Marin Food Bank Seeks Turkeys, Cash to Feed the Needy

By: Karina Ioffee

It's tempting to think that with the economy improving, the number of hungry people in the North Bay has declined.

But for the thousands of people in Marin, that's simply not the case. Some are seniors living on a fixed income, while others work in the service sector where wages are low.

"People think the economy has improved and more people are getting jobs, so things must be better, but the number of people in need has not decreased," said Blain Johnson, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco and Marin Food Bank.

The organization, which serves more than 4,000 households in Marin County, is asking for the public's help in donating both turkeys and cash this holiday season. It plans to distribute 149,217 pounds of food for Thanksgiving through its pantry network.

Turkeys can be dropped at 75 Digital Drive in Novato or at 900 Pennsylvania Avenue in San Francisco Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Cash donations can be made online on the food bank's website www.sffoodbank.org

Fundraising is always a struggle, but this year has been especially tough. The food bank is about $900,000 short of its end-of-year goal and appealing to both companies and residents to chip.

The organization spends more than 90 percent of donations on programs and promises to make each buck go the distance.

"Because of our contracts with large distributors, every $1 donated results in $6 of food," Johnson said. 

Twenty one programs in Marin will receive turkeys and other food from the Food Bank to prepare their large-scale Thanksgiving meals including St. Vincent de Paul and West Marin Community Resource Center.