Alameda County Community Food Bank

Press Releases:

Contact: Barbara Darrow-Blake
(510) 635-3663 ext. 304

Oakland Doubles Participation in Food Stamp Program
Increased Enrollment Provides Hope to End Hunger

Oakland, Calif. (10/18/06) –The Alameda County Community Food Bank celebrates with our community partners today as we learn that more families are being lifted out of hunger and food insecurity by the Food Stamp Program. Washington DC think tank, Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) has released a report- "Food Stamp Access in Urban America: A City-by-City Snapshot" that identifies Oakland California as having doubled food stamp participation among eligible households from 2001 to 2006- raising our participation rate from 25 percent to 60 percent . Data from 2003 to 2004 identifies Oakland as having the largest increase in participation among all cities surveyed nationwide.

"This is wonderful news," says Suzan Bateson, Executive Director of the Alameda County Community Food Bank, "The Food Bank has concentrated for the last four years on inspiring and aiding eligible households in Alameda County to enroll in the Food Stamp Program. This news renews our hope to work with the remaining 40 percent of eligible families who have not yet enrolled."

One reason why eligible families do not enroll in the Food Stamp Program is because they are unaware that the program exists and may not realize that they are eligible. Since 2002 the Alameda County Community Food Bank, in close partnership with Alameda County Social Services Agency, has been working to connect people in need to the Food Stamp Program. The Food Bank, with the generous support of Alameda County and a variety of partners, will continue to provide language-diverse information, application assistance and follow-up to all eligible families in our community. Ensuring that all eligible households are enrolled in the Food Stamp program not only provides hope to end hunger; this will also bring in an additional $27 million in federal funding to Alameda County businesses and community members.