Did you get enough to eat? We've all heard those words. The truth is many of us aren't getting enough nutritious food to eat right here in Silicon Valley, despite the increasing wealth and low unemployment. It's easy to understand why. The cost of housing has skyrocketed with the booming economy, while wages have remained relatively flat for many of us. Second Harvest Food Bank is serving more of us than ever before - 260,000 kids, families and seniors every month.
Here's the crux: During the Great Recession, it was easy to see that hunger was at unprecedented levels in Silicon Valley. Nearly everyone knew someone who had lost their job or had been hurt by the economic downturn in some way. Now that the local economy is thriving, many people think the hunger problem has been solved. That couldn't be further from the truth. Over the past few years, economic growth ironically led to Second Harvest Food Bank serving more, not fewer, clients.
At Second Harvest, we're focused on what matters - ensuring that anyone who needs a healthy meal can get one. We do this by connecting hungry children, families, seniors, and students to nutritious food in the neighborhoods where they live, learn, work and play. With the support of our donors, partner agencies, and volunteers, we provide food at no cost to a network of more than 309 community partners operating at 985 food distribution sites across our two counties.
Our mission is to lead our community to ensure that anyone who needs a healthy meal can get one. Nothing else matters when you're hungry.
