By Skye Morgan In an effort to connect more intimately with the city of San Francisco, my colleague suggested our firm give back to the community in a way that is equally meaningful to us. We decided to volunteer at the San Francisco Food Bank. Our firm takes this responsibility very seriously. Each of us at CCA make it a priority to volunteer there at least once a month.
The San Francisco Food Bank has an extraordinary impact in the Bay Area. It feeds 225,000 people in San Francisco and Marin with the help of over 450 non-profits. On average, there are 60-80 volunteers every weekend and 40-60 every weekday. The community is so persistent about volunteering, that volunteer slots tend to fill up completely months in advance. In addition, the Food Bank is dedicated to supplying the people in need with the highest quality and most nourishing products as possible.
I had the pleasure of volunteering with over 60 others two weeks ago. We were split up into three groups. Two groups sorted through
- My team hard at work!
various fresh produce, making sure it was all acceptable to send out. My group—about 20 of us—assembled care packages for the elderly. This task was for the SFP, or Supplemental Food Program. The program targets all senior citizens in the San Francisco and Marin area who have fixed incomes.
Some of the products in the care package included: pasta, rice, various types of canned fruit, beans, canned milk and cereal. My role in this assembly line was lifting the sealed packages and placing them on a crate; only one other person besides me volunteered for this position.
In two and a half hours, we packaged 1,388 boxes of food. That means this one other volunteer and I lifted 24,984 pounds! You can imagine how sore I was for the next few days. These care packages were delivered to two organizations: The Tzuchi Foundation and the Eastern Park Apartments.
Being a volunteer was incredibly eye-opening and rewarding. In the food business, we take for granted all the gourmet goodies we are so fortunate to indulge in. As the holidays approach, let’s remember those who are less fortunate. Giving back is the greatest gift of all!