Passion to help others drives those who work at the Alameda County Community Food Bank Reposted from CBS Bay Area Lezla Gooden reports on the people helping families in need at the Alameda County Community Food Bank Reported on November 22, 2023 by CBS Bay Area The post appeared first on Alameda County Community Food Bank ..read more

Reposted from ABC 7 News On this Day of Giving, we are highlighting Bay Area organizations in need of donations which includes the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Reported on November 28, 2023 by ABC 7 News The post Day of Giving: Alameda County Community Food Bank appeared first on Alameda County Community Food Bank ..read more

September was National Hunger Action Month, and it was no better time to lobby our members of Congress. Every five years, a giant piece of legislation called the Farm Bill is passed, but it has been caught up in the congressional budget negotiations that teeter on a government shutdown. Though its name might not immediately indicate it, the Farm Bill is the single most important piece of national legislation to fight hunger. Much of ACCFB’s food is paid for by these federal dollars, as is funding for SNAP/CalFresh, formerly known as food stamps. Congressional Staffer Joel Miller (left), Chie ..read more

National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month Spotlight In honor of Hispanic/Latinx American Heritage Month, we’re shining a spotlight on Oakland’s Fruitvale district. Fruitvale is a bustling center of Latino culture, bringing together immigrants from across Latin America. Spanish is the language most often spoken on the streets which are lined with Mexican, Guatemalan, and El Salvadorian restaurants, mom-and-pop shops, churches, and nonprofit service providers. Two neighborhood anchors are the Unity Council and St. Elizabeth Church, both of which are partners in ACCFB’s agency network. The Unity ..read more

Friends, neighbors, co-workers — you name it! When you bring your community together this holiday season, you will make an impact towards ending hunger in our community. If you are considering hosting or donating to a food drive, the Food Bank offers two fun and impactful ways to stock our shelves for the busy months to come: Virtual Food Drives: Where technology and convenience meet to make a big impact! It’s easier than ever to set up your own or donate to a virtual food drive and “shop” for much-needed items such as milk, fresh eggs, and fresh produce — foods that can’t go into a food bar ..read more

Meet Robin – Getting Involved and Giving Back Robin has been an ACCFB volunteer and hunger advocate since March 2021. She started her journey with ACCFB as a volunteer at our drive-through distribution when she was looking for a way to get involved and give back during the height of the pandemic. When the pandemic emergency response subsided and ACCFB’s drive-through distribution ended, Robin began looking for other meaningful ways to stay involved. “As a researcher, I was drawn to this work,” says Robin, who is an instructor at U.C. Berkeley with a deep work history and interest in agricul ..read more

September is Hunger Action Month, a time when we all unite in the mission to end hunger and its root causes. Thanks to the generosity of partners around our community, making a difference this month is easy! Whether you’re joining us at the ballpark, perusing gifts, or grabbing groceries – you can help ensure neighbors throughout Alameda County have access to healthy food this month and beyond. A’s Game Strike out hunger in the community and join us in honoring Hunger Action Month at the ballpark! On September 4th, the Oakland A’s will face the Toronto Blue Jays. $5 from every ticket sold ..read more

The Legislation You Might Not Heard of That Helps Makes Food Banking Possible Ezer Pamintuan, Senior Policy Advocate TL;DR Food Banks receive a lot of food we provide from the Federal Government. CalFresh (known nationally as SNAP and formerly as the Federal Food Stamp program) is our first line of defense against hunger Every 5 years Congress passes the “Farm Bill” — the largest piece of legislation affecting hunger relief in our country which supports both food banks and CalFresh. YOU have the opportunity to ensure the next Farm Bill prioritizes efforts to end hunger. The first thing you m ..read more

Alameda County Community Food Bank is proud to announce that we’re a Certified California Green Business! Food banks like ours are dedicated to building sustainable food systems — and, at Alameda County Community Food Bank, we believe that also includes tackling climate change. Climate change and ecological injustices disproportionately affect people of color, low-income communities, and those of us who face food insecurity. Low-income communities already have higher rates of many adverse health conditions, are more exposed to environmental hazards, and take longer to bounce back from natural ..read more

Twenty years ago, Liz Gomez — then the Food Bank’s emergency food helpline coordinator — noticed an alarming trend among callers seeking same-day food assistance. Despite being our country’s first line of defense against hunger, most callers weren’t enrolled in CalFresh (then still known as “food stamps”), a program that gives eligible households money to purchase the food they need most at a grocery store. Equally alarming: some callers had never even heard of CalFresh — and most who had heard of it found the process too cumbersome to be worth applying for. That’s when Liz saw an opportunit ..read more