Alameda County Community Food Bank

04/23/2025

“Volunteers make our mission possible.” —Annie McShane, Volunteer Engagement Manager

Happy Volunteer Appreciation Month! We are beyond grateful for the essential work, joy, and community that volunteers bring to the Food Bank every day!

Earlier this month, we asked some of our volunteers what keeps them coming back — here's what inspires them!

04/22/2025

Did you know that an estimated 30-40% of food goes to waste in the United States? When food ends up in landfills, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

This Earth Day, let’s take a closer look at the environmental impact of food waste and how food recovery can help mitigate it. Read more from our blog https://www.accfb.org/food-recovery-program-a-win-for-the-community-and-the-environment/

04/11/2025

“We haven’t seen lines go down since the pandemic, so the thought of us not having access to the same amount of product in this moment is really terrifying.” - Regi Young, ACCFB Executive Director

While Congress plans to cut SNAP nutrition benefits across the nation, the federal government already canceled bonus USDA food shipments allotted for ACCFB valued at $730,000. Meanwhile, the need for food has not gone down in our community.

Read more about how federal cuts are affecting ACCFB and other local food banks in The SF Chronicle

Bay Area food banks are facing an uncertain future amid a spate of federal funding cuts as they respond to record-high demand.

04/09/2025

The city of Oakland is eliminating its free summer meal program for children, which provided more than 100,000 free, hot lunches to children last year.

This will have devastating effects for children and families in Oakland, where nearly 75% of OUSD students — about 33,000 — qualify for free or reduced lunch.

“If you think of a low-income family, they often depend on school meals. So when schools are out, that is typically when we will start to see spikes in seasonal need...That’s why this program has been so enormously beneficial to the families that we serve.” — Michael Altfest, ACCFB’s Director of Community Engagement & Marketing

Read more about the end of this program, how it will affect the community, and how the Food Bank will be tasked with filling the gaps it causes at

The program, which provided more than 100,000 hot lunches last summer, was slated to begin after the Oakland Unified School District’s final day of classes on May 29.

03/31/2025

Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to challenging the exploitation of migrant labor and securing better wages and working conditions for farmworkers, who often struggle to put food on their own tables. This , we’re continuing Chavez’s legacy in fighting for immigrant workers, looking at the intersections of food justice, workers' rights, and immigrant rights.

We’re proud partners with the Coalition to provide unemployment benefits to workers who have been excluded from Unemployment Insurance due to their immigration status. Find out how to advocate for this and many other policy priorities by signing up for updates at accfb.org/advocacy and keep an eye out for more information on our policy priorities this year, including how immigrant and workers' rights are inextricably linked with ending hunger.

Pictured: Cesar Chavez Day 2001, featuring ACCFB's Chief Impact Office Liz Gomez (Right)

03/25/2025

Saturday warehouse shifts see lots of groups of families and friends. This month, we had a blast with at a special dance party sort with five DJ’s with Beats4Hope () spinning tunes for us all day. Thanks to the Oakland Ballers “ballunteers” as well as Nuvision Credit Union, Berkeley JACL, Berkeley Buddhist Temple, Resurrection Oakland Church, and San Francisco Bay International Church for joining us!

03/06/2025

Today is our 40th Anniversary and very-first Giving Day! 🎉 Celebrate 40 years of ACCFB and support our efforts to ensure that all of us have the food we need to thrive with a donation. Gifts will be matched up to $40,000 until midnight tonight!

donate.accfb.org/anniversary/Donate

03/05/2025

🌟 Giving Day Match 🌟

Tomorrow marks ACCFB’s 40th Anniversary and to celebrate, we have a special Giving Day with a 2X match up to $40,00! Donate now to double your impact and help end hunger in Alameda County!

donate.accfb.org/anniversary/Donate

03/04/2025

🚨 URGENT ACTION ALERT 🚨 Congress is planning to cut funding for vital nutrition programs, including two that are incredibly important to the ACCFB community: SNAP and TEFAP. We need you to contact your members of Congress and demand that they oppose these devastating cuts.

Sending a message takes less than 5 minutes votervoice.net/ACCFB/Campaigns/107339/Respond

03/04/2025

Shop the newest outerwear at the Columbia Sportswear Company Employee Store located in Union Landing

03/01/2025

"During the holy month of Ramadan, when me and Muslims around the world were fasting, I realized what hunger really feels like," - Zayan Kajan

Last year, during the holy month of Ramadan, 12-year-old Zayan Kajan was inspired by to fight hunger in his community. Zayan mobilized his peers, presented in front of Dublin City Council, organized a food drive at ten local schools, and raised over $19,000 for ACCFB!

This Ramadan, Zayan’s Heroes for Hunger project is back with a goal of raising $25,000 for ACCFB. Learn more at heroes4hunger.org

Pictured: Zayan and the Hunger Heroes presenting at a Dublin City Council meeting

02/26/2025

Be proactive and create your will today to make a lasting, meaningful impact.

We’ve partnered with FreeWill so you can build a legacy of compassion and help end hunger for good when you include ACCFB in your will. https://bit.ly/4aRUqbW

02/26/2025

This Black History Month, CAFB uplifts Black farmers’ contributions to our food system, and the work being done to remove deep structural barriers that Black farmers have had to face for generations.

Our member, Alameda County Community Food Bank, is making powerful investments in food justice through a partnership with Dig Deep Farms. By supporting BIPOC farmers, like Troy, the co-director of Dig Deep Farms, and strengthening local food systems, this initiative ensures fresh, organic produce reaches communities experiencing hunger. This work not only fights food insecurity but also builds a more equitable and sustainable future for all. We’re so proud to see ACCFB leading the way. You can learn more about their work with Dig Deep Farms here: https://www.accfb.org/dig-deep-farm

We stand firm in our commitment to uplift Black leaders, communities, and contributions — especially in the effort to end hunger and poverty.

02/21/2025

There’s no time like the present to help build a brighter future. That’s why we’ve partnered with FreeWill to make it easy for anyone to create a lasting legacy dedicated to ending hunger in Alameda County.

Create your will today to help fight hunger for many years to come!

https://frwill.link/3Cs64h0

02/19/2025

Wondering what the Food Bank was like 30 years ago? Ask Erick Lovdahl, ACCFB’s Vice President of Operations, who has been with the Food Bank for 30 of its 40 years.

“I got involved with the Food Bank because it was really important to me at the time to give back to the community…I stayed because I fell in love with the work, and with the passion, care and expertise within the Food Bank community. It’s always been about people and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work along some many incredible people.”

🎉 Happy work-anniversary, Erick!

02/16/2025

Our 2024 Annual Report is live! Dive in to see how we’ve been working together with our partners, programs, and advocacy efforts over the past fiscal year to tackle hunger from all angles!

Annual Report 2024 Output. Innovation. Partnership. Those are the three words that come to mind when thinking about the last fiscal year. In

02/12/2025

ACCFB’s policy team traveled to Sacramento last month for a day of anti-hunger advocacy, kicking off the new legislative season. The crew met with staff members from the offices of Governor Gavin Newsom and key members of the State Legislature and shared our priorities for 2025. These include supporting California’s food banks in distributing fresh, locally grown produce, increasing the minimum monthly CalFresh benefit, and protecting immigrant rights.

2025 is going to be a vigorous year of advocacy, and we need your help to ensure it’s a successful one. Join us at accfb.org/advocacy

02/10/2025

This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service was the largest volunteer event in ACCFB history! With over 350 people joining for a day of service, learning, and community, volunteers of all backgrounds and from all generations came together to exemplify Dr. King's words that "everyone can be great because anyone can serve."

Thank you to all who joined to make this event possible!

Feeling inspired? We are always looking for new and returning volunteers! Sign up at accfb.org/volunteer