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Please note: On December 24 and 25, our offices will be closed and Food
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COMMUNITY FUNDRAISERS, FROM THEN TO NOW

December 13, 2024

by Kristen Hess Deo


Our Second Harvest food barrels were a familiar site in Santa Clara and San
Mateo Counties from 1976 to 2020.

In 1974, several resourceful and innovative community members realized that
while thousands of neighbors were hungry, local growers were throwing away
millions of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. True to Silicon Valley’s
innovative nature, these community members founded what is now Second Harvest of
Silicon Valley – in a strip garage. Fifty years later, that spirit of
innovation, resourcefulness and community involvement is stronger than ever. 

For 50 years, since 1974, we were founded to feed local neighbors with good food
rescued from local growers, retail outlets and individuals. Today, we still lead
the way in food rescue, diverting 93M pounds of high-quality food away from
landfills and other destinations last year alone and providing it to neighbors
facing hunger. But instead of managing food collection from barrels placed in
the community and organized through community food drives, we’ve found a more
efficient way to ensure our community has access to nutritious food.  


DO YOU REMEMBER FOOD COLLECTION BARRELS?

For nearly 45 years barrels were a familiar site in Santa Clara and San Mateo
Counties from 1976 – 2020.

For 45 years, from 1976 to 2020, we ran traditional food collection drives to
supplement the food we sourced. Our barrels were a familiar sight in the
community, particularly during the holidays, but traditional food drives are not
the most effective way to get food for our clients. 

“We ended up moving 5,000 barrels three times within a food drive season. So
that’s 15,000 barrels a year. You’d send them out, you’d bring them back. You’d
empty them out. You’d send them out, you’d bring them back, you’d empty them
out. You’d send them out, you’d bring them back, you’d empty them out. All
through October, November, December to mid-January. That was our holiday season.
That was a significant part of our food distribution program,” remembers
Cathylee Brunelle, Senior Warehouse Manager at Second Harvest. 

In 2020, we suspended our collection of food donations from individuals due to
pandemic safety concerns and a need to prioritize efficiency. Demand for food
assistance spiked to historic levels, doubling to 500,000 people turning to us
for food every month. We quickly adapted our operations to meet the incredible
need in our community.  

After researching and totaling the cost of producing and transporting the
barrels, and managing and marketing the campaigns, we realized traditional food
drives are actually more expensive than purchasing food, which allows us to
control what we get and better ensure that our clients have consistent access to
the nutritious foods they need to thrive.  

Returning to accepting, weighing, sorting and transporting barrels of food from
traditional food drives would have disrupted the more effective procedures we
created during lockdown, and adopting this change permanently allows us to
remain client-focused by continuing to operate at the highest level of
efficiency possible. 

We are able to obtain food at a very low cost by employing efficient food
sourcing strategies. We rescue food that might otherwise go to waste from
produce growers, food manufacturers and retailers. We negotiate low prices
around large-volume, bulk purchases. We also receive donations of commodities
from the federal government as price support for farmers. 

When you contribute financially, you enable us to offer a greater quantity of
nutritious groceries compared to donating store-bought food.   


HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US TODAY

The best way to support us is to donate money, volunteer or by starting a
community fundraiser.

Community fundraisers can be just as fun and inspiring as traditional food
drives, without the need to physically gather food. You can still incorporate
all the team-building activities and social aspects of running a food drive, and
your efforts will actually be more impactful because the dollars you raise will
provide even more nutritious food for the families we serve. 

With monetary donations, we are able to purchase food at bulk prices so the
dollars go further, and we can select a nutritious mix of items kids, families
and seniors need to stay healthy. In fact, a $1 donation helps us provide enough
food for two nutritious meals. 

Transitioning from food drives to community fundraisers has allowed us to
continue operating at the highest level of efficiency possible to meet the
historic level of need in our community. The best way to support our work is to
start a fundraiser or volunteer. 


VALUED SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS

We know that many individuals, companies and organizations have invested
countless hours running food drives for Second Harvest, and we honor your
commitment to our mission. We are incredibly grateful for your continued
loyalty. 

Although we have retired our traditional food drives, and no longer provide food
collection barrels, check out how food drives have transformed into community
fundraising over the years.

We have always had enthusiastic support from local school children. When we
transitioned away from traditional food drives in 2020, kids really showed their
creativity for giving back to their communities. 

Linda Bookman and her 11-year-old son Evan started a Home Helpers fundraiser as
a continuation from a food drive they did during the holidays in 2017. Their
traditional food drive focused on bringing home-cooked meals to the unhoused
residents of their community. In 2021, they passed along the link to Evan’s
neighborhood friends, and to family members. The most impactful lesson Linda
learned is that one person really can make a big difference and you don’t have
to wait until your adult years to be of service. 

Second Harvest is grateful for the support we’ve received over the years from
local companies. During the holiday season in 1986, more than 300 companies,
clubs and individuals collected food for the holiday food drive called “Project
Happy Holidays” with a grand total of 268,000 pounds of food donated. FedEx
delivered barrels to 150 locations around Santa Clara County and KNTV, Channel
11 and Apple Computer were honored for their contributions to this year’s food
drive. A special one-day televised celebration was sponsored by KNTV at
Christmas in the Park, encouraging families to bring food. 

In 2024, companies are still donating monetarily to Second Harvest, but it often
happens online. In 48 hours in October, 11 participating companies in Silicon
Valley competed online to raise funds to help provide food for more than 1.1
million meals!  

Dartmouth Middle School started its very first Second Harvest food drive in 1989
after the Loma Prieta Earthquake. In 2020, they transitioned to online
fundraising and are still going strong today. In the 35 years they have been
supporting Second Harvest, they have raised a lifetime total of 234,590; that
has helped provide enough food for 469,180 meals. In 2024, their goal is to
raise an additional $20,000.  

In times of natural disasters, financial crisis, fires, recessions, or medical
emergencies, the food bank has always been here for our community.
 Collectively, we have always found a way — whether in emergencies or all year
round. Together, we can continue to meet the immediate need for food assistance
in the short term and work to end hunger in our community in the long term.    

Kristen Hess Deo2024-12-16T16:01:46-08:00

WE ALL PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN ENDING HUNGER

Record high inflation and surging gas prices are taking a toll on local families
and more are turning to the food bank for support. Give today and help provide
crucial support to our neighbors in Silicon Valley.

donate


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