Rising food costs, higher food scarcity and fewer volunteers due to the pandemic are stretching the resources of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank to feed the hungry this holiday season, the organization said.
And despite the strides San Francisco and Marin have made in mitigating COVID-19 case numbers, the food bank said there is no vaccine for hunger, and the need for food assistance is still high.
As a result, the food bank is asking residents to donate funds or their time to provide food for families this holiday season.
“This year, many of us will celebrate the holiday and enjoy a special meal with our families and friends. We must ensure that all our neighbors can do the same,” said Barbara Abbot, vice president of supply chain for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, in a statement. “We have worked hard to overcome the barriers caused by the supply chain to meet the increased need for food assistance since the pandemic, but it puts tremendous strain on our financial resources, and our volunteer capacity is over-extended.”
Before the pandemic, the food bank helped feed 32,000 households a week. Now, it hands out over one million meals to 50,000 homes in the area.
Though it has secured food in preparation for the next few months, inflationary pressures on food costs are making it more difficult to meet the increasing demand, the organization said.
Since the beginning of this year, the food bank has seen the price of chicken double, eggs increase by 65 percent and produce per pound increase by 16 percent.
Residents can make donations to the food bank or sign up to volunteer online.