Elaine's story: Pantry client turned volunteer

Elaine at her volunteer station

As a client of Second Harvest Food Bank's Family Harvest program, Elaine shares the food she receives with her 14-year old son. When the opportunity arose to help out, she jumped at the chance and started volunteering at the Family Harvest distribution site in Pacifica.

“The Pacifica Resource Center has helped me so much that it just felt right to give back.”

“I’ve seen lots of families with well-standing jobs and I see the pain in their eyes when they come here. If I can help comfort them through this, then I feel good.” Elaine works the bread table during the Family Harvest distribution.

Recovering from drug and alcohol use, Elaine had been working as both a house cleaner and caterer to make ends meet. Unfortunately, she suffered a back injury while cleaning, and relapsed. During this difficult time and against the odds, Elaine found the strength to face the reality of her situation. The idea of asking for help was difficult, but as she says, “I had to bite the bullet. In my family, we were brought up not to ask, but the Resource Center was so wonderful. I love them. They made it easy.”

Elaine looks forward to the protein items such as chicken, cheese, and eggs. “We don’t always get it, but when we do, it’s so great. The milk is wonderful!” The fresh fruits and vegetables have allowed her to become more creative when cooking meals.

“Just knowing that Family Harvest is there. That the P.R.C. is there. Just knowing that they exist is a relief. I look forward to every month’s distribution because I know I can hold out ‘til then and if I was in a tough spot, I could go to the P.R.C. pantry.”

She knows it means a lot to the other families, too. She sees them waiting in line, looking stressed and nervous, and then leave in smiles. She sees these distributions as a time to share with her community. “Everyone gets involved. Even the kids! And everyone, you can tell, is just so thankful to get that food.”

Get Food  |  Volunteer  |  Donate

A young client shares a moment with a volunteer at the Pacifica distribution.

The Pacifica Resource Center is one of 316 non-profit agencies taking part in Second Harvest Food Bank's Food Assistance Program (FAP).

Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties Rated Among the Top 8% of US Charities

For the 4th year in a row, Charity Navigator, America’s premier charity evaluator, has awarded Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties a 4-star rating (the highest available) for the organization’s sound fiscal management.

According to Ken Berger, President/CEO of Charity Navigator, "Only 8% of the charities we rate have received at least 4 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Second Harvest Food Bank consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way and outperforms most charities in America. This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Second Harvest Food Bank from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust."

As the nonprofit sector continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, savvy donors are demanding more accountability, transparency, and quantifiable results from the charities they choose to support with their hard-earned dollars. In this competitive philanthropic marketplace, Charity Navigator highlights the work of efficient charities like Second Harvest Food Bank and provides donors with information needed to give them greater confidence in the charitable choices they make.

“We are incredibly proud to once again receive a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator,” said Kathy Jackson, CEO of Second Harvest. “We are mindful of the trust our supporters place in us when they make a donation and we honor that trust by using donated resources efficiently and effectively in the fight against hunger in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.”

Are there even options available for kids to make sensible food choices?

Health and wellness enthusiast B-Boy Super Inlight reached out to D-Nick The Microphone Misfit to compose a song for the opening of Graffiti and Grub, a natural foods store on the Chicago's South Side. They use Hip Hop culture as a way of inspiring different types of people to eat healthy. B-Boy Super Inlight is part of the World famous Stick and Move Dance Crew representing real H.I.P.H.O.P. (Healthy Independent People Helping Other People).

With a chorus taken from the definition of the word healthy, B-Boy Super Inlight makes an appeal to viewers to stop eating junk food. Maybe we all need to hear that definition again. "Freedom from disease and abnormality" has a nice ring to it, don't you think? The song "Abnormality" is fun, there's some humor in there, and tells it like it is.

Here are a few excerpts:

"If I eat this, it'll put me in a junk mood."

"Eatin' healthy is the first step in disease prevention. It also cuts down on hypertension."

"You wouldn't pay your bills with counterfeit money, so why would you put something counterfeit in your tummy?"

The video ends with the guys heading into the fresh produce section of a grocery store to get some "real" food.

With videos like "Abnormality" and high-profile TV shows like Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution making the rounds, I feel really hopeful that the message is getting to both the parents and the kids. Still, my worry is still that even if the kids want to make the right choices, for many, they just don't have healthy options to choose from.

Every day, low-income people in our communities battle 2 main obstacles in the quest to eat food that will nourish their bodies:

1. Affordability: $1 can buy a large bag of white rolls, or, maybe 2 apples if you're lucky. Forget about a salad. I stand corrected - you can get a salad on something called a "dollar menu". 
2. Location: Food Deserts are a reality. Without grocery stores, it doesn't matter if you can afford nutrient-dense food because it's just not there. 

At the Food Bank, we're pushing hard to deliver healthy options into low-income areas suffering from lack of access. Staff nutritionists ensure clients receive balanced distributions and information on healthful eating.

Our summer fundraising campaign, Share Your Lunch, insures that families with children receive extra food during the summer while school is out, and also funds our Kids NOW weekend food assistance program.

Our goal is to provide healthy options so that kids from low-income families in our community can actually make a choice.

Do you think kids are getting the message about junk food? Do you have ideas to share? What are you doing with your family to give them the tools they need to make the right food decisions?

Summer is the Season of Childhood Hunger

During the summer, children who normally receive free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch from their schools are at risk of going hungry. According to California Food Policy Advocates, there are 120,524 children in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties who are eligible for the subsidized school meal program - that's 1 in 5 at risk of hunger.

The Share Your Lunch campaign is committed to collecting food and raising funds that will be used to feed children during the summer months when they do not receive free or reduced-price meals at school.

The Need
The Summer of 2010 will be one of the most difficult seasons for local families to endure. Second Harvest is partnering with the community to help stave off hunger for thousands of children who don't know where their next meal will come from.

The Goals
To meet the increased need, the Share Your Lunch campaign has a fundraising goal of $1 million and collection goal of 100,000 pounds of food. Reaching these goals will provide food to approximately 85,000 children each month this summer.

The Dates
Share Your Lunch officially begins on May 1st and will run through July 31st. Individuals and groups are encouraged to participate in the campaign during this period.

Learn More | Donate Now | Run A Drive

Win Tickets & Backstage Passes to See Tim McGraw!

From May 3rd through May 22nd, KRTY Radio challenges you to collect as many canned goods to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank in conjunction with Second Harvest’s Share Your Lunch Campaign to help feed the children in our community.

Each can or non-perishable food item gets you closer to a pair of tickets and backstage passes for Tim McGraw!

Start collecting your cans and on Saturday, May 22nd between 12 Noon and 2 PM bring them to the KRTY booth at Safeway on Branham & Snell in San Jose.

The person who donates the most goods will be the winner… but everyone can feel great about making a difference.