Alameda County Community Food Bank

The increasing costs of food and gas are particularly hard
on low-income families who struggle
to put food on the table.

Who We Are What We Do

The Alameda County Community Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been serving the community since 1985. As the county's clearinghouse for donated food, the Food Bank provides food assistance for 40,000 low-income Alameda County residents each week, which includes 14,000 children and 7,000 seniors. Most adults served are among the working poor.

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Provide food to 300 community agencies that serve on-site meals and/or food bags for their clients

Distribute bags of food to school children in need

Distribute fresh fruits and vegetables several times a week to member agencies

Operate a toll-free emergency food helpline that makes over 1,000 referrals each month

Conduct food stamp outreach clinics

Educate the community and public officials about the causes of hunger and poverty

Immediate Action Needed!
County Policy Change Will Strain Fragile Families

A proposed policy to place a 6-month time limit on General Assistance will have a disastrous effect on our community. If this policy is enacted, 5,800 Alameda County individuals will lose their cash grants (up to $336/month) this summer. Click here to send an email and learn more...

Letter Carriers’ Food Drive
Saturday, May 10

Help stamp out hunger with the National Association of Letter Carriers 16th annual food drive. Leave a bag of nutritious, nonperishable food, such as canned vegetables and fruits, tuna fish, peanut butter, rice, dry beans and pasta, near your home or business mailbox prior to the morning of Saturday, May 10th. Or take a bag of food to your local post office, where red Food Bank barrels are located.

Family to Family Volunteer Day
Saturday, May 17, 9 -11 am

Join us for a family-friendly service learning opportunity for parent and children (ages 5 and up)

Learn about the face of hunger in your community
Participate in a meaningful, hands-on activity
Teach your children about the importance of giving back

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, or for additional information, call 510-635-3663 ext. 308 or send an email.

Empty Bowls
Thursday, June 5, 5:30 pm

Join us for an evening of art, nourishment and service to help fill empty bowls in our community. Enjoy a delicious soup dinner, take home a hand-painted bowl, more...

Hunger Heroes

Narsai David (l), Food and Wine Editor at San Francisco's KCBS radio station and Honorary Chairman for the Food Bank’s 2007 Holiday Food Drive, presents Robert Hagerty (r), CEO of Polycom, Inc., with a plaque in recognition of the first-ever Tri-Valley Food and Fund Drive. Polycom employees raised $21,000 and 1,165 pounds of food.

Click here to read about hunger heroes whose outstanding deeds have helped the Food Bank serve 40,000 people each week.

We Challenge You to A Capital Campaign!

Help us buy our building – your gift will automatically be doubled when you give to our capital campaign.

The sooner we complete the campaign, the sooner we can allocate more dollars to the Food Bank’s vital programs and services. Learn more...

Hunger: The Faces & Facts

Hunger: The Faces & Facts is a study commissioned by the Alameda County Community Food Bank in partnership with America's Second Harvest, the Nation's Food Bank Network,™ and Mathematica Policy Research, Inc (MPR). This research is undertaken every four years, and continually offers the most comprehensive analysis of charitable hunger relief efforts in Alameda County.

This report is a result of personal interviews with 407 households receiving emergency food assistance at food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters throughout Alameda County. Using an extensive survey developed by MPR, interviewers collected demographic information about those receiving emergency food assistance in the county, learned why and how low-income households become at risk for hunger and documented how families cope with poverty and hunger.

Press Release Executive Summary (4 pages, pdf* file) Hunger: The Faces & The Facts
(full report, 24 pages pdf* file)

4-Star Rating on Charity Navigator!

We have been given a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator. Click on the logo to find out why.

* These documents are .pdf (Portable Document Format) files and require Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you need to download the reader please use the link below.