How You Can Help End Food Insecurity

Many of our neighbors do not have enough to eat. You can help feed them! 

If you know someone who might be struggling with food insecurity, share this resource guide with them. You can also help end food insecurity by volunteering for the organizations in this resource guide or donating food or money to them. Volunteer and donation opportunities are listed below, including special ways that businesses can help.

Volunteer

• Puente de la Costa Sur – Distribute food to needy households.
  
• Saint Anthony’s Padua Dining Room – Opportunities include meal preparation, serving meals, sorting food for later use and cleaning up. 
  
• Saint Francis Center – Put together food packages for people in need.
  
• Saint Vincent de Paul – Help feed people at one of their homeless help centers or organize a food drive. 
  
• Samaritan House – Prepare meals, serve meals in their dining room, sort food in their pantry, deliver meals, distribute food or help pre-diabetic and diabetic patients manage their symptoms with healthy food. 
  
• Second Harvest of Silicon Valley – Offers many volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups, from working in their warehouse, office or neighborhood food distribution center to food delivery and more.

Donate

• CALL Primrose – Donate funds to buy groceries for people in need. 
  
• Ecumenical Hunger Program – Donate food or funds to support their many programs to feed people in need.
  
• Market Match – Doubles people’s federal nutrition benefits (like CalFresh and WIC) when they shop at farmers’ markets, farm stands, CSAs and mobile markets so they can buy even more fresh fruits and vegetables.
  
• North Peninsula Food Pantry & Dining Center – Donate funds or food to feed hungry people.
  
• Pacifica Resource Center – Donate funds to support their programs that provide free groceries to those in need.
  
• Puente de la Costa Sur – Donate funds to support their food distribution program for needy households.
  
• Saint Anthony’s Padua Dining Room – Donate food items that are on their wish list or funds to support their free hot meal program. 
  
• Saint Francis Center – Donate funds to support their food pantry.
  
• Salvation Army of Redwood City – Donate funds to support their free food programs for the needy.
  
• Salvation Army of South San Francisco Citadel – Donate food or funds to support their many programs to feed people in need.
  
• Samaritan House – Donate funds to support their shelter’s food pantry. 
  
• Second Harvest of Silicon Valley – Accepts donations of non-perishable food by appointment and online donation of funds to buy food.
  

How businesses can help

• Safe Surplus Food Donation Program – Businesses can make a tax-deductible donation of surplus food to feed needy people in the community. This program is a partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of California and San Mateo County Environmental Health Services.
• Second Harvest of Silicon Valley – Food businesses can arrange for pickup of large-scale donations of surplus food. Any business can financially support Second Harvest through their corporate sponsorship program.