Five San Francisco Bay Area food banks have a critical shortage with volunteers and are reaching out to the public for assistance.
The food banks -- Alameda County Community Food Bank, Food Bank of Contra Costa Solano, Redwood Empire Food Bank, San Francisco Marin Food Bank and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley -- serve 12 Northern California counties.
Collectively, Bay Area food banks feed about a million people each month.
Additionally, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Alameda County Community Food Bank and San Francisco Marin Food bank are reporting an increase in requests for home delivery of free groceries, as more people are forced to isolate due to exposure or illness related to the omicron variant.
Volunteer rates at food banks tend to be traditionally sloe between January and March after the holiday season, but this year's drop was more significant as employers, schools and community reinsate stay-at-home policies, according to Diane Baker Hayward of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.
To volunteer, please contact the following:
Alameda County Community Food Bank
- Counties Served: Alameda
- Volunteer Sign-up: accfb.org/volunteer
- Media Contact: Michael Altfest maltfest@accfb.org
Food Bank of Contra Costa Solano
- Counties Served: Contra Costa and Solano counties
- Volunteer Sign-up: https://volunteer.foodbankccs.org
- Media Contact: Cassidie Bates cbates@foodbankccs.org
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Redwood Empire Food Bank
- Counties Served: Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties
- Volunteer Sign-up: http://refb.org/volunteer
- Media Contact: Rachelle Mesheau rmesheau@refb.org
San Francisco Marin Food Bank
- Counties Served: San Francisco and Marin counties
- Volunteer Sign-up: https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/volunteer/
- Media Contact: Pamela Wellner pwellner@sfmfoodbank.org
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
- Counties Served: Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
- Volunteer Sign-up: https://www.shfb.org/give-help/volunteer/volunteer-urgent/
- Media Contact: Diane Baker Hayward dbakerhayward@shfb.org
