whole, this budget takes significant steps to address the urgent poverty SSI recipients experience in California. The state still needs to restore the cuts to the base grant so people can meet their basic needs, like housing and medicine, but at least hunger will be less of a constant threat. We commend the legislature and Governor Brown for passing a budget that both saves for a future rainy day and offers an umbrella to those for whom it is already raining.

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.

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