It’s a common confusion. There’s Alameda County Community Food Bank (us) which is the central hub of hunger relief serving the entire county. And there’s Alameda Food Bank — a dedicated part of our network of 400-or-so agencies — which is a critical partner serving the City of Alameda.

…If only we had a nickel for every time one of our volunteers called us from AFB!

Founded in 1977, the Alameda Food Bank served more than 3,100 households last year, and averaged nearly 320 people visiting their distribution each day — a 35 percent increase from the year before. Terry, the client and AFB volunteer who you met on the cover, stressed that supermarket and farmer food donations are not enough to meet the needs. They depend on us — Alameda County Community Food Bank — to feed the community. That means they depend on YOU, our community, as well.

On the day we visited AFB, a dozen clients waited under a shaded tent before going inside to pick up food. They remarked how they liked not having to wait in line, and that the music and posters about produce made for a welcoming environment. Inside, clients picked up items like fresh vegetables, canned goods, cooking oil, coffee, and meat. Meanwhile volunteers welcomed clients, re-stocked shelves, and distributed the most popular items.

“After my neighbor took me here to get food, I wanted to give back, so I started volunteering three times a week” – Terry, client and volunteer at Alameda Food Bank

Like so many of our partner agencies, the Alameda Food Bank could not operate without volunteers like Terry, who also depends on the Food Bank to feed his family. He emigrated from Hong Kong with his three teenage children. Though he was an accountant for 30 years, it’s been hard to find a job here. Because of his unique lived experience, Terry really understands the importance of creating a welcoming environment when he volunteers three times a week.

“The Food Bank is important because some people need the food just because something happened to them. They can’t work; they have no earnings and no savings,” said Terry.

Visit Alameda Food Bank at alamedafoodbank.org