“Either I eat or the truck eats” – Irma’s Story
The pandemic has affected us in ways that we see in the news every day: high gas prices, record inflation, and supply chain problems. But a hidden result of [...]
A Mother’s Story About Getting Back On Track – Meet Diana and her Daughters Keyla and Kendra
No one ever expects to have to ask for help — most people exhaust their resources before taking this step. But the financial devastation caused by the pandemic, along [...]
The Long Term Effects Food Insecurity Has On Families – Ana and Oscar’s Story
Before the pandemic, Ana would save small amounts of her husband Oscar’s paychecks to provide for their children’s futures. However, after Oscar lost his job in April 2020, the nearly [...]
A Resilient Working Mother of Two During the Pandemic – Sulma’s Story
Sulma’s 1-year-old daughter plays and coos on her lap as she watches her 5-year-old son Jefferson play with his two cousins in their apartment in San Mateo. Every week, Sulma [...]
A Father and Son Duo With a Deep Bond – Freddy & Jeremy
Freddy came to the United States five years ago from El Salvador with his 4-year-old son and the child’s mother. They settled in Daly City. Now, Freddy is a [...]
A Peruvian Single Mother with Dreams of a Better Future – Colette’s Story
Our client Colette uses her free groceries from Second Harvest to connect with her Peruvian childhood. Colette arrived to the Bay Area in the early 2000s from her [...]
“I’m Always Feeding People” – Fletcher’s Story
Fletcher is often the first client to arrive at the free grocery site at Mid-Peninsula Hispanic Outreach Ministry in San Mateo. “I’m usually the first one in line [...]
From Her Escape to Her Lasting Impact of Hope – One Donor’s Legacy
Marie Donner was Jewish and grew up in Linz, Austria in the 1930s. At eight years old, Marie escaped severe food rations, attacks on Jews and Kristallnacht through the [...]
East San Jose Cultural Center Transforms Vibrant Community Hub Into Free Grocery Distribution Site
In March of 2020, our partner, the School of Arts of Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza (SoAC), was gearing up to celebrate their annual César Chávez celebration as the pandemic [...]
One of the Last Surviving Orchards in Silicon Valley Donates 92,843 Pounds of Oranges
We received 92,843 pounds of oranges from Village Harvest this spring. They were sourced from Moitizo Orchards, a 14-acre farm in San Jose. That is about 2.5 truckloads full [...]