Start a Virtual Food Drive!

Help us purchase our most needed items!

We’ve distributed almost every item received during our holiday food drives. The quickest, most efficient way to help your neighbors in need is to donate to our virtual food drive! Grab a virtual shopping cart and put the Food Bank's buying power into action — for every $1 you donate we distribute $5 worth of food!

Save the Date for Empty Bowls!
May 31 (6 – 8 p.m.)

Our annual, family-oriented event is just around the corner! Join us for a delightful evening of art, nourishment and advocacy as we help fill empty bowls in our community. Enjoy a simple and delicious meal of soup and bread, bid in the silent auction, tap your toes to rousing children’s entertainment.

This year’s event is hosted by CBS 5's Thuy Vu. Thuy is a three-time Emmy award winning anchor and reporter for CBS-5 and is a co-host on Eye on the Bay, CBS 5’s evening magazine program.

As a reminder of the empty bowls on the tables of families in need throughout Alameda County, you’ll also take home a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted bowl created by local school children and Food Bank supporters. This annual event educates kids and adults about the issue of hunger, teaches them about community service and raises funds for the Food Bank’s hunger-relief efforts.

'We must speak to the moral and economic crisis of income inequality'
Congresswoman Barbara Lee reponds to State of the Union address after Food Bank visit

In her response to President Obama's State of the Union address, Congresswoman Barbara Lee put the needs of our most vulnerable citizens front and center.

The Congresswoman — who represents California’s 9th district and chairs the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus — recently sat down with Executive Director Suzan Bateson, Board President Mike Moye and members of our Advocacy Team for a productive conversation about combatting hunger in our community. Among the topics on Jan. 12 were the success of our children’s BackPack Program and the importance of protecting vital safety net programs, which have been disproportionately targeted in recent budget cut proposals.

A lot has changed since Representative Lee’s last visit in 2008 – including a doubling of the demand for emergency food assistance.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to Congresswoman Lee and her staff for making the issues of hunger and poverty priorities – and for being forceful advocates for our cause on Capitol Hill.

Nancy's Story

Nancy got news she was to be evicted and that she had breast cancer in the same month in 2009. After sleeping on couches for months, she found a place at a senior housing community--where a Food Bank member agency delivers bags of groceries.

Though her income is fixed, her medical expenses are not. The food she receives from the Food Bank helps ensure she doesn't have to choose between getting better or eating well. Often, food is medicine.

"I can't say how many times the Food Bank has saved me at the end of the month," Nancy said. "It means so much when the money runs out, and you open your cupboard to see a can of green beans, some spaghetti, an apple or two -- knowing people out there had you in mind and made this possible."

Follow the can
at the Alameda County Community
Food Bank to see where your food drive donations end up, and how they get there.



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