COVID-19: Bay Area food bank opens pop-up pantries as demand rises

As Bay Area food banks scramble to meet increased demand for their services, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank has opened seven new pop-up pantries to fill a gap left by dozens of sites that have shut down due to coronavirus and volunteer shortages.

The food bank has seen about 100 of its regular 275 food pantries close in the past few weeks as volunteers — often elderly themselves — are unable to show up to help keep the distribution sites running. The closures come as tens of thousands of Californians experience job losses and growing financial instability during the statewide shelter-at-home orders.