Volunteer
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| North Beach Citizens, 1034 Kearny Street |
Walking along the streets of North Beach, you can imagine
listening to Lawrence Ferlinghetti reciting poetry in his City Lights
bookstore, catching a glance at Jack Kerouac or Allen Ginsberg smoking and
drinking coffee at Coffee ’n’ Confusion,
breathing in the aromas of Cafe Trieste, North Beach Restaurant,
Venetos, Mama’s, Liguria Bakery and the old Tosca’s. But North Beach is known for much more than it’s food and
culture. It’s legend for its tight
sense of “familia”; of community, and no other organization in the neighborhood
exemplifies that treasure of the heart better than North Beach Citizens.
Opening its doors in 2001, NBC delivers services to those in
need with trust, integrity and respect.
Each week approximately 400 citizens in need pass through their doors to
avail themselves of the help NBC is able to give. Many of their clients are seniors drawn from the surrounding
neighborhood and the homeless who are referred to them by local merchants,
neighbors, churches and SFPD — all word of mouth. Whether you need a mailing address, housing, clothing, a
place to sleep and clean up, a job or a well balanced meal, you’ll get it and
get it quickly at NBC. Last year
alone, they assisted over 500 homeless, served just under 8,000 meals in their
community room and distributed 88,000 lbs. of food through their Food
Pantry. And to prove their
commitment to North Beach, NBC runs their own Street Beautification Program
utilizing client volunteers to help keep the neighborhood’s parks and common areas
clean and tidy, collecting about 2,887 bags of trash in 2017.
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| Unloading Food Runners donations at NBC |
So, how does Food Runner’s fit in to NBC’s vital
mission? “Food Runners are crucial
to our program,” asserts Executive Director Kristie Fairchild. “When we opened our doors in 2001, Mary
Risley found us and donated food from her Tante Marie cooking school and ever
since then you’ve been central to our ability to provide fresh, well-balanced
meals to our clients.” They
appreciate the variety and diversity of the food that’s brought to them as well
as it’s superior nutritional value.
It has a direct impact on the health and well being of NBC’s
clientele.
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| NBC staff sorting Food Runners donations for Wednesday food pantry. |
Wednesdays are especially busy at NBC — it’s the day clients
can sit down to share a hot meal, grab staples from the Food Pantry and build
friendships in a loving environment. It’s the heart of a great North Beach tradition
— Tutti Mangia!
