Food Bank Volunteering, Saturday, December 15, 2007

Post date: Oct 21, 2011 8:40:55 PM

Saturday, December 15, 2007

2007: We donated a trunkful of cans collected at our potluck in October, and followed up with packing boxes at the Alameda County Community Food Bank's warehouse in Oakland. Smithies of all ages, plus some partners and children, spent the afternoon putting together a variety of donated foods into boxes for distribution. The ACCFB delivers food to their community member organizations who in turn dispense food to residents. During our snack break, Rachel Lee Holstein '94, who works with corporate development outreach for ACCFB, talked to us about the educational side of their work, which is very impressive, successful, and inspiring. They have programs from those that help people who qualify for food stamps to get them (especially helping non-English speaking residents) to efforts in Sacramento to help design programs to help fight poverty in Alameda County and beyond.

And, of course, they collect food from stores, individuals, and Central Valley farmers who have extra produce! The food bank needs food all year long, not just in winter -- in fact, during the summer when children are not getting school lunches, there is significant need for emergency food supplies. As computers help to streamline the food supply chain and reduce packaging errors (like labels upside down), rejected and extra food sources are slim and the food bank has to buy more food to meet the needs of their members: community organization serving our county's residents who need food (most often children and the elderly with fixed incomes).

If you can contribute time, food, or money, the ACCFB will certainly put it to good use in a friendly and efficient manner! See How to Help.