How Our Newest Food Pantry is Meeting Community Needs
Aug 12, 2020
We’re proud to share that our newest pop-up food pantry is now serving over 300 of our neighbors each week! Organized in partnership with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, this pantry is open on Mondays from 9AM-1PM at the Golden Gate Park Senior Center, providing free groceries to anyone who needs them, no matter where they live.
With millions losing their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has skyrocketed in San Francisco and around the country. Unfortunately, this dramatic increase in need has coincided with a corresponding loss of food security services—more than 100 food pantries throughout the city have closed since the start of the pandemic due to safety precautions, financial hardship, and volunteer shortages.
Thanks to our amazing team of food security staff and volunteers, we’ve been able to keep our food pantries and home-delivered grocery (HDG) program up and running throughout the pandemic, while expanding them to reach even more San Franciscans. Our three regular food pantries continue to serve over 800 Richmond District residents each week, and we have transitioned more than 150 participants over the age of 65 to home deliveries so they don’t have to risk coming to the pantries in person. Additionally, our regular HDG program is continuing to deliver groceries to 155 participants.
This latest pop-up pantry will eventually have the capacity to serve up to 1,500 people, and participation is increasing each week. If you or someone you know needs food assistance, we invite you to stop by the Golden Gate Park Senior Center at 6101 Fulton St. on Mondays from 9AM-1PM! And if you would like to volunteer, please contact yves@richmondsf.org or visit our volunteering page.
Feature photo: San Francisco-Marin Food Bank