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.
Food donations can be dropped off at your local food bank. Or you can make a monetary donation online. Beginning Monday, November 12th, cash donations of $350 and greater will be announced by Spencer Christian on ABC7's 6 pm newscast during our Thanksgiving Food Drive.
2012 Thanksgiving Food Drive Totals
Mike and Suzy Marzalek -- 150
Dynavax Technologies Corporation -- 150
Students & Staff at Washington H.S., Fremont -- 120
Montclair Women's Club -- 100
Students & Staff at Mills College -- 91
Minette Norman and Tom Borromeo -- 50
Ali & Matthias Kamber -- 50
Elizabeth Ferguson -- 50
Temple Isaiah of Contra Costa County, Lafayette -- 49
Sonoma Country Day School -- 120
Geoffrey and Amy Tompkins -- 100
Mizuho OSI -- 70
Harland Financial Solutions -- 53
Seagate Technology -- 52
Carol Owens -- 337
Netivot Shalom -- 300
Congregation Beth Jacob -- 190
Temple Sinai -- 120
Piece by Piece -- 100
Dennis Mueller -- 80
Goldstein Munger & Associates -- 50
Genevieve Peterson -- 50
Ryan Almstead -- 100
Mr. & Mrs. William Hilton -- 100
Kristin Hite -- 100
Our Lady of Grace Church -- 50
Chan Foundation -- 50
Doug Tingley -- 50
Congregation B'Nai Tikvah, Walnut Creek -- 149
Congregation Beth Chaim, Danville -- 148
Bay Area Legal Recruitment Association -- 100
Employees of Wind River -- 68
Frederick Uhlman and Rachel Westlake -- 60
Employees of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Materials Sciences Division -- 51
Elizabeth Daley -- 50
Mara Brazer -- 50
Lawrence Volvo of Walnut Creek -- 35
Realtors at Pacific Union -- 220
Employees of CH2M HILL -- 104
Robert and Susanne Stuart -- 100
Employees of Union Sanitary District -- 51
Rockridge Montessori School Families -- 119
Employees at MacPherson's Art Supplies -- 50
Congregation B'Nai Shalom, Walnut Creek -- 47
Temple Beth Abraham -- 500
Tom Legault-Kropa Realty, Walnut Creek -- 137
Congregation Beth Emek -- 110
Temple Beth Sholom -- 100
Congregation B'Nai Tikvah, Walnut Creek -- 80
Oakland TREX Fraternity, Oakland -- 50
Alvin and Ann Jones, El Cerrito -- 40
ALZA Corporation GPSG West, Vacaville -- 654
Congregation Beth Israel -- 277
Temple Beth Torah -- 80
Shell Chemical, Martinez -- 37
Total To Date: 6,764
To find your local food bank 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
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.
- 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.
