Food bank donations enjoyed by those receiving as well as those delivering

Recipients of home-delivered groceries from the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank say this holiday season it has already made a difference in bringing their families together for a special meal and become an essential service for them to maintain a healthy diet. 

"I love seeing the ladies every week, I look forward to the food bank every Friday," said Marie Simms, one of the recipients who started receiving groceries earlier this year at her home in Marin County. "With the economy the way it is today, I wouldn't be able to afford the majority of things I get."

Simms says she appreciates the variety of fruits and vegetables she gets at her current home, which she only recently moved to a few months ago. This grandmother enjoys braiding hair and restoring wigs for work but cannot stay on her feet for too long because of a neurological disability. It's another reason why she depends on the food bank deliveries each week. 

"It really benefits me and my family," she told KPIX 5. "I was so happy to get the chicken on Thanksgiving, I was so happy to know that I wouldn't have to not have holidays because I don't have the means to pay for it. It's a blessing, it's a real blessing."

The ladies who drop off groceries to her and other families around Marin County each Friday are local residents Patsy Dunn and Linda Tichy, who started volunteering together a couple of years ago. Each week they load up a car with bagged groceries from the food bank and travel around the county for a few hours. They go door-to-door for people who would not otherwise be able to pick up food from a warehouse. 

"They're just a wonderful group of people that we've gotten to know," said Dunn. "You don't think there's food insecurity around you but there really is."

Dunn and Tichy see the same people on their route each week and have developed a bond with the families who are receiving the food they drop off. They know that for some people, this may be the only contact they have with someone else that day, so it means a lot to see a friendly, familiar face. 

"It's the people contact. I really sometimes think I get more out of it than they do, it's just a joy," said Tichy. "Every week we get hugs, we get kind, loving words, it's a joy, and we get to know them better each week."

More than 10,000 households receive home-delivered groceries each week in both San Francisco and Marin Counties, according to the food bank. Recipients include seniors, people with disabilities, people who are pregnant, and families with young children. 

"We just both look forward to it," Dunn told KPIX 5 while on her route this month. "Friends say, 'Do you want to go on a hike? Go to lunch?' Not on Friday! Any day but Friday!"

Getting to learn about the people who benefit from the food, both relatives and children, has made volunteering special for both of them. Recipients like Simms will share how her children and grandchildren benefited from the food and the activities they can partake in while sharing a meal together. 

"The gratefulness is, I just don't know if you can compare it with anything else," Tichy told KPIX 5. "Volunteering is the best thing anyone can do for their community, it's so vital."

Simms says her diet makes the delivered food even more important as it restricts her from many items including sugar and fat. She says her family has come to appreciate the effort she puts into creative alternatives for delicious meals all ages can enjoy. 

"I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I love cooking. I love the science of cooking," she said. "It's been a challenge but I've figured it out, I think I've cracked the code, my children call me a scientist."

Simms lives alone with service dogs and keeps busy with not only her hair-braiding business but hobbies like making soap at home. But in recent weeks, the added time with family, where she can serve them food, has been one of the greatest benefits of home-delivered meals. 

"This transformation has happened, not only have I lost a lot of weight, mentally, I feel much more stable," Simms said. "I thank God that the food bank delivery gave me the opportunity to really rethink everything."