You're invited!

What: The first HUNGER FIGHTERS Community Advocates Against Hunger meeting.

Why: Learn what it means to be a community advocate and about the legislation the Food Bank supports. This is your chance to ask us questions!

When and Where: June 10 at 5:30 at the Food Bank warehouse in Concord and June 11 at 5:30 at the Food Bank warehouse in Fairfield. Visit our website for directions.

More info or to RSVP (by June 5): Lisa Sherrill, lsherrill@foodbankccs.org or 925-771-1304.

Youth Celebrate “Day Of Nutrition” In East County

On May 14th and 15th over 230 students from Pittsburg Unified School District came to the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch for the 6th Annual Day of Nutrition and Physical Activity. A partnership between the Food Bank and the UC Cooperative Extension, Day of Nutrition is an event that focuses on teaching children the importance of healthy eating and active living in their everyday lives. Fourth graders from Marina Vista, Highlands, and Los Medanos Elementary came to learn the health benefits (and sample) different fruits and vegetables, explore the edible garden, and participate in various physical activities. With the help of various volunteers, notably the AT&T Pioneers, students rotated through eight different stations focusing on various areas of nutrition and fitness. In the “Go for the Whole Grain/Fruit Breakfast Relay,” students learned about how to read the label of their cereal to make sure it was really a healthy breakfast choice. They discovered the importance of eating a whole grain breakfast and discussed different ways they could spice up their normal cereal with different seasonal fruits. The children then participated in a relay where they picked up fruit on a spoon and ran back and forth putting the fruit into their cereal bowl. The kids definitely needed a healthy, energy packed breakfast to run fast and finish first! Thanks to everyone involved for making Day of Nutrition 2009 a great success!

Students in the Mangini Agricultural Museum classroom at learning to eat a rainbow.

Students in the garden.

Fruit and cereal relay.

Stamp Out Hunger this Saturday

Help the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger by placing nonperishable food items by your mailbox prior to your regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 9.

How to Participate:
1) On May 9th, simply place bags filled with nonperishable food items next to your mailbox. See our list of most-needed foods for suggestions.
2) Your letter carrier will pick your food donations up and the food will be delivered to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
3) It’s that easy!

Learn more by reading stories from the frontlines: Letter Carriers who serve Contra Costa and Solano Counties.

How does the Food Bank feed people in need?

The Food Bank distributes emergency and supplemental food to people in need and local charities. Each week we will focus on a different program and talk about what the program is and what kind of food is distributed through each program. Read on to learn about our Brown Bag Program.

What is the Brown Bag Program?

Low-income senior citizens in Contra Costa and Solano counties receive free groceries twice per month. The groceries supplement the food that seniors are able to buy on their own, stretching their precious dollars further.

There are 3 criteria in order to participate:
1. Members must be 55 years of age or older.
2. Members must reside in a low income household that meets the state income guidelines.
3. Members must reside in Contra Costa or Solano County.

What is in a Food bag?
People who receive a bag of food at one of our Brown Bag distributions typically take home - canned fruits, canned vegetables, tuna, pasta beans or rice, fresh produce, bread.

More need and more donations

Check out USA Today's front page article - Food banks see more who need and more who give!

"We're up in terms of food and funds," says Ross Fraser, spokesman for Feeding America, the nation's largest network of food banks. He says food donations are up 20% and cash donations are up 46% from a year earlier.