Report from the 2010 National Anti-Hunger Conference

On March 7, our Senior Director of Programs and Services Cindy McCown, along with hundreds of other hunger advocates, converged on Washington D.C. for the 2010 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference. Co-sponsored by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and Feeding America, the conference provided three days of innovative training, networking and advocacy.

Cindy found herself inspired by the personal stories and conviction of the speakers, who included

• Congresswomen Donna Edwards (D-Maryland)
• Kevin Concannon – Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services
• Tom Vilsack – Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana)
• Representative Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts)
• Senator Robert Casey, Jr. (D-Pennsylvania

Key Messages:

• Hunger is a bi-partisan issue
• Federal nutrition programs such as SNAP/Food Stamps, school based feeding, after school snacks, summer meals and WIC are critical to combating hunger in our communities.
• We need a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill if we are to achieve the President’s goal of ending child hunger by 2015.
• We need a significant level of increased funding in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill – no less than the President’s request of one billion dollars per year over the next ten years to meet this need.

Meetings were held with representatives of Senators Boxer and Feinstein and Congress Members Anna Eshoo, Mike Honda, Zoe Lofgren, Jackie Speier and Jerry McNerney to apprise them of hunger issues impacting our local communities.

For a deeper dive into the issues, see the following links:

• (PDF) Ending Childhood Hunger by 2015: The Essential Strategies for Achieving the President's Goal
• (PDF) Reading, Writing and Hungry: The Consequences of Food Insecurity on Children, and On Our Nation’s Economic Success
• (PDF) Obesity, Food Insecurity and the Federal Nutrition Programs: Understanding the Linkages
• (PDF) Proceedings of the Roundtable on Understanding the Paradox of Hunger and Obesity
• (PDF) Hunger and Obesity? Making the Connections (Fact Sheet)
• (E-publication) FRAC Focuses: Obesity and Poverty: a periodical review of research and action

Yelp Love for the Food Bank!

Yelp is definitely a force to be reckoned with these days. Seems like every time I look up a business, their Yelp page is right at the top of the search results, and difficult to ignore. That's why it puts a huge grin on my face to see our supporters writing about their positive experiences at Second Harvest Food Bank - some people have even posted pictures!

Photos uploaded to Yelp by Anya R.

In January, we had an all-staff meeting followed by a group food sort - just the kind our volunteers are used to. Many of us had never done this before, so I can commiserate with the Yelpers who say they were surprised by what a good workout we gave them. It was my job to put 4 cans of sliced pears (packed in juice—not syrup—I'm happy to report) into each food box as it came down the line. Not too long into it, I started looked at the people with the box-building job with envy! As they say, the grass is always greener... But honestly, there's something about hearing from the team leaders how many families we're feeding that gets the competitive spirit ramped up - my team boxed up 12,000 pounds that afternoon!

Volunteering can be hard work but it's FUN! Staff member Tometrius Paxton gets in the spirit.

Be an advocate for the work we do - Yelp about us!
We have two Yelp pages - and we'd love your review at the location where you volunteered or had your interaction with us. Don't forget, your review doesn't have to be about volunteering - any reason you support us is worthy of a post!

Yelp San Jose | Yelp San Carlos

Users like Flor D. have used Yelp Events to gather volunteer groups to better our community. Check out her recent Food Sort event to see how it works. (If you'd like to do this too, don't forget to set up your event with Volunteer Services before posting.) Thanks for your support, Flor!

I'll finish up with a quote from Anya R.:

It was so inspiring to see people of all ages too- coming together and working together for one cause- and that is to help out others because we can.  There were students all the way to an old man with a walker!  If he can volunteer- so can you!

The two hours were really organized and time just flew.  It was nice to see people in such good moods willing to help.  I am going to look into volunteering for Second Harvest directly and get more people to come join me. 

Thank you, Yelpers!

Nutrition is a priority - locally and nationally!

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and First Lady Michelle Obama know fresh produce is invaluable to good health, and are spreading the word. (See the slideshow of their recent shopping adventure in North Philadelphia on The Huffington Post.)

The support coming from the top to improve childhood nutrition is most welcome at Second Harvest. For several years now, we have put a lot of thought and effort into upgrading the nutritional density of food we distribute.  A Nutritional Indexing System developed in-house has enabled us to tag incoming food with a number according to certain guidelines that have been established, and then these numbers are tracked over time.

Thanks to the Farm to Families program, a large percentage of our food poundage gets the highest ranking as fresh produce. At a recent Family Harvest distribution, I watched children in their school uniforms on the grass working their way through bags of fresh, sweet oranges, rinds piling up next to them as their parents picked up the rest of their food allotment. The kids' bright smiles and laughter said it all.

We believe we have a responsibility to those we serve in our community to provide quality, nutritious food that will enable parents to instill healthy eating habits in their children despite their current financial status. The little girl on our holiday food drive poster is standing next to a cart of the actual food that was going out on the day we showed up. Check out that produce!

Second Harvest is pleased that a number of our key priorities for the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act—including improved access to fill the gaps in food assistance and the development of innovative ways to reach hungry children during out-of-school times—are included in the Obama Administration's priorities. We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress in the coming months to make legislative changes that will move the nation forward in the crusade to end childhood hunger in America. Check out a full list of Secretary Vilsack's administration priorities on our main website.

In addition to Secretary Vilsack's work, First Lady Michelle Obama will also be positively impacting our efforts with her "Let's Move" campaign and the new foundation she heads up called "Partnership for a Healthier America".

From their website: "The Partnership for a Healthier America will serve as a partner to the First Lady’s Let’s Move Initiative by linking and mobilizing the private sector, foundations, thought leaders, media, and local communities to action and further the goals of curbing childhood obesity within a generation."

Our Senior Director of Programs and Services Cindy McCown will be in Washington DC next week for the 2010 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference. Stay tuned for info and actions to come! Be sure to get the news:  sign up for our email list here and help us end childhood hunger!

Further Info: 

• Learn about our Produce Mobile serving local food deserts and the Kids NOW program that sends food home with kids every Friday, filling the gap until they are back in school on Monday. These creative solutions to ending hunger are right in line with Vilsack's priority recomendations.
• Do you know someone or a family who could use assistance? Check out our Outreach Flyers and Handouts page. 

Recognizing Our San Carlos Volunteers!

On February 12, 2010, Second Harvest hosted a party for volunteers and Partners in Need (PIN) members at our San Carlos location. This party let us show our appreciation for our volunteers, who are vital in our operations. Volunteers help us fill positions in the front office, warehouse office, and food sort room (including team leaders).

Nearly 50 guests were present, including Kris Sulpizio, Director of Volunteer Services and Kathy Jackson, our CEO. BJ's Restaurant in Foster City donated all the food. Gina Futrell and her daughter Heidi Lowery donated and gift-wrapped the majority of the prizes. All volunteers took home a gift.

Thank you, volunteers!

Learn about available volunteer opportunities

CEO Kathy Jackson and long-time volunteer Tom Maples

National Hunger Study Results Confirm Need For Food is Up in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties

A landmark research study just released by Feeding America captures the undeniable connection between the economic downturn and an increased need for emergency food assistance. The study depicts U.S. hunger through both a national and regional lens. Data was collected from February to June 2009 using interviews and agency surveys. The findings mirror what Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties has been seeing in our day-to-day operations.

Hunger is running rampant throughout our two-county service area. The Food Bank estimates that 1 in 4 people in its two-county service area are at risk for hunger. In the first six months of our fiscal year, we fed 17% more people than the same time period last year. This equates to serving an average of 236,560 people each month with a total of 17.5 million meals.

The unprecedented increase in requests for food assistance is primarily seen in programs that serve families with children, and 54% of surveyed households included at least one working adult. One third of those surveyed had to choose between buying food and paying for medicine or medical care.

"Over the next month, we plan to analyze the numbers and utilize them to create a more comprehensive profile of who is hungry in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties and why. Moving forward, Second Harvest will use this information to grow food assistance programs and to support public policies that will reduce food insecurity in our two-county service area," said Cindy McCown, Senior Director of Programs and Services.


For more information, please see our press release, and stay tuned for the release of a fully localized report in March.

To find ways to help end hunger in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, visit www.SHFB.org.

Our own Cindy McCown nominated for a CFPA Stampy Award - Vote today!

Nominations for the 11th Annual Stampy Awards from across the state honor the efforts of individuals working to improve the Food Stamp Program in California. This year, our very own Cindy McCown has been nominated, along with Jim Beall, our hunger-fighting champion in the California State Assembly!

Vote Now through January 31, 2010.

We at Second Harvest Food Bank are deeply concerned because many of the people we serve are also participants or are eligible for crucial safety net programs such as Food Stamps.

Second Harvest supports initiatives that would increase participation in state and federal supplemental food programs. This will relieve strain on our resources, allowing us to concentrate on those in our community who do not qualify for those programs but still meet our income guidelines (approximately 200% of the Federal Poverty Line).

By voting, you are rewarding efforts to improve the program, as well as identifying actions and attitudes you want replicated. A popular segment of the CFPA Food Stamp Forum, the Stampy Award ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the achievements and contributions of our colleagues in improving the Food Stamp Program at the local, county, and state levels over the past year. It's a bit like the Golden Globes of the food stamp world! The winners will be announced at the 11th Annual Food Stamp Forum on Thursday, February 18, 2010 in Sacramento.

Our Nominees of Choice:

Cindy McCown
Senior Director of Programs and Services
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties

Through Ms. McCown's dedication she helped to create a pilot project with Santa Clara County Social Service Office in 2006 that allows for all applicants that are assisted with Food Stamp applications by Food Bank staff to be able to have their appointments be held within 5 days.  Approximately 80% of applicants assisted by the Food Bank are seen within 4 days by the SSA office.  This is remarkable in a State where many applicants are not able to be seen for up to a month or more.

A second example of her work that has led to improving the collaboration between the Food Bank and the County is the funding received by both San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to support the Food Stamp outreach work of the Food Bank.  San Mateo County has provided a 2 1/2 year contract for the work and Santa Clara County funding has been on-going and will be continued.  In addition, she has most recently accepted a donation from Santa Clara County of an RV outfitted for community clinic and outreach work that will become a "Food Stamp Mobile" to station in isolated and "walking-community" high-need locations throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

Without Cindy's persistence and vision the Food Bank would not be assisting with Food Stamp applications.  During the First 5 months of FY 2009-2010 (July-November) the Food Bank assisted 696 households with Food Stamp applications.

Jim Beall
California State Assembly Member

Assembly Member Jim Beall (D-San Jose) has championed legislation to remove barriers to food stamps, remove asset barriers for applicants, and urged Congress to remove finger-imaging and the Obama adminstration to reduce paperwork in California's Food Stamp Program. He is the chairman of the Assembly Human Services Committee and serves as the chairman of the Select Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and the Select Committee on Foster Care.

Holiday Drive Poster Girl Visits Food Bank

Our San Jose warehouse had a special visitor today. Four year old Ariana, her mother, and her six year old sister stopped by to meet CEO Kathy Jackson and tour the facility where food is sorted and boxes are packed for distribution to low-income families like hers.

Esperanza, Ariana's mom, receives food through the Food Bank's Family Harvest program. She also volunteers at the distribution site.

In keeping with our commitment to authentically portray our client-base through actual photos and real stories, we were thrilled when Esperanza was willing to allow us to photograph Ariana for posters, barrel wraps and other promotional materials for our 2009 Holiday Food and Fund Drive. The photoshoot took place at the location where Esperanza volunteers and picks up her monthly distribution and the food depicted is what was being given to all program participants that day.

Ariana enjoys attending preschool and in her free time likes to color. Her favorite food is pozole, a traditional Mexican stew in which many of the ingredients are made available to her mother thanks to the Family Harvest program.

Ariana takes a tight grip on the posters she was given today.

Symantec Funds Cost-Saving Hybrid Produce Mobile - The First of its Kind in the National Food Bank Network

In the spring of 2009, the Food Bank was seeking to purchase an additional vehicle to meet the rising requests for fresh fruits and vegetables from our clients and partner agencies. Referred to as a Produce Mobile, this refrigerated tractor trailer operates like a farmer's market on wheels by bringing much needed produce to low-income communities.

We turned to Symantec, one of our large corporate champions, for help with the purchase of this high-cost capital item. Because of Symantec’s commitment to the environment, they encouraged the Food Bank to look into the possibility of purchasing a hybrid tractor trailer.

Thanks to Symantec’s guidance, the Food Bank did just that. While the cost of a refrigerated hybrid tractor trailer is much higher than a conventional one, the savings in fuel alone are expected to be close to 30% compared to conventional vehicles. All of those cash savings will be put back into the community in the form of food and programs that feed hungry people.

“For many years, Symantec has supported Second Harvest’s mission of feeding Silicon Valley’s hungry and our sponsorship of the hybrid Produce Mobile will ensure fresh produce is delivered to those in need,” said John W. Thomson, Chairman of the Board, Symantec. “I applaud Second Harvest for reinvesting the cash savings from the hybrid vehicle into additional food and programs to serve the community.”

The hybrid tractor trailer is not only transformational to Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, but the first for the national Food Bank network as well.

“Feeding America is actively working to build a sustainability program for all of our 205 member food banks,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. “This hybrid tractor is a huge step forward. As we work to end hunger in our country, doing it in an environmentally sustainable manner is at the forefront of our minds.”

Second Harvest’s new Hybrid Produce Mobile is a 32’ tractor trailer with 10 refrigerated bays. It can hold 15,000 to 20,000 pounds of fresh produce at a temperature as low as 30 degrees. This new vehicle will allow the Food Bank to open 14 additional distribution sites this fiscal year resulting in an average of 20,902 individuals served each month through this program.

“We are very excited that Symantec had the foresight and commitment to step up and make this first of its kind investment,” said Kathy Jackson, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. “We hope this serves as a lightning rod moment for other individual and corporate supporters.”

Stay tuned for more announcements on ways the Food Bank is going green! Energy savings means more of our precious donated money can be used to close the Hunger Gap! 

Unexpected Hunger: The Sinking Middle Class

Please take a moment to read the following, sent to us by one of our neighbors in need. She signed it "Anonymous" - but we would like to reach out to her and let her know that we can help. Through our Food Connection hotline (1-800-984-3663), we are able to provide emergency food and refer them to other agencies that provide support beyond food to families just like hers. She is not alone, and we hope that by sharing her story, we will be able to collectively shed some of the perceived stigma attached to not having enough money to make ends meet.

Please do a blog post on the sinking middle class, of which I am a member. I have heard much of what is described as 'food insecurity' and not being able to afford not just any food but good healthy food. This is us- many times I don't eat the meat of whatever I make for dinner so my sons and husband can have enough, or there will be enough to add to another meal. Pop tarts are cheaper than fresh apples or other fruits for breakfast, but a young kid will eat this. There are other drinks cheaper than milk. 

I feel guilty but I am afraid to even try to get help- that they will say "you have a mortgage, you have a car, you shouldn't be here, your problems aren't real" , but they are. I am constantly rationing my own food and have even sunken to grabbing a box of cereal out of a food donation bin when we ran out-when asked where it came from I lied and said I had forgotten it in the trunk of the car from a previous shopping trip. I wish we could buy more produce and fresh food. 

Although my husband is still working- because of recent auto and dental emergencies we are strapped. Again, I feel if I try to go get help on my own (husband would probably be angry if he knew I did it) I will be looked at badly or put through the humiliating wringer of having to fill out lots of paperwork or be treated like I don't really deserve or need the help. I don't even want my younger son to have schoolmates come over for play dates because I feel like I should offer the visiting kid stuff and then there won't be enough for my own, which is awful. 

The thinking for people like me is just what I fear - that they will say "you have a computer to even send this, you must be all right. You're just making this up, you don't really need help". For one, I only have to pay 10 bucks a month for the internet I have. I don't spend on clothes or other luxuries. My car is almost ten years old. Sure, we are not the worst off of the worst, but the recession and family emergencies have taken their toll. I used to donate to food banks, and now it is me who is hungry, who recognizes myself in these descriptions of food insecurity, who finds myself noticing people coming and going from restaurants and noticing what anyone at all is eating at any time because of my own hunger. I have to stop myself from pigging out at any event when there is free food, or stealing food out of the teacher's room at my kid's school when they have stuff lying out there, or even sneaking eating food in the grocery from the deli or bakery area. 

I know I should be glad that we can even still afford to get cheap food, like pasta and pop tarts, but I wish I could get real healthy food for my family that they liked, and that there would be enough- and that I could go get help and not be made to feel ashamed or like I don't deserve the help. What makes being middle class hungry so horrible besides the experience itself, is having to hide and deny it, because others think you are doing ok, and the fear of the others who are ok trying to rope you into donating or even making food for the school or parties when you don't have enough for your own family- so you find yourself avoiding people.  

Well thanks for providing a place to vent. 

–Anonymous

Thank you for taking the time to read this. With knowledge comes understanding and compassion, and we need that in bunches right now!

Current and Upcoming Holiday Food Drives

Support Second Harvest Food Bank by participating in the following Food Drives in your neighborhood this holiday season:

NOW through JANUARY 5: 
Lucky, Food Maxx and Save Mart Holiday Food Drive
You can support the Food Bank while shopping at your local Lucky, Food Maxx or Save Mart store - simply drop non-perishable items to donate in our Food Bank barrels. All Save Mart and Lucky stores will have $10 and $20 bags of their pre-selected food items that you can buy and place in the barrels.

NOW through JANUARY 1: 
ABC7 / Safeway Share your Holiday Food Drive
You can support the Food Bank while shopping at your local Safeway store - simply drop non-perishable items to donate in our Food Bank barrels.
Find a Safeway location near you

NOW through JANUARY 8: 
CBS5 / Whole Foods Market
Food for Bay Area Families: Help provide food for families in need this holiday season - donate non-perishable items at your local Whole Foods Market. Look for our barrels at a Whole Foods location near you.
Find your nearest Whole Foods Market location

TUESDAY DECEMBER 8:
Whole Foods Market "5% Day"
Stock up on organic groceries, gourmet treats and superb buffet items while helping to feed those in need! All Bay Area Whole Foods Market stores will donate 5% of profits from their sales on Tuesday, December 8th to support Bay Area Food Banks.
Find your nearest Whole Foods Market location

NOVEMBER 21:
Scouting For Food
Scouts across the Bay Area will be collecting food on this one day food drive. The weekend before they will place door hangers on homes that they will return to on November 21. Simply put a bag of food out on your porch that morning for the scouts and they will deliver it to the Food Bank. If you do not receive a door hanger, you can still donate by bringing the food to your local Bay Area Food Bank or most LDS churches.

NOVEMBER 21, 8:30AM - 5:30PM: 
NBC11 Bay Area/CVS Food Drive
Join CVS and NBC11 Bay Area for this single day drive to raise food for those in need! Stop by your local CVS and donate non-perishable food items to the Food Bank on the day of November 21st.
Find your local CVS pharmacy

What Matters to You?

Do you remember receiving a gift that really mattered to you?

For me, the gift I received that really mattered was an invitation.

The gift arrived when I was just out of school. My wife and I were in our first year of marriage, in our first apartment, living far from either of our families. We didn’t have much money, or know a lot of people. Thanksgiving was just around the corner. We felt awkward asking any of our new friends to share the holiday with us, and even more awkward making a lavish dinner for only two people. So, our grand Thanksgiving plan was to spend a day huddled in our apartment with movies and takeout.

Everything changed when we got a call from a woman we knew who lived on the other end of the bay. She invited us to her place for the Big Meal. Even though we didn't know her that well, or know who else would be there, we decided to take our chances and accept.

It turned out that we spent a truly magnificent Thanksgiving Day cooking, swapping stories, laughing, and hanging out with the oddest collection of people. There was a long-lost uncle, with beard and VW van. There was a classmate and his girlfriend. There was a friend of a friend, absent the friend that connected him. There were the two radical economic activists who lived downstairs. There was a foreign exchange student from a nearby school no one else had attended. And there were my wife and myself.

Lucky for us, our friend didn't share our reluctance to invite almost total strangers to the table. We enjoyed a wonderful holiday, and started a deep and lasting friendship.

The best thing about this gift was that it made me want to share it with others. In the (many) intervening years, my wife and I have made a practice of inviting widely for Thanksgiving. And we’ve never had a disappointing day, or spent that time with movies and takeout.

One thing I love about my work at Second Harvest is that I'm able to be a small part of a big invitation – the invitation to those who are hungry to come and eat their fill. Because of those who are willing to share what's on their table, those who are hungry can have milk and bread without cost. These are the gifts that have the power to change lives.

I'd like to know what gift you have received, that really mattered to you. Was it a bicycle or a special toy? Was it a piece of clothing or a plane ticket? Was it a gift of love? Or opportunity? Or time? Was it a meal?

I invite you to share your story by commenting below. For each comment we receive, our CEO Kathy Jackson will donate $10 to the "Share Your Story" 2009 Holiday Food and Fund drive.

Sincerely,

Bran Scott
Annual Fund and Systems Manager
Second Harvest Food Bank

Food Bank Kicks off Holiday Drive

Yesterday we kicked off the 2009 Holiday Food & Fund Drive with an event at our San Carlos Warehouse. Supervisor Carole Groom and John W. Thompson, Symantec Chairman of the Board (pictured above), drove home the importance of supporting the Food Bank and the significant role we play in the community.

This holiday season is critical. As we strive to feed more and more people in need, we are asking everyone to do what they can and to give a gift that matters – the gift of food.

Currently, more than two-thirds of callers to our Food Connection hotline are first time callers who have never before needed food assistance. Many of these people are recently-unemployed or had their work hours cut in the past year and are finding themselves unable to afford enough nutritious food for themselves and their families.

The goals for this year’s drive are to collect 10 million dollars and 1.9 million pounds of food. The drive runs through January 22nd. 

To find out how you can help, visit www.SHFB.org.

Paper = Food

You can help feed hungry people in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties by buying paper. Each time you buy a case of Give Something Back (GSB) 30% or 100% post-consumer recycled paper, GSB Inc. and Boise Inc. will donate $1 to the Food Bank.

GSB was founded on a simple concept – sell office supplies and donate the profits to local non-profit organizations. Today GBS has become the largest independent office supply company in the western region and has given over $4 million back to impact our local communities.

Contact Give Something Back at support@givesomethingback.com or visit them on line at http://www.givesomethingback.com/ for more information.

Ending Childhood Hunger by 2015 Listening Session

The public is invited to attend a listening session hosted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in response to the Obama Administration’s challenge to federal agencies to eliminate childhood hunger by 2015.

The listening session is being held at the Oakland Federal Building on Thursday, October 1st from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be a lunch break from Noon – 1:00p.m. Attendees are asked to provide their own lunch.

During the session, FNS representatives will listen and gather recommendations for ending childhood hunger by 2015 from program cooperators, participants and partners at state and local levels, who provide unique yet necessary points of view that will help assist the Obama Administration as it considers potential changes to programs and their delivery. Our own Cindy McCown, Senior Director of Programs and Services at the Food Bank will be speaking on behalf of the California Association of Food Bank’s.

For more information, email wro-pa@fns.usda.gov or call (415) 705-1311.

If you are unable to attend, comments and recommendations can be emailed to the above address or faxed to: (415) 705-1364. Deadline for submissions is October 15, 2009.

Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria Menlo Park Opening Benefits Food Bank

On Tuesday September 22nd, Amici's East Coast Pizzeria celebrated the opening of their Menlo Park location with a 'Charity Lunch' in support of the Food Bank.

Amici's staff were joined by 'celebrity servers' Brian Murphy, Paul McCaffrey and Dan Dibley, hosts of The Morning Show on KNBR-680, who showed off their restaurant skills and entertained customers.

The event was well supported by Menlo Park residents including Mayor Heyward Robinson, and Sports fans from around the Bay Area.

Lunch sales totaled $2,300, to which Amici's added a $1,000 tip on behalf of each of the 'celebrity servers' for a grand total of a $5,300 donation to Second Harvest Food Bank. This generous donation will provide 10,600 meals to people in need in our community.

Thanks to Amici’s and everyone who came out to enjoy a great lunch and support the Food Bank.

Photo is by Chris Gulker of http://www.inmenlo.com/. Pictures L-R are: Brian Murphy (KNBR), Heyward Robinson (Mayor of Menlo Park), Dan Dibley (KNBR), and Paul McCaffrey (KNBR).

Cheesecake Factory supports Hunger Action Month with special promotion

On September 30th, bring two cans of soup to any local Cheesecake Factory and, on top of your food donation, they will donate 10% of your check to the Food Bank.

The Cheesecake Factory is a corporate partner of Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month. During the month of September, Feeding America’s nationwide network of 205 food banks are calling upon their communities to help end local hunger.

Chef Cat Cora to host Backyard "CCQ" in support of Second Harvest

Head out to Macy's Valley Fair - 2801 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose on Saturday, October 3rd at 2:00pm where Macy's Culinary Council chef Cat Cora will host a Backyard "CCQ".

Join us to sample some of Cat's favorite recipes. Feed your passion for gourmet cooking while showing your support for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

Ticket price is $15. All proceeds from event will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Ticket transaction will be completed at Macy's prior to start of the event. Cash or check only. Please make check payable to "Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties". For more information, log onto macys.com/events.

2nd Annual Hunger Issues Forum for Santa Clara County

The September 10th Hunger Issues Forum was organized by the Food Bank and was sponsored by Santa Clara University’s Food & Agribusiness Institute and SCU’s Leavey School of Business. Approximately 125 attendees gained a better understanding of how childhood hunger affects our economy while learning about public policy opportunities and how to take action on hunger issues.

Speakers included:

Dr. John Cook with the Boston Medical Center and the Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Cook explained findings from his recently released report Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on Our Nation.

Dr. Ed Cooney, CEO of the Congressional Hunger Center in Washington D.C. Dr. Cooney addressed how we can influence system changes to achieve President Obama's commitment to end domestic childhood hunger by 2015.

Dr. Drew Starbird, acting Dean of Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business. Dr. Starbird explained what the unmet food needs look like for Santa Clara County residents.

Dr. Daniel Delgado, pediatrician at the Pediatric Healthy Lifestyles Center at the Santa Clara County Health and Hospital System. Dr. Delgado shared what is happening locally to improve children’s lifestyles.

Video of the presentations will be available soon.

The Carolee Hazard 93 Dollar Drive Totals Over $13K

The Carolee Hazard 93 Dollar Drive (see blog post from August 26) has taken on a life of its own! As of today, more than $13,000 has been donated to the Food Bank. And the Facebook Page she set up has received comments from all over the world.

In addition, Trader Joe's in Menlo Park, the store where this amazing story began, donated over 250 pounds of food. Pictured are Carolee, her daughters and Jenni.

Lisa Fernandez of the Mercury News first covered the story and today, Carolee and Jenni graciously agreed to tell their story to a wider audience. Pictured is Carolee being interviewed by Maureen Naylor of KTVU/FOX2.

Carolee and Jenni delivering donation checks to the Food Bank's Tami Cardenas.

Los Gatos Art Association 2010 Calendar

Buy now to support Second Harvest Food Bank!

Purchase the 2010 LGAA 14-month Calendar and adorn your home or office with images of award-winning local art. 100% of the proceeds from these great gifts will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties to provide food for our neighbors in need.

Visit the LGAA website to learn more about the artists and use this order form (PDF) to request your calendar(s) now!