The parties! The galas! The food! Soooo much food. The Halloween costumes are stashed. The plastic skeletons put away until next year. Aunt Isabel is rifling through the cedar chest in search of the damask table cloth big enough for the family table when all the leaves are inserted. Cousin Matt and his sister Cee have been planning the Thanksgiving menu since July. Candied yams or plain? Traditional stuffing or Cajun style? Visions of fat breasted birds roasted to perfection dance through our heads along with thoughts of the lobster canapes and other delectables bound to turn up at all those swell holiday soirees where gowns sparkle, jewels glitter and revelers revel until the wee hours. The Season of Excess is upon us. Excess for many of us, maybe. But what about the estimated 1/4 of San Francisco's population that struggles to feed themselves and their families on a daily basis? That's approximately 190,000 San Franciscans facing the threat of hunger everyday. It 's not The Season of Excess for them.
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| Holiday gala excess on its way to folks in need |
That's where Food Runners comes in because The Season of Excess is also The Season of Giving. At Food Runners, The Season of Giving lasts 365 days a year, of course, but happily for Food Runners, donations roll in at greater than normal volume duirng the holidays when those in need often feel the pinch the most. Donations like the 200 brown bag lunches prepared two Thanksgivings in a row by groups of USF students who care. Donations like the the delicious array of cakes, pies and pastries donated annually on Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve by
Noe Valley Bakery. In addition, grocery stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods donate mind-boggling amounts of "spoils" over the holidays. "Spoils" is grocery store insider lingo for food such as produce that may be slightly damaged or food such as dairy that may be on or just past its "sell by" date. Food that can no longer be sold, but is perfectly safe and edible making it eligible for donation.
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| Annual holiday baked good donation |
Food Runners volunteers relish the holiday season. Showing up with food for those in need is gratifying at anytime of the year, but showing up during the holidays with carloads of food twice their normal size is positively heart expanding. In the words of Food Runners founder Mary Risley, “The volunteers who pick up and deliver the food have an immediate sense of helping others at the most fundamental level. And the recipients have tangible proof that their fellow San Franciscans really care.” What could be more in the holiday spirit?
Want to join the fun? There are many ways to donate to Food Runners during the holiday season.
- Become a Food Runners volunteer. Bet you'll get hooked!
- Out of town or no time to run food? Make a financial donation.
- Donate food. Although Food Runners does not pick up from private homes, we will happily direct you to an agency serving those in need in your area.
Over the bridges and through the hills, to holiday feasts we go... Do you know what's happening to the leftovers at the all the dinners and parties you'll be attending this season? Tell the host/caterer/event coordinator about Food Runners. Give the gift of food to those who need it most.
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| The Season of Giving at work all year long. |
