Launching Our First Western Addition FRC Food Pantry
“This is a prime time for us to start this pantry. It’s a perfect opportunity to continue to fill some of the gaps in services and food disparities here in our community. We need food that is accessible and affordable that supports individuals and families.” –Cesnae Crawford, Senior Executive Director, Urban Services YMCA
A Fresh Start to the New Year
While San Francisco has been known to be a walkable city with good public transportation, finding nutritious food can still be hard to come by, especially when a community is set to lose its only major grocery store within the surrounding area.
By definition, a food desert is a geographical area where residents’ access to affordable, healthy food options is limited or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores and markets within convenient traveling distance. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), living more than 1 mile in urban areas from the nearest supermarket, supercenter, or large grocery store is considered low-access.
As the Safeway on Fillmore Street closed its doors on February 7th, the YMCA of Greater San Francisco recently launched the Western Addition Family Resource Center (FRC) food pantry. Happening every Friday, this collaborative effort came together between our Community Action Agency, Urban Services YMCA, Buchanan YMCA, our longstanding partner, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, and our community funders – the Department of Early Childhood (DEC) and Department of Community Services and Development (CSD).
“I’ve been working with food pantries for years and learned that many people are ashamed to come out and get food. I go into different communities to let them know that if they need help or feel like they can’t go out to get food, I encourage them to come out.” –Raodena, YGSF Volunteer, Buchanan YMCA
Supporting One Another
Our program will serve up to 150 families and households per week with a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables and nonperishable foods, ensuring that our communities’ day-to-day needs are met. With inflation and the cost-of-living at an all-time high as well as Western Addition being rendered a food desert, this location will support continuing to build strong, sustainable, and equitable communities for generations to come. Our pantry will be one of many in which we operate and run with SF-Marin Food Bank across the city’s districts such as Bayview, Chinatown, and Ocean/Ingleside.
“We need to talk about having more collaborative reforms and working with local producers. It’s important to address these things on a local and national level and so, partnerships with the YMCA of Greater San Francisco and other nonprofits need to continue to happen, be celebrated, and encouraged.” –JP Hercules, Program Manager, SF-Marin Food Bank
Learn More!
Thank you to all our Y staff and volunteers, community funders, and partnership with SF-Marin Food Bank for the support in launching of our food pantry! To learn more about how you can support our program, please visit our website at ymcasf.org or contact Cesnae Crawford ([email protected]) and Suzanne Medina ([email protected]).
