Who We Are
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties is the trusted leader dedicated to ending local hunger. Since its inception in 1974, Second Harvest has become one of the largest food banks in the nation, providing food to an average of nearly one quarter of a million people each month. The Food Bank mobilizes individuals, companies, and community partners to connect people to the nutritious food they need. Nearly half of the food distributed is fresh produce. Second Harvest also plays a leading role in promoting federal nutrition programs and educating families on how to make healthier food choices.
What We Do
In fiscal year 2012 (July 2011 - June 2012), we distributed 45 million pounds of nutritious food to low-income people in need in every zip code of our service area from Daly City to Gilroy, and from the ocean to the bay.
We provide food efficiently through our innovative direct-service programs (see below) and by collaborating with a network of more than 300 partner non-profit agencies operating at 740 different food distribution sites. Partner agencies include shelters, pantries, soup kitchens, children's programs, senior meal sites, and residential programs.
Throughout the fiscal year, volunteers contributed nearly 300,000 hours of service, which saved us more than $5.9 million in equivalent personnel costs.
Who We Serve
During the fiscal year, we served an average of 243,177 people per month. The majority of people we serve are seniors and low-income families with children.
Food Bank Programs
Second Harvest operates direct service programs for seniors, families with children, and individuals:
- Family Harvest provides monthly food assistance to low-income families with children.
- Brown Bag provides weekly food assistance to low-income seniors.
- Kids NOW (Nutrition on Weekends) provides children ages 6-18 with an assortment of food items to take home every Friday.
- Partners in Need (PIN) provides weekly food assistance to low-income Food Bank volunteers.
- Produce Mobile delivers fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income households with limited access to community markets.
- Mobile Pantry delivers food to geographically-isolated communities and those with limited services.
We also help individuals find food assistance programs, learn about proper nutrition, and gain access to resources available to them:
- Food Connection Hotline connects callers to multilingual operators who refer them to local food assistance programs.
- Nutrition Education provides nutrition, health, and food safety workshops to agencies and clients.
- Food Stamp Outreach helps eligible households apply for food stamps and receive benefits within days.