Feeding the Community: One Bag at a Time

Diane Qi was a summer intern in St. Anthony’s Medical Clinic and the Social Work Center.

Deborah is 74 years old and struggles to cover living costs with her fixed social security income (SSI). “It’s simply not enough to cover the cost of living; bills, rent, washing…I can barely get enough food and prices keep going up…the cost of milk, even the cost of washing went up 25 cents”. Larry also finds it difficult to survive on his monthly disability check. It is simply not enough to live on he tells us. “Half goes to rent and then there’s PG&E and all that”. Liam is the sole caretaker of a wife who was recently diagnosed with scoliosis and a 17 year old son who is disabled and recovering from brain surgery. Their combined monthly income is $2100 and rent alone is $1600. Supporting his family on $500 a month is extremely stressful and recently, Liam says, it “just feels impossible”. 45,000 people in San Francisco live on fixed SSI incomes, a number that does not include those living off other fixed government incomes such as CalWorks and General Assistance. For these men, women and families, money for basic necessities such as food often runs out before the end of the month. So, every year, St Anthony’s food pantry gives Deborah, Larry, Liam and 400 others like them the extra support they need to keep themselves fed.

The pantry serves a 0.5 square mile area centered on the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco that is home to nearly 34,000 people. Clients over 60 or pregnant, families with children and clients with short term serious illnesses or long term diseases such as cancer and diabetes can access the pantry 6 times a year as a supplemental food source. Every year St Anthony gives out around 1600 bags of groceries, over 550 pounds of peanut butter and 360 pounds of tuna, totaling to around $112,000 worth of groceries!

However, the pantry could not function without donations from the community, and few days go by without a client reminding the workers of their heart felt gratitude. And many strive to contribute in their own way. Wade consciously tries to take only what he needs, explaining that “there are so many hungry people in SF. I feel that if I only take one bag and the extra bag goes to feed 2 kids for 2 days then it’s worth it. Other people, like women with babies or children, are just as in need as I am”. His words exemplify the spirit behind the pantry’s success. It is a program driven by a community of normal people working hand in hand to share what they can with men, women and children they have never met, who just need a little help to get by. If you are interested in joining us and donating to this program we are always in need of items such as peanut butter, tuna, soup and ramen or any other food items you are able to give. The St. Anthony’s pantry has been feeding the community for over 2 decades and with the community’s support we plan to be here for many more years to come.