Alameda County Community Food Bank

Summer is the season of childhood hunger.
Help nourish children in our community

Take the Farm Fresh Produce Challenge and see your gift go twice as far

Who We Are What We Do

The Alameda County Community Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been serving the community since 1985. As the county's clearinghouse for donated food, the Food Bank provides food assistance for 40,000 low-income Alameda County residents each week, which includes 14,000 children and 7,000 seniors. Most adults served are among the working poor.

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Provide food to 300 community agencies that serve on-site meals and/or food bags for their clients

Distribute bags of food to school children in need

Distribute fresh fruits and vegetables several times a week to member agencies

Operate a toll-free emergency food helpline that makes over 1,000 referrals each month

Conduct food stamp outreach clinics

Educate the community and public officials about the causes of hunger and poverty

Immediate Action Needed!
County Policy Change Will Strain Fragile Families

A proposed policy to place a 6-month time limit on General Assistance will have a disastrous effect on our community. If this policy is enacted, 5,800 Alameda County individuals will lose their cash grants (up to $336/month) this summer. Send an email and learn more...

Go to Bat Against Hunger

Help strike out hunger in the Oakland A's Food Bank Wednesdays. Bring two nonperishable food items to Wednesday home games from June to September, and you'll receive a free ticket to a future game. Drop off your food donation before each game at food drive barrels located at the Coliseum BART Plaza and at gates C and D.

The schedule of Food Bank Wednesday games is:

July 9, 7:05 pm Oakland A’s vs. Seattle Mariners

July 30, 12:35 pm Oakland A’s vs. Kansas City Royals

August 13, 7:05 pm Oakland A’s vs. Tampa Bay Rays

September, 17, 7:05 pm Oakland A’s vs. Los Angeles Angels

End Hunger Now ABC7/Safeway Summer Food Drive
Sunday, July 6 – Saturday, August 2

Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Join Safeway and ABC7 for a month-long food drive to end hunger in Alameda County.

Summer is a critical time for kids because low-income children who normally receive free or reduced lunches during the school year no longer have this meal. As a result, parents struggle to find the extra funds needed to provide healthy, nutritious meals for their children.

It's easy to help. Take advantage of the two-for-one specials the next time you're grocery shopping or bring your nonperishable donations to your local store and drop them in the red Food Bank barrels. Find the Safeway store nearest you!

Savor the Season
Sunday, September 21, 12 – 3 pm
Wente Vineyards, Livermore

Celebrate the flavors of autumn!
Join us for a festive outdoor celebration of California-grown food and wine in a beautiful outdoor setting. Proceeds benefit the Food Bank’s hunger relief efforts. Learn more...

Summer Lunch For Kids & Teens
June 16 - August 15

Meal sites are located at various schools and community centers throughout Oakland and Alameda County.

When school ends, so does the school meal program that so many families depend upon to feed their children. The Summer Lunch Program serves FREE meals to everyone 18 and younger who shows up at a site. No registration or paperwork is required, just stop by and enjoy a delicious lunch! Sponsored by the City of Oakland and the Oakland Unified School District. Call 800-870-3663 for a meal site near you or find a lunch site here.

Hunger Heroes

Ken Taylor (l), 2nd grade teacher at Havens Elementary School, presents Rachel Lee Holstein (r), corporate & foundations manager, with a donation of $1,500. Students baked bread as part of a history lesson and then held a bake sale, donating the proceeds to the Food Bank.

Read about hunger heroes whose outstanding deeds have helped the Food Bank serve 40,000 people each week.

We Challenge You to A Capital Campaign!

Help us buy our building – your gift will automatically be doubled when you give to our capital campaign.

The sooner we complete the campaign, the sooner we can allocate more dollars to the Food Bank’s vital programs and services. Learn more...

Hunger: The Faces & Facts

Hunger: The Faces & Facts is a study commissioned by the Alameda County Community Food Bank in partnership with America's Second Harvest, the Nation's Food Bank Network,™ and Mathematica Policy Research, Inc (MPR). This research is undertaken every four years, and continually offers the most comprehensive analysis of charitable hunger relief efforts in Alameda County.

This report is a result of personal interviews with 407 households receiving emergency food assistance at food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters throughout Alameda County. Using an extensive survey developed by MPR, interviewers collected demographic information about those receiving emergency food assistance in the county, learned why and how low-income households become at risk for hunger and documented how families cope with poverty and hunger.

Press Release Executive Summary (4 pages, pdf* file) Hunger: The Faces & The Facts
(full report, 24 pages pdf* file)

4-Star Rating on Charity Navigator!

We have been given a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator. Click on the logo to find out why.

* These documents are .pdf (Portable Document Format) files and require Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you need to download the reader please use the link below.