San Francisco-Marin Food Bank officials are asking for community donations to raise 60% of its budget before the end of the year.
Executive Director Tanis Crosby announced on Monday the food bank’s budget increased by 50% in 2021 due to ongoing food insecurity, inflation and supply-chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the time of year that the food bank relies on individual and corporate donors to offset its operating costs, in great part because those benefactors can then write off the donations on their taxes.
But total giving this year is down, Vice President of Supply Chain Barbara Abbott told KCBS Radio in an interview on Monday.
"We have seen a drop in donations from last year at this time," Abbott said. "And we believe it's because donors maybe think the worst of the pandemic is over. But we haven't seen a drop in our participation, and with the new (omicron) variant, we think it's only going to be surging going into January."
The costs of goods, housing and services were significantly higher in the Bay Area than the rest of the U.S. over the last two years, and many of those costs only increased in 2021. The food bank said the pandemic has only exacerbated existing inequality.
Officials said in a release that the food bank currently provides meals to at least 50,000 households every week. Prior to the pandemic, the food bank served 32,000 households per week.
Abbott said the food bank's recent survey of 7,000 clients found that more than 80% have yet to recover financially from the pandemic and would continue to require assistance. Fifty percent said they had never needed food assistance prior to the pandemic.
"In 2021, our budget increased by 50%, just due to the need for food in San Francisco and Marin," she said. "This week is the end of the year giving week for us, and it's critical that we get the message out that this pandemic is, as you know, not over."
You can donate to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank by following this link. "Any amount is helpful to donate," according to Abbott.
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