Alameda County Community Food Bank

Press Releases:

Contact: Judyth Collin
(510) 636-4902

Food Bank’ Capital Campaign Enters Home Stretch
—$1.2 Million Challenge Grant Largest in Food Bank History—

22 January 2008 -- (Oakland, CA) With a $1.2 million matching grant from a small group of anonymous supporters, the Alameda County Community Food Bank’s capital campaign is in its final stretch of its $5 million capital campaign. The grant is the largest financial commitment to the Food Bank in its 22-year history and calls for a dollar-for-dollar match toward gifts made to the capital campaign. To meet the remaining $600,000 goal, Food Bank capital campaign leadership has established a fundraising objective of $100,000 per month over the next six months in order to meet the challenge and complete the campaign.

The public phase of the campaign—Mission: Nutrition, Nourishing our Neighborhoods—launched in March of 2007. Significant gifts in response to the challenge have come from The Sutherland Company, the first from the real estate sector; Lon O’Neil and Suzanne Mellard of Oakland; and from other anonymous donors.

Lead gifts came from the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation, Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente, the Y & H Soda Foundation, Pleasanton-based Safeway, Inc., the McKesson Foundation, and the Clorox Company of Oakland.

“Within an easy drive anywhere in the county, you can find people who are hungry, and the Food Bank is here to help,” said executive director Suzan Bateson. “We wish there wasn’t a need for a Food Bank, but unfortunately, the problem of hunger persists. Our new facility ensures that we have increased capacity to help meet unprecedented community needs.”

The Food Bank works with 300 partner agencies throughout Alameda County to serve 40,000 people each week, which includes 14,000 children and 7,000 seniors. In addition to food distribution, the Food Bank operates a toll-free food helpline, conducts food stamp enrollment workshops and advocates for political change to end hunger.

For more information about the campaign or to make a tax-deductible donation, which will be matched dollar-for-dollar, call 510-636-4908 or donate online.