Food Banks Are Overloaded

Each week, we volunteer at various nonprofits including food banks and prep food kitchen where foods are packaged in record time and handed to low income households. For example, Food Runners produces around 2000 meals a day, six days a week and today, our local food bank confirmed that over 500,000 bags of groceries have been distributed since Covid-19, including 130,000+ of those bags being packed and handed out at one pop up pantry site in San Francisco. The city has temporarily stalled evictions for people unable to pay full rent but this is all short lived, rent will one day be back-owed and in the meantime, these unfortunate souls can't afford basic meals. At the pace we've been going, the food will keep coming, people will be fed decent meals (incredible donated produce, not one junk item in sight) and hopefully many will ride this pandemic with at least a roof over their head. With vaccines arriving around the country faster than a cannon, our country is starting to tip the scales and hope & light is on the horizon thanks to our leaders, our medical experts and our sheer faith in God.

More of the statistics behind food banks current state are featured in this Kron4 article. As huge supporters and advocates for the needy, food banks don't always offer what the homeless require. The bags include fruit, vegetables, dry food, tinned foods and ultimately, items that need to be cooked. Obviously the homeless don't have the luxury of a home, a kitchen nor an oven so they rely on items handed to them by passerbys' and the few soup kitchens available that are operating on skeletal levels. Prior to Covid-19, if you were homeless, you were guaranteed three meals a day. That was the only silver lining. Post mid March, those food opportunities have completely dwindled as shelter in place hit wave after wave.

If you've sat in pajamas for the past few months, getting used to a life of working from home, irritated that you want to get back to the gym and frustrated that your social existence is on hold, maybe you can put that pent up energy into doing good. Spring clean your home and give away shoes, socks and clothing to street dwellers while you're out and about. Spent two hours a week at a food bank, packing groceries for people waiting in line that have zero cash to spend knowing what you have in your bag, is all they'll eat that day. The hard truth: What you're holding in your palm is going to fill their stomach and without you, they'll starve. Pop over to the Food Runners website and pitch in for 120 minutes once a week or chopping and packing food, helping to clean up boxes ready for shipping to the neighborhood.

Get out, do something good, be useful, help others, be thankful and eternally grateful that you have a door to lock, a bed to sleep in, a TV to entertain you and your health. 

Because when Covid-19's over and life resumes back to 'normal,' you'll one day remember that during the unrest, you had the health, opportunity and ability to help others...and then you'll ask yourself: Did I?