Meet Our Student Lead Volunteers  

Fall sports practice has begun, college students have moved back into their dorms, and it’s time to start studying. School is back in session, but for our student volunteers, summer may have been just as busy. On weekend shifts and school breaks, high school and college students dedicate their time and energy to making a difference in their community by volunteering at ACCFB.  

Hear from Tommy Opeka, a Junior at Bishop O'Dowd and Kaitlyn Fang, a sophomore at UC Santa Cruz about what inspired them to take their volunteering to the next level by becoming lead volunteers at ACCFB in our latest blog post.  

Hunger Action Month: We Need Your Voice​​​​

We’ll start with the bad news: Over the summer, the federal government passed the largest cut to food assistance ever, potentially eliminating 9 billion meals annually across the country. This cut to SNAP (known in California as CalFresh) will be devastating to our community, pushing even more people into hunger and poverty.  

SNAP is the nation's most effective anti-hunger program, providing 9 meals for every 1 meal provided by food banks. The burden that will be shifted to food banks like ACCFB is tremendous. In Alameda County alone, 1 in 4 of us are experiencing food insecurity, and over 175,000 individuals rely on SNAP benefits to ensure they have enough food on the table for themselves and their families. 

But here’s the good news: Advocacy works. In anticipation of these devastating cuts from Washington, D.C., you sent hundreds of messages to demand action from your state legislators in Sacramento, and dozens of you joined us at April’s California Hunger Action Day in front of the State Capitol. As a result, we won $80 million in funding for California’s food banks so that we’re better equipped to respond to the coming surge of hunger. 

This Hunger Action Month, we need your voice more than ever. As the State Legislative season reaches its final weeks, we’ll be asking you to send messages to Governor Newsom asking him to sign a series of critical anti-hunger bills. Make sure you don’t miss out on these opportunities to take action by signing up for Advocacy Action Alerts. THANK YOU!

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Volunteer at the Oakland Turkey Trot 

What’s a turkey-tastic way to engage with the Oakland community while supporting the Food Bank this Thanksgiving? Volunteer at this year’s Oakland Turkey Trot to help make a memorable day for runners and boost awareness about all things ACCFB! We have two family-friendly opportunities—one on Wednesday, 11/26 for runner packet pickup in Berkeley, and one on the morning of Thursday, 11/27 for various race support opportunities.  

If you’re interested in participating, please email volunteer@accfb.org. 

Celebration and Fun in the Sun at Our Annual Appreciation Picnic 

Thank you to all who joined us at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline last month for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic. It was a special afternoon honoring so many committed supporters who make our mission possible, including volunteers who donated at least 30 hours of their time throughout the last year!  

The picnic was more than a celebration of volunteer contributions—it was a testament to the strong, caring, and vibrant community that we’ve built together. A huge thank you to ALL 16,000+ volunteers who helped make our work possible in the last year! 

Show Off your Volunteer Swag  

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Looking for some sweet swag to show off your passion for volunteering? We have special-edition 40th anniversary bumper stickers and water bottle stickers available at the CEC just for you. Just ask a staff member at your next volunteer shift!  

Thank You for Voting Us As THE BEST

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We’re excited to share that ACCFB has won in two categories for East Bay Express "Best Of" East Bay. We’re the gold winner for the Best Nonprofit Organization category and silver winner for Savor the Season as the Best Charitable Event.  

Thank you to all who voted for us to receive this important local recognition!  

Representing ACCFB at Oakland Pride 

Earlier this month, ACCFB was honored to join the Oakland Pride parade for a memorable and joyous first time!  

"It was a great turnout, and what really stood out to me was the outpouring of love and support, not just from the businesses and organizations in the area, but from so many allies showing up for their loved ones,” said Shari Douglas, ACCFB’s Special Programs Manager, and member of ACCFB’s staff Pride Committee. 

We thank you for your support of the work of Alameda County Community Food Bank.
Stay safe and be well.