Blog - Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

An update on programs

March 21, 2020 By Lisa Leave a Comment

We have called for your help and the response has been incredible. It gives us strength as we approach news ways of serving the community. Our number one goal right now is to continue operations. The Food Bank and our partners are really the grocery store for anyone in need right now. We are one of the few resources still open during this “shelter in place.”

There have been obstacles, but our team is committed to continuing our mission and we are kicked into high gear right now. As you are well aware, information is changing quickly, but here are some updates regarding our work getting food out into the community.

There will be supplemental distributions starting next week utilizing our first drive-thru food assistance method. We are so thankful for the volunteers who stepped up to put together 1,000 of our NEW emergency food boxes on Thursday!

All Food Bank programs are still running with some adjustments to meet social distancing measures.

To protect our elderly population who are especially vulnerable, we’re taking additional necessary precautions at Senior Food Program distributions.

We are facing many challenges as we know you are, but we remain steadfast in the work we’ve been doing and will be here for our community.

We know that the need will increase as more people are out of work. If you would like to join our efforts, a $20 donation will fill a whole emergency food box, visit foodbankccs.org/disaster today to help.

Coronavirus Volunteer Update

March 16, 2020 By Lisa Leave a Comment

You may have heard in the news that Contra Costa County is one of six Bay Area counties issuing a shelter in place beginning at midnight.

This shelter in place means that residents are urged to stay at home for three weeks beginning March 17. The order limits activity, travel and business functions to only the most essential needs, primarily for food, pharmacy and medical needs.

It’s important for our volunteers to understand that food banks are designated “essential businesses” so this means we will remain open during this shelter in place. We will continue to deliver our mission of serving our community.

From Contra Costa County: “essential businesses” provide food, shelter, and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals.

In order to serve our community and provide emergency food services, we need healthy people not displaying any symptoms of being sick or living with anyone who is sick, to sign up for volunteer shifts. We are experiencing an unprecedented volunteer shortage in our Fairfield and Concord warehouses. For the safety of our volunteers, we are now limiting food sorting volunteer groups to a maximum of 10 people.

The reality is if we do not collectively provide food to the most vulnerable in our community, they will not be able to feed themselves or their families.

Thank you for continuing to provide these emergency food services during this critical time. We greatly appreciate your every effort.

How you can help in these challenging times

March 14, 2020 By Lisa

Dear Food Bank Family,

We know that your inbox has probably been inundated with many messages regarding the Coronavirus, so we want to be mindful of your time. We know many of you have questions and are wondering how this might be affecting the work we do. Here are three things you should know:

1. Currently, we are currently not shutting down any of our operations or volunteer activities.

2. We are taking extra measures to ensure the safety of our volunteers and staff.

As an AIB International (a food safety audit firm) certified facility, we already hold ourselves to the highest food safety standards. However, since this outbreak, we have added additional safety measures including sending volunteers or staff members home if they exhibit any infectious symptoms and diligently cleaning commonly touched surfaces more frequently.

3. Yes, we do need your help!

Volunteer: We have already experienced several cancellations of volunteer groups and are prepping for more. If you are healthy and able, please sign up for a volunteer shift.

Give: People who would like to support our work can do so at foodbankccs.org/disaster

The need for our services during this national emergency will only grow with reduced or disappearing paychecks and children no longer able to receive their school meals because of shutdowns. We are anticipating many hardworking people who have never needed our services before will find themselves at a food distribution for the first time.

The Food Bank will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 and will follow all regulations and requirements passed down by the CDC and government officials. We are taking this pandemic seriously and have started contingency plans in all aspects of our work. Our plan is to continue to feed the 178,000 people that depend on us for 75% of their daily groceries.

We will keep you posted as our response evolves. You can get immediate updates by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you for helping us continue vital services in these uncertain times. We know what our community is capable of and we will get through this together!

Lisa Sherrill

Communications Director

Hungry to be heard

March 6, 2020 By Jenny

Everyone has a story.

Understanding someone’s story builds compassion.

That compassion can lead to positive change.

And THAT is why we host an incredible program called The Speaker Series.

Be it a novel or a short chapter, people who know firsthand the realities of not having enough food to eat need to have their stories heard.

Through a series of eight weekly 2-hour workshops, Food Bank staff members along with a volunteer with experience in ToastMasters (an International Public Speaking organization) have been educating community members on public speaking and advocacy. They are helping those struggling to make ends meet get past self-doubt and stigmas so they can find their impactful voices.

In addition to the workshops, every year participants travel with the Food Bank staff and volunteers to Hunger Action Day in Sacramento (this year on May 6th). This serves as an exciting opportunity to use their newly-developed tools to effectively express themselves. They meet and educate legislators, so these elected officials can better advocate for the people they represent.

Upon completion of the program, we hold graduation ceremonies where the participants once again use the tools they have been taught to present a speech to their classmates. The pride they are feeling is visible when they are presented with certificates for their accomplishments. Over the past three years, we’ve had 32 graduates–9 males and 23 females.

As is often the case in life, when past graduates initially decided to participate in the Speaker Series to help others, they had no idea how much they would end up helping themselves. This program empowers people and taps into leadership skills they never knew they had in them. Many of our graduates consider their decision to participate in the Speaker Series to be a turning point in their lives.

“I was terriﬁed to speak in front of a crowd! The Speaker Series gave me conﬁdence to be able to open up to speak in front of people.”

– Patricia, 2017 Speaker Series Graduate and now Peer Mentor for the program

Not only have past participants built up their self-esteem during their two-month journey of personal growth, they also built lasting friendships with their classmates. Former classes have organized reunions after bonding over the leap of faith they all took together.

We’re thrilled to announce our 4th annual series is about to begin on March 11th and this year the workshops will be held in Vallejo. We are excited to begin working with our eight newly selected applicants including, for the first time, some community leaders! These leaders have lived experiences with hunger and have the desire to give back to the community. They will be an inspirational addition to the group this year!

Fighting hunger isn’t just about meeting the current need, it’s about stopping the cycle of hunger and this is why big-picture programs like the Speaker Series are so valuable to our society.

If you would like more information about the Speaker Series or Hunger Action Day, please email Mary Ann Buggs at [email protected].

Coronavirus defense at the Food Bank

March 6, 2020 By Joel Sjostrom

We understand the spread of Coronavirus (also known as COVD-19) is concerning and you may be wondering how this affects the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. As you are probably aware, this respiratory illness does not currently have a large number of reported cases in the U.S., but now is in California, including local counties. The COVID-19 strain presents with pneumonia-like symptoms, including fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is in contact with other Bay Area food banks, our partner agencies and county officials with the priority of ensuring a consistent food supply for all of our clients. Currently, all Food Bank direct distribution programs remain open.

We couldn’t accomplish all that we do without our valued volunteers and staff. We appreciate solid work ethics, but we need to do our part to stop the spread of COVD-19. That’s why we have reached out to staff members and volunteers to let them know we want them to stay home if they are feeling ill–especially if they have a fever, cough or flu-like symptoms. Volunteers and employees displaying symptoms will be asked to go home for the safety of our employees, our volunteers, and the people we serve.

Here are some things YOU can do to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses:

Stay home if you are feeling ill.
Wash your hands thoroughly throughout the day with soap and water. This is the most effective way of preventing illness. The Center for Disease Control recommends lathering soap onto the backs of your hands, in between your fingers and under your nails for 20 Corona Virus to hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
Use hand sanitizers, it’s not as effective as washing your hands with soap and water, but it is helpful.
Turn away from others when sneezing and coughing and do so into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
Avoid touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you – it is lung-specific.
Avoid handshaking! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.
Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches, printer buttons, etc.
Open doors with your closed fist or hip – do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and commercial doors.

It’s important for all of us to be informed and have reliable sources of information. Below we’ve listed some reputable official websites you can reference to stay updated.

Contra Costa Health Services: https://cchealth.org/coronavirus/
Solano County Public Health: http://www.solanocounty.com/depts/ph/ncov.asp
Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html

We will be keeping you updated as news develops as it applies to the Food Bank. As always, thank you for your support.

Guest Blog by Judy: Annual food drive becomes a family project

February 7, 2020 By Guest

“About nine years ago I decided to do a community food drive for Beacon Ridge, a townhouse community where I have lived for many years in Walnut Creek. My community was totally supportive of me doing this. So, for the past nine years, I have led this food drive. I start with announcements and handouts at our annual meeting in the fall followed by postings at our mailboxes when the food drive starts. In addition, our homeowners’ association assists by sending emails to all members who have email addresses on file. We send an email notice when the food drive starts, one half-way into the drive and one with about a week left. This year we surpassed all years with donations of 381 pounds of food and $1,995 which translated to 5,305 meals. When we first started the food drive, we had many more pounds of food and less checks. Now we have more checks and less pounds of food. But, either way, what really counts is our total donation and the number of meals we can provide.

But one of the best highlights of this food drive for me is that it has become a family tradition for my grandchildren and me. Each of them started loading the food truck when they were just around 3 years old. They are now 9 and 12. At first they could only carry one cereal box from my garage to the food truck, but they never quit until the truck was loaded. It is so important that they learn at an early age that there are others who are not as fortunate as we are, and this is our way of helping others and making a difference. So every year, for nine years, they have come to my home the night before the Food Bank picks up the food. They look forward to Joan Tomasini coming with the food truck and loading the food into the truck. She has watched them grow up.

In addition to the holiday food drive, in the summer my grandkids and I have also volunteered at the Food Bank sorting food and loading it into boxes. By doing this they get a broader picture of what the Food Bank does.

This undertaking is a wonderful tradition for my family that we all look forward to with smiles and warm feelings. My goal is to keep doing this for as long as we can. In addition, it is a wonderful tradition for my community who always ask if I am going to do the food drive for another year. They are tremendously supportive and competitive to try and beat their contributions for the previous year.”

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We thank Judy for being our guest blogger and for all the work she does for the Food Bank with the help of Beacon Ridge and of course, her grandchildren! If you are inspired to hold a food drive, visit foodbankccs.org/fooddrive. It’s easy to get started!

Breaking Down the Proposed Changes to CalFresh/SNAP

February 7, 2020 By Cassidie Bates

If you’ve turned on the news lately, you’ve probably heard about cuts to SNAP (knowns as CalFresh in California, or “food stamps”). We’ve broken things down to help you better understand recent legislation and their implications on hunger and the Food Bank. Changes made at the federal level hurt the people we serve at the local level.

Public Charge:

WHEN does Public Charge come up? The Public Charge Assessment happens when a person: applies to enter the US, applies to adjust status to become a Lawful Permanent Resident (obtaining a green card), or a green card holder leaves the US for more than 180 consecutive days (6 months) and reenters. Most immigrants are not eligible for public benefits for up to 5 years; the new Public Charge rule would determine if this individual would likely use public benefits when in the US, based on certain criteria.

WHICH public benefits are examined? Utilizing the following public benefits could make a recipient subject to the Public Charge Test: CalFresh (SNAP)/Food Stamps, CalWorks (TANF/Cash Aid), Medicaid*, and Housing Assistance (Public Housing, Section 8, Rental Assistance). Those who would be impacted by this rule change are individuals deemed by the Public Charge Test to be more likely than not to receive public benefits for a cumulative 12 months or longer during a 36-month period. Two separate benefits (such as SNAP and housing assistance) used during the same month, count as 2 months out of the 12 months, and so on.

WHEN and WHERE does this happen? This is a federal proposal and would impact Californians who are enrolled in the public benefits listed above and are seeking to change their immigration status on or after February 24, 2020.

Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD):

What does ABAWD mean? If a person is determined to be able-bodied and does not have any dependents, their CalFresh benefits could be limited to 3 months in a 36-month period. Someone may fall into this category if they are between the ages of 18 and 49, they do not have any children living in their household, and they are not working 20 hours a week or more. A person who matches those standards, may be exempt if they are homeless, pregnant, in school, or receiving disability-related income– just to name a few exemptions.

When would the ABAWD Time Limit start? Currently, the final ABAWD rule was published on December 4, 2019 by the Federal government and it will take effect in almost every California county on April 1, 2020, UNLESS a court case can be brought against this ruling before April. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is supporting litigation in opposition to this rule due to the negative impact this would have on the community members we serve.

Categorical Eligibility:

What is Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE): BBCE provides states the ability to streamline benefits and adjust the gross income eligibility requirements to make SNAP most responsive to the living standards of those in that state. Broad-based categorical eligibility allows states to look at the income requirements of people who are starting to earn more money and see whether or not the expenses they have for basics, like rent and childcare are leaving them enough money to budget for food. The federal cutoff to qualify for SNAP is an income at or below 130% of the federal poverty line; yet with BBCE, California has been able to let those with a gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line to be eligible for benefits. This is due to the high cost of living in California, compared to other states. The proposal would eliminate BBCE and apply the same income requirements (130% of the federal poverty line) to all individuals in all states.

Who: The Administration estimates 3.1 million people would lose their current access to SNAP. Currently, 12% of American households are food insecure, meaning they don’t have “consistent access to sufficient food.” SNAP serves 40 million people annually in the US; to qualify, your gross annual income is 130% or lower than the federal poverty line ($33,000/year for a family of 4). In California, 120,000 households, who are living between 130-200% of the federal poverty line would be impacted. Additionally, categorical eligibility allows families who are already eligible for other means-tested programs and children who are in SNAP households to receive free and reduced lunch. This proposal would eliminate the automatic enrollment and states would need to allocate staff to review separate applications for SNAP, free and reduced lunch and other means-tested programs.

Where and When: This is a nationwide policy, impacting Californians who receive SNAP (CalFresh) and meet the new income qualifications. Public comments were due on September 23, 2019. The USDA will most likely propose an official rule sometime in 2020.

Standard Utility Allowance:

What is the proposal: The Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) refers to the current SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) policy that takes into account the utility expenses of each SNAP household. This proposal would result in regulatory changes in how SNAP benefits are calculated. States currently have the option to use a designated allowance, approved by the USDA, in place of the actual utility costs to calculate a household’s utility expenses. The proposal eliminates a state’s ability in determining the appropriate dollar amount for those expenses, based upon the relevant living conditions of that state’s residents. Each state would utilize a uniform national allowance, which is projected to be lower than the actual utility cost for many Californians.

Who is impacted: This rule would impact any CalFresh recipient in California, and SNAP recipients nationwide, if it goes into effect. This proposal could disproportionately impact households with persons who are disabled or seniors. Typically, households with these populations yield higher utility expenses, due to the usage of household medical equipment, for example. The Administration estimates that if this rule takes effect, approximately 19% of SNAP households nationwide would get lower monthly SNAP benefits than they currently receive.

When would this take effect: This rule could take effect sometime in 2020. Currently, the USDA is reviewing public and organizational comments that were due on December 2, 2019.

What is the rationale for this proposal: The USDA published on October 3, 2019, that this proposed rule would cut SNAP benefits to save the program $4.5 billion over 5 years.

If you are interested in helping with our advocacy efforts, please contact Cassidie at [email protected].

Remembering Board Member Bill Bodnar

January 14, 2020 By Joel Sjostrom

It is with great sadness that we share the news that our Board Member, Bill Bodnar, unexpectedly passed away on January 12, 2020.

Bill, a retired Vice President at Tesoro, served on the Board most recently since 2017 but has been a supporter and past board member for many years. He was an avid supporter of our organization, and regularly attended advocacy events, galas, and Refinery Runs. He was a very kind and generous man and will truly be missed.

On a personal note, I’d like to say it was a pleasure to get to know Bill albeit for a short while. Bill was on the selection committee that ultimately offered me this opportunity. I was struck by Bill’s enthusiasm for the organization and knowing that he had volunteered to be the next Board Chair, I was looking forward to working with him. He will be greatly missed.

Below is the link to Bill’s obituary:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/eastbaytimes/obituary.aspx?n=william-bodnar-bill&pid=195131253

Never too young to help!

December 13, 2019 By Libbie Hodas

For the last 24 years, Diablo Valley Montessori School (DVMS) in Lafayette has held an annual Coin Drive, benefitting the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano for the holiday season. A preschool serving young children through Pre-K, DVMS believes that you are never too young to help someone in need. “This is not only a fun activity for the kids, but it is an important way we can empower our children to take action to help other children and their families who are in need,” said Annie, a member of the Parents Club at the school.

This year when DVMS asked us what else they could do for the Food Bank, we were thrilled that teachers, parents, and students enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to work on a holiday project for seniors who receive our support. Over the past few months, students have been hard at work, carefully crafting holiday cards—for people they don’t even know—so that we can include their well-wishes with our food packages given out through our Senior Food Program. This week, they delivered HUNDREDS of cards for us to disperse!

When asked about their experience, students shared the following:

“I counted coins in my classroom for the coin drive, which is for the people that don’t have any money. We made each of them a lovely card to go with the coins to put a smile on their face.” Skyler, Age 5

“I liked bringing coins to school because it would help feed people who don’t have food. And it was fun making the cards for people for the holidays. The cards will make them happy, and it made me happy to make other people happy!” Camdon, Age 4.5

The Food Bank thanks the students, parents, and teachers of Diablo Valley Montessori School in Lafayette for their steadfast and thoughtful support. We are grateful for your cheerful holiday cards and all the volunteer hours you put into them. Additional thanks to Suzette, Head of School, for sharing these photos with us.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season to all our volunteers. On behalf of all of us here at the Food Bank, thank you for making a difference in someone’s life in 2019.

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Did you know? Food Banks are flush with volunteers during the holiday months at the end of the year. But after December 31, we can’t find enough people to fill our volunteer shifts. This is a time when we need your help the most. Not only are our warehouse aisles packed with food drive products that need to be sorted, but hunger never rests. The Food Bank provides emergency food to 178,000 every month. Yet, we find it the most difficult to staff our volunteer shifts during the first months of the year.

Interested in making a volunteer commitment in 2020? At the time of this writing, numerous volunteer opportunities from January to March are waiting to be filled. Register and sign up here: foodbankccs.org/volunteer. Help us fight hunger 365 days of the year!

Exciting announcement – Meet our new CEO

December 11, 2019 By Guest

From Food Bank Board Chair

Dear Food Bank friends,

I am delighted to announce the selection of Joel Sjostrom as our new President and CEO. We conducted an extensive nationwide search, and are so pleased that a person with Joel’s breadth and depth of experience will be joining us to lead the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano into a bright future.

Joel comes to us with decades of leadership experience in which he has demonstrated a record of success delivering consistent revenue growth, building team collaboration, and developing strong teams.

Joel shares: “This is an incredible opportunity to combine my passion for community service and blend it with my professional business experience to grow this incredible organization. I can’t think of a better place to do this than at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. For over 40 years, the Food Bank has been a leader in the fight to end hunger. I am very honored to join this great team.”

In partnership with our dedicated board, staff, and volunteers, Joel will undoubtedly be a great leader for the Food Bank. We’re thrilled to welcome Joel to the community and I hope you will join me in making him feel at home here. You will have the opportunity to meet him very soon — and he is excited to meet you!

Joel takes over from long-time Executive Director Larry Sly who is retiring after dedicating his career to helping people in need. Larry has created a significant legacy of achievement over the past four decades. We are so grateful for Larry’s dedication and service.

Sincerely,
Tracy Tomkovicz
Food Bank Board of Directors, Chair

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