SA FOOD BANK ANNOUNCES RELIEF CAMPAIGN TO REACH KIDS, SENIORS, TEMPORARILY UNEMPLOYED WORKERS

“Neighbor Helping Neighbor” relief effort being launched

After a two-week effort to front-load low-income households with groceries and household supplies, the San Antonio Food Bank is launching a new phase in its coronavirus response: the Neighbor Helping Neighbor relief effort.

The core components of this effort are two-fold: 1) ensuring every kitchen table in Southwest Texas has the core food items needed to get through this crisis; and, 2) ensuring that all our neighbors who might be elderly and living alone get a visit.

Eric Cooper, President & CEO of the Food Bank, commented, <i>"This great city of ours has always been a city of compassion, and our state is known for its hospitality. The crisis in our midst is an opportunity for us to shine and lend support during a neighbor's season of need. We may have a neighbor near us without food or without a family member to visit and check on them. "Neighbor helping Neighbor" is about stocking the shelf and filling the heart."</i>

The Food Bank will be adding mobile, grab-and-go meals and food distributions daily throughout Southwest Texas. Their website has up-to-date information on how and where individuals can get help HERE!

With the economy suffering, and San Antonio already struggling with the highest poverty rate in the country, the Food Bank is prepared to grow with the expanded need.

<i>"If we go from 2% unemployment to 20% unemployment, you can be assured the Food Bank will muster all resources possible to stay up with the growth in need,"</i> said Cooper.

The Food Bank's website is also the best place for information on how to give help. Volunteers are still in need, and one doesn't need to leave their house to be a good neighbor: every $1 provides 10 pounds of food/supplies to "Neighbor helping Neighbor." The Food Bank is also emphasizing that money donations are preferred over food donations; this allows the Food Bank to target specific items in specific quantity.

As for visits to the elderly and making sure that social isolation is minimized for our older neighbors, Cooper admits it’s been something they started to do in the last year, thanks to funding from Humana, and that they learned a lot: “We have been setting the tables for seniors for years, but making home visits to thousands of seniors in the last year or so has reminded us that a table full of food can be empty of love if someone doesn’t have a friend or neighbor. We want our relief effort to be a kitchen table filled with both food and love.”

“Neighbor Helping Neighbor” in action: 

"We don't have the strength or the financial capacity to horde. We only have money for groceries for the next 2 days. When someone asked me to open my trunk and your employees start filling it up with groceries, I started to cry. Thank you for helping us even though you don't know us." Elsa and Joe Soto

You can also donate to the San Antonio Food Bank to help out. Find out more here!

Mobile distributions open to the public happening today, March 18th:

• Karnes County Distribution – 1480 County Rd 345, Karnes City, TX 78118, 10AM
• Seguin ISD – 1221 E. Kingsbury St. Seguin, TX 78155, 10AM
• Resurrection UMC – 7709 Knowlton Rd, 78263, 10AM
• Woodlawn Christian Church, 1744 W Gramercy Pl, 78201, 10AM
• St. Patrick's Social Services, 1114 Willow St, 78208, Noon
• Hill Country Daily Bread, 38 Cascade Cavern, Boerne, TX 78015, Noon
• Cross Victory – 7525 Hwy 90 West, 78221, 1pm
• Harlendale Community Center, 7227 Briar Place, 78221, 4:30
• Copernicus Park – 5300 Lord Road, 78220, 4:30
• Southside Lions Sports Park – 3100 Hiawatha, 78210, 4:30
• Normoyle Park – 700 Culberson, 78225, 4:30
• Cuellar Park – 5626 San Fernando, 78237 – 4:30
• Frank Garrett Multi Service Center – 1226 NW 18th St., 78207, 4:30

Care for seniors, perhaps the most vulnerable population during this outbreak:

• Supplying City of San Antonio's senior centers with food boxes and supplies.
• Adding extra food, supplies to the 10,000+ seniors who receive a Project HOPE box each month.
• Adding extra food, supplies to the 500 homebound seniors who receive a home-delivered box.

Care for children out of school:

• Medical and grocery distributions
• Food Bank service navigators available for calls or to support families with children who need food and other support, 210-431-8326, or visit the Food Bank's website to request help online: safoodbank.org/cvprep
• PreK4SA: food and supply distributions at each Center for families.

Lunch Distributions March 18 – 20:

• Copernicus Park – 5300 Lord RD, 78220, 11:30am – 1pm
• Woodward Park – 1011 Locke St., 78208 – 11:30am – 1pm
• Father Manuel Roman Center – 11030 Ruidosa, 78214 – 11:30am – 1pm
• Harlendale Community Center, 7227 Briar Place, 78221, 11:30am – 1pm
• Miller's Pond Park, 6175 Old Pearsall Rd, 78225 – 11:30 – 1pm
• Sonny Melendrez Community Center – 5919 W. Commerce, 78237, 11:30am – 1pm
• Palm Heights, 1201 W. Malone, 78225 – 11:30am – 1pm
• Joe Ward Center – 435 E. Sunshine Drive, 78228, 11:30am – 1pm
• Jean Yates Community Center – 568 Rasa, 78227, 11:30 – 1pm

Dinner Distributions March 18 – 20:

• Dawson Park – 2500 E. Commerce, 78203, 4:30 – 6pm
• Southside Lions Sports Park – 3100 Hiawatha, 78210, 4:30 – 6pm
• Normoyle Park – 700 Culberson, 78225, 4:30 – 6pm
• Ramierz Community Center, 1011 Gillette Blvd., 78224, 4:30 – 6pm
• Cuellar Park – 5626 San Fernando, 78237 – 4:30 – 6pm
• Frank Garrett Multi Service Center – 1226 NW 18th St., 78207 4:30 – 6pm
• Garza Community Center – 1450 Mira Vista, 78228 – 4:30 – 6pm
• San Juan Brady Center – 2307 S. Calaveras, 78207, 4:30 – 6pm
• Lady Bird Johnson Park – 107000 Nacogdoches Road, 78217, 4:30 – 6pm

Care for college/university students out of school:

• Ensuring college-based food pantries are stocked for the extended closure.

Care for working individuals who are facing a loss of work hours due to business cut-backs:

• Assisting displaced workers with additional food, supplies, and other services as needed. For assistance call 210-431-8326.

Care for individuals visiting a food pantry/distribution:

• Recommending best practices to partner agencies for food distributions to include a drive-thru, grab-n-go model to minimize congregating and emphasize "no contact."
• Revised eligibility and documentation policies to supporting a "no contact" distribution model
• Supplying extra product and supplies to pantries able to be open during the virus response effort.