Alameda County Community Food Bank

Press Releases:

Contact: Judyth Collin
(510) 636-4902

End Childhood Hunger Week, June 2 - 6
—Food Bank Kicks Off Summer Food Drive with Week-long Events—

29 May 2008 -- (Oakland, CA) One in three children in Alameda County faces the threat of hunger every day and to bring attention to the problem, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors has proclaimed June 2 - 6 “End Childhood Hunger Week.” The Alameda County Community Food Bank has planned a variety of events (see schedule below) during the week, which culminates in the third annual Empty Bowls event on Thursday, June 5, 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Food Bank, 7900 Edgewater Drive in Oakland.

“Children are the most vulnerable population that we serve,” said Suzan Bateson, executive director of the Food Bank. “The summer months are extremely challenging for low-income families who have depended on school meal programs during the school year. We are calling on the community to reach into their pockets and pantries to donate whatever they can so that no child goes to bed hungry.”

More than 52,110 children in Alameda County participate in Federal school meal programs. The Food Bank has been responding to a surge in demand for emergency food and made a record-breaking 1,890 referrals from its Food Helpline in April.

Event Schedule:

Monday, June 2, 10:45 am – 12 Noon – “Drive Away Hunger” Truck Convoy, Food Bank parking lot

Several truck donations from local food manufacturers, including Aidells, Facciola Meats, Safeway and Semifreddi’s bakery.

Tuesday, June 3, 11 am – 1 pm – “Share Your Lunch,” Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland

Representatives from the County Board of Supervisors will be reading the “End Childhood Hunger Week” proclamation. Assemblymember Sandre Swanson and Supervisor Nate Miley will be in attendance. Activities include kid-friendly food tastings with seasonal produce, prize wheel opportunities and information about the Summer Lunch program.

Wednesday, June 4, 10:30 – 11:30 am – “Kids Can Cook” Workshop, Food Bank facility

Children from Duck Pond, a pre-school in Oakland, will be painting bowls for the “Empty Bowls” event and taking part in a hands-on “Kids Can Cook” workshop.

Thursday, June 5, 5:30 – 7:30 pm – “Empty Bowls” Event, Food Bank facility

This family-friendly event features guest speaker Erin Lewellen from Revolution Foods, which delivers nutritious school meals and healthy eating programs to Bay Area schools.

“Hope Not Hunger” awards will be presented to several youth from the Kellogg-funded HOPE Collaborative for their leadership efforts in the community and to the Muraro family for their multi-generational volunteer work at the Food Bank.

Guests at Empty Bowls are invited to select a hand-painted bowl to take home as a reminder of hunger in the community. Colorful bowls were painted by students at Redwood Day School in special “buddy-day” events this April and May. Also planned for the evening are a family advocacy-art project and a silent auction featuring ceramic pieces from local artists and gift certificates from local businesses. Delicious soup and bread is being donated by the San Francisco Soup Company and Semifreddi’s Bakery. Tickets are $20 for an individual, $40 for a family of two adults and two children ($5 for additional child) and may be purchased online at www.accfb.org or by calling 510-635-3663 ext. 328.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Food Bank’s hunger relief and advocacy efforts. The presenting sponsors for this year’s Empty Bowls are Sybase and Kaiser Permanente. Other sponsors include Amgen, Bank of the West, Furtado, Jaspovice & Simons, D.W. Nicholson Corporation, Wells Fargo, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Psi Napse Ltd., CBS5 and Bay Area Parent Magazine.