Hunger doesn't take a vacation this holiday season, and neither do we. About 1.1 million people in the Bay Area are at risk of hunger every month. About 38 percent of this number are children. These are our neighbors, co-workers, and people we see on a regular basis who live below 150% of the poverty line. In the Bay Area, this includes a family of three earning $26,400 a year, or $31,800 for a family of four.
This year's Share Your Holiday Food Drive takes place Tuesday, Dec. 14 from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the following three locations:
- SAN JOSE: MANCINI'S SLEEPWORLD
1086 Blossom Hill Road
BERKELEY: MANCINI'S SLEEPWORLD
1099 Ashby Avenue
SAN FRANCISCO: JUSTIN HERMAN PLAZA
(between the skating rink and the steps near The Hyatt)
To find your local food bank, make a donation, or for more information, call 800-870-FOOD or visit www.bayareahunger.org.
Here is a list of urgently needed food items: (Non-perishables only; please avoid fresh or frozen food and no glass jars.)
- Peanut Butter
- Chicken
- Tuna (and other foods high in protein)
- Soups
- Stew
- Chili
- Cereal
- Juice Containers
- Canned Fruit
- Canned Vegetables
NO GLASS CONTAINERS PLEASE!
According to Bay Area Food Banks:
- Over half a million people are at risk of going hungry each month.
- About 38% are children.
- Every month, one in five children in the Bay Area is at risk of hunger.
According to the California Budget Project and 2007 Federal Register:
- The national poverty threshold for a family of four is an annual income of $20,650.
- Bay area numbers are startling. A Bay Area family with two working parents and two children must earn at least $70,000 just to make ends meet.
- This compares to a statewide average of $58,000.
According to California Food Policy Advocates:
- Nearly 400,000 children in the Bay Area are eligible for the Summer Food Service Program.
- These are kids who participate in subsidized school lunch programs during the academic year.
- Sadly, only 20 percent sign up for the free summer lunches because so few know about the program.
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE DONORS:
Below are this year's Thanksgiving Food Drive donors. (Donations of 35 meals ($350) or more)
The David B. Gold Foundation: 2,000 meals
Rodney Strong Vineyards & Tom Klein: 1,000 meals
Temple Isaiah of Contra Costa County: 529
Joseph Zils: 500 meals
Carol Owens: 372 meals
Alza Corp.: 310
Roth Armstrong Hayes Foundation: 300 meals
Netivot Shalom: 220 meals
Blackhawk Country Club: 150 meals
Congregation Beth Jacob: 150 meals
Fratellanza Men's Club of Oakland: 140 meals
Congregation B'Nai Shalom: 138
Congregation Beth Israel: 113 meals
Beth Chaim Congregation: 106 meals
AT&T Pioneers, Alameda County Council: 100
SIS, Inc.: 100
Tony Gonzales: 100 meals
John Russell: 100 meals
St. Patrick's Episcopal Church: 100 meals
Richard and Susan Klekman: 100 meals
Temple Beth Torah: 100 meals
AT&T Pioneers - Alameda County Council: 100
Glacier Bay: 97 meals
Glenview & Dimond Neighborhood Assoc.: 87 meals
United Way of Santa Rosa: 83 meals
Congregation Beth Emek: 80
David and Patricia Byrd: 75 meals
Penumbra: 73 meals
Piedmont Council, Boy Scouts of America: 70 meals
Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Alameda Region: 67
Harland Financial Services: 56 meals
Assemblymember Mariko Yamada: 52
E Clampsus Vitus: 51
Energy Solutions: 50 meals
Michael Fallon: 50 meals
Roxanne Dubay: 50 meals
Fiorino's Lounge: 50 meals
Teresa Pucci: 50 meals
Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Fellowship: 50 meals
Carl & Kathleen Paine: 50 meals
Daisy & Bo Greaves: 50 meals
Jack & Nancy Russell Stone: 50 meals
Jules Thompson: 50 meals
Nordvik Designs of Fremont: 50 meals
Roy's Performance Ford of Oakland: 50 meals
Steven Kim: 50 meals
Congregation B'Nai Shalom: 47
Mills Grove Community Church: 45 meals
UC Berkeley Dept. of Student Programming: 43 meals
Skyline Community Church: 42 meals
Solano County Supervisor Mike Reagan: 37
David Nashif: 35 Meals
Thermo Fisher: 36 meals
Beth Chaim Congregation: 35 meals
InterAmerican Coffee: 35 meals
Timothy Lockyer in memory of Edith Zahniser: 35
Tom and Suzanne Olsen: 35
Steve Somers: 35 meals
David Lorenzen: 35 meals
JSW Insurance Associates: 35 meals
Hayward/Castro Valley Kiwanis Club Community & Youth Group: 35 meals
The Produce Exchange in Livermore: 35 meals
FINAL TOTAL: 9798 Meals
