Popup food bank in San Francisco's North Beach sees soaring demand
SAN FRANCISCO - On the cusp of the Christmas weekend and the New Year, local food banks are making one last plea for help. The San Francisco Marin Bank says it still needs financial support to help offset inflation costs, as demand for help continues to grow.
"So usually our staff gets here around 7:30," explained Rico Jones, site supervisor for Rico Jones supervisor for San Francisco Marin Food Bank's North Beach Pop Up.
On a bitter cold morning, Jones was leading a team of volunteers, packing up bags of food. Launched in 2020, the site is now serving about 1,000 people every Thursday.
"Demand has gone up," he said. "Certainly, since the pandemic."
"Mostly elderly," Beverly, a volunteer, said of the patrons. "And 90% are monolingual, which is why I volunteer. If they have problems, they know to come to me."
Beverly has been volunteering since this site was launched. She says the crowds that form every week reflect a population in need that is often overlooked.
"They are kind of hidden," she said. "They all live in their SROs or apartments and people don't see them. So I think the need is very strong."
On top of financing and securing enough food, one of the challenges facing the region's food banks is traffic control, trying to manage the crowds that, in this case, will stretch out over four hours.
"So before, when we first started, it was kind of first come first served," Jones said of the changing organization. "There wasn't any registration. In order for us to make it more structured and more manageable, we decided to create time slots so that everybody wasn't coming at the same time."
"So the waitlist is full," Beverly added. "And if people sign up today, they have to wait about 8 to 10 months before they get a slot."
A lot of patrons have asked if this pop up will operate through the holidays, and it will. After two years, this operation is now a vital part of this community, and it's deeply appreciated.
"It's very fulfilling to be able to put a smile on people's faces," Jones said. "Knowing that we helped in a small way."