The leaders of 5 Bay Space meals banks gathered in San Jose on Tuesday to sound the alarm that the protection internet their organizations present for the neighborhood is in critical hazard.
“We are facing the most challenging time in our history,” Second Harvest of Silicon Valley CEO Leslie Bacho stated. The necessity for meals help is again to the historic highs we noticed on the peak of the pandemic, but monetary assist is down considerably. It isn’t maintaining tempo with the demand.”
Bacho was joined at Second Harvest’s North San Jose headquarters by Tanis Crosby, govt director of the SF-Marin Meals Financial institution; Regi Younger, govt director of the Alameda County Neighborhood Meals Financial institution; Meals Financial institution of Contra Costa and Solano CEO Caitlin Sly; and Redwood Empire Meals Financial institution CEO Allison Goodwin.
Final yr, Bacho stated, the Bay Space meals banks offered 270 million meals for folks in a area the place earnings inequality is making many select between meals and different requirements like lease and clothes.
A part of the difficulty is the additional authorities assist that began through the COVID-19 pandemic has largely gone away. The meals banks depend on donated meals but in addition buy meals — particularly perishable staples like milk, bread, eggs and meat.
Rising prices meant that Second Harvest of Silicon Valley lately needed to resolve between offering eggs or meat as a protein to its nonprofit companions. It in the end selected eggs as a result of they’re extra versatile for a lot of communities. Then Avian flu despatched the worth of eggs skyrocketing, squeezing them much more.
“There’s a widespread belief that people are back to work and unemployment numbers are low, so everything is OK, but we are here to tell you that perception is not the reality we’re seeing day to day,” Bacho stated. “We need everybody’s support. What we’re doing right now is not sustainable.”
You could find out donate or volunteer at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley at www.shfb.org.
DOGGONE IT: Town of San Jose’s new “pawp-up” adoption middle — which formally opens Friday in an empty storefront on San Carlos and Third streets — will probably be a spot to seek out canines, cats and even rabbits out there for adoption for the following month. And also you’ll additionally have the ability to discover a sizzling cup of espresso because of Kevin Johnson, founding father of San Jose’s Espresso Companions Espresso Co.
Johnson is donating espresso for the run of the short-term adoption middle, the place town hopes 100 animals can discover new properties over the following few weeks. He began Espresso Companions after he began coaching service canines, one thing that helped him via a darkish time following the loss of life of his mom. Espresso Companions donates a portion of its gross sales to Bay Space animal rescues.
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“For me, animals are more than just pets. They are healers, teachers and friends,” Johnson stated Wednesday at a preview of the downtown adoption middle. Adopting an animal, he stated, “is not just going to change their lives, it’s going to change yours.”
The adoption middle will probably be open Fridays via Sundays from midday to six p.m. via Jan. 5, and yow will discover out which animals can be found for adoption at bit.ly/SJPAWPUP. Animals that aren’t adopted will spend their nights again on the San Jose Animal Shelter on Monterey Highway.
IT’S GOOD TO BE THE QUEEN: Jennifer Cullenbine, is retiring from her position as “Queen Elf” for Household Giving Tree, the nonprofit she based 35 years in the past. Which means subsequent vacation season, she might beautify cookies or watch any variety of Hallmark Christmas films — issues she hasn’t had time for whereas working to meet the desires of hundreds of Bay Space youngsters yearly.
“All of a sudden, there’s this whole world of things you can do in December,” Cullenbine stated Tuesday, as she celebrated with volunteers and workers at her final “Cocoa with the Queen” donation occasion on the Sunnyvale warehouse.
Cullenbine stated she’s grateful to go away the group on a excessive be aware, with greater than 2.4 million vacation items and backpacks crammed with faculty provides distributed to Bay Space youngsters. And whereas that’s a fairly good legacy by itself, Cullenbine stated she’s most pleased with efficiently wrestling with authorities businesses to permit youngsters to volunteer for Household Giving Tree.
“That let our volunteers come with a second or even a third generation who then could learn about the haves and have-nots in our community from an early age,” she stated. Appears like she’s been engaged on making much more philanthropic elves.
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