Food Runners

Veteran's Day in May

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:22:00 +0000

Ever wonder what it's like to do a food run? Food Runners volunteer Wanda states it perfectly in an email sent to me after completing a call-in food run last week.

Dana preparing donation

"Thank you for an amazing run today. First, I picked up from Dana at Rally. Somehow the two of us had this incredible, instant connection. We stood talking on the curb for at least 20 minutes with traffic and construction flying by. Dana, who is also the founder of Food Shift, is a true, kind-spirited soul planning to do good by reducing food waste through educating the public. Not only did she provide a huge amount of food, but I feel privileged to have met her.

On to Sauce Labs to meet Ashley who was so excited to be offering their first donation. Again, a significant donation -- pizzas, salads and more. She asked lots of questions about Food runners, told me they frequently have leftovers and is hoping to become a regular donor.

Wow.

By this point, as I get in my car, I am almost in tears because these two young ladies are so passionate about donating food. Now, I need to overcome my emotions and remember that I have a car full of food to deliver! The SOMA traffic and construction was daunting, but I had such a smile on my face. I felt no stress. I arrived at the 9th Street address, (no parking, construction only!) but I am still smiling. I call the veteran's group who is receiving their first donation. The social worker in charge arrives at my car with three vets to help her and she simply cannot believe what we are delivering. She thanks me profusely, but I remind her I am merely a taxi -- that lots of wonderful people made the delivery possible. "You have no idea how this is going to help," she commented. "I have a room full of hungry vets." She was almost in tears. That was the last straw. I hurried back to my illegally parked car and the tears flowed.

Words not necessary.

I feel so honored to be part of Food Runners. I was very sad about giving up my "regular" (weekly) run to Google when my work schedule became so unpredictable, but I think these last minute fill-in runs are going to work out just fine."

Food Runners mission is to to alleviate hunger, prevent waste and create community. Thank you for volunteering, Wanda. Mission accomplished!

Weddings! Barbecues! Pool parties! Company picnics! Summer is here. Do you know what's happening to the excess food at events you are attending? Ask the caterers what they are doing with the leftovers. Tell them about Food Runners. In San Francisco, edible, perishable food need never go to waste. A pick up and delivery by a smiling Food Runners volunteer is just a phone call away at 415-929-1866.

Prince Among Men

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:50:00 +0000

Succulent strawberries snuggle in their flats, shoulder to plump, scarlet shoulder. Mangoes blush demurely in their cases, waiting patiently for their turns to be fondled for ripeness. Slender asparagus spears repose in neat rows next to boxes of architecturally perfect artichokes. The clock tower scrapes the blue-wash sky where nary a wisp of San Francisco fog dares drift. Welcome to Spring at the Ferry Plaza Saturday Farmers Market. The market is big. It's bustling. It's a blast. People come from all over San Francisco toting canvas bags that beg to be filled with California's finest, freshest produce. Even when shoppers purchase plenty, there's always food left over.

Typical leftovers at the Saturday Ferry Plaza Farmer Market

"Bring out your food," booms a basso profondo wail, complete with British accent. The call comes long about 1:30 when when the market begins to shut down for the day. "Bring out your food," repeats the owner of the voice, a tall sandy haired man wielding an industrial cart up. "Over here, Keith," cries out vendor after vendor. "I've got something for you," they offer. Keith, or "Food Runner Goldstein" as he often refers to himself, waits at various booths as vendor after vendor hands him whatever product they couldn't sell that day and that won't make it in conditions up to their high standards to their next gig. Keith and his long time assistant Seth A. from Kathmandu, pile bag upon bag and box upon box of beautiful produce, eggs, nuts and various other market sundries onto the cart before loading it into the Food Runners truck. Some 45 minutes and many cartfuls later, the truck is stuffed to the gills. During peak summer months, the haul often totals over 1,000 pounds! That's 1,000 pounds of edible food that would otherwise go in the garbage.

Seth and Keith ready for their rounds

After Keith and Seth have canvassed the entire farmers market outside the Ferry Building, they go inside to collect donations from the following shops: Delica R-F 1, Miette Cakes, Frog Hollow Farm, American Eatery and Pepple's Donuts. Once finished collecting everything, Keith and Seth A. from Kathmandu climb into the truck and set out for their delivieries to various agencies serving those in need including Martin DePorres and Hamilton Family Center among others. The whole run takes 3-4 hours. Saturday after Saturday, week after week, year after year, Keith does the run. He's has been doing it for seventeen years. Keith is a VOLUNTEER!

Keith and Seth at work

As if his work with Food Runners weren't philanthropic enough, Keith is also the founder and president of Nepal S.E.E.D.S., a non-profit organization providing relief to some of Nepal's poorest villages. Villages and a people that Keith fell in love with upon his first visit there many years ago. In addition, Keith owns Everest Waterproofing and Restoration in San Francisco where he has provided jobs to many Tibetan refugees in the Bay Area.

If you'd like to witness "Food Runner Goldstein" in action, head down to the Ferry Plaza Marketplace one Saturday between 1-2PM. Just follow the sound of Keith's plaintive "bring out your food" and you will spot him, usually in a red t-shirt, encouraging the vendors to load him up with "food for the people." Check out the quality and quantity of donations he's collecting. You'll be amazed. Be sure to tip your hat when you see Keith. Keith is tres cool. Keith is a Food Runner. Keith is a hero.

Food Runner Goldstein: Hero Among Us

It's baseball season! what does that mean for Food Runners? More food! Food Runners picks up excess food from AT & T Park following every home game. More food = more full bellies. Go Giants and pass the mustard please! Is your local restaurant or grocery store throwing away food? Tell them about Food Runners. Food Runners is fast. It's easy. It's FREE and most of all it makes a difference.

Cooking Up a Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:54:00 +0000

They're smart and they know how to hustle. They cook for hundreds of food savvy, picky eaters on a daily basis. Just like Food Runners, they love food and they hate waste. Their kitchens are huge, loud and hot. If you can't stand the heat....

Typical donation from Zynga

Welcome to the world of some of San Francicso's largest and finest corporate kitchens. You think your job requires organization.... For corporate executive chefs like Ken at Google's San Francisco campus, Lance at Twitter headquarters, Wesley at Zynga headquarters and Yoel at Genentech's main campus, organization takes center stage right next to culinary skill. The spreadsheets for one week's menus could fill a twelve inch tall, three ring binder. Dishes for a multitude of international palates and diets must be available at all times. Vegan, vegetarian, carbs, no carbs, organic, low-fat, locally grown...the list goes on. And how many to cook for? How many employees will dine on campus on any given day? How many will go out? How many will work late and require in-house dinner in addition to breakfast and lunch? 'Tis a daily puzzlement. Not even the most brilliant chef can accurately predict human nature.

That's where Food Runners comes in. Like so many food professionals, Chefs Ken, Lance, Wesley and Yoel hate seeing food go to waste. All four chefs have taken the minimal amount time and energy it takes to incorporate Food Runners into their kitchens' regular routine. At these kitchens, the same amount of labor required to empty leftovers into the trash gets applied to emptying the leftovers into trays to be picked up by Food Runners volunteers like Joelle B. who picks up at Zynga every Tuesday and delivers to Galvin Apartments in SOMA. Or, Irene C. who picks up at Twitter on Thursdays and delivers to Everett Middle School's Beacon After School Program in the Mission.

Volunteer thank you at Twitter pick up

Food Runners volunteers love picking up at the corporate cafeterias. The food is glorious and copious. "Ten trays is typical," reports volunteer Karen Q. of her recent Friday afternoon runs from Twitter to Community Focus. "My car smells so good that I get hungry whenever I do my run," laughs volunteer Alexa V. of her Wednesday afternoon forays from Zynga to UFO. "The food always looks so healthy. I feel extra good about delivering it," enthuses volunteer Wanda C. of her Wednesday morning adventures from Google to the Washburn Residence.

"The food donations have been really great," penned Community Focus Director Yazi S. in a recent email about their Food Runners Friday deliveries from Zynga. "The biggest problem is always protein: having enough with enough variety, etc. and having the time to cook it. But Food Runners has saved our Saturday Program lunches. Almost always a protein. Always delicious!"

Unloading Zynga donation at Potrero Hill Neighborhood House

Delicious and generous. Without Food Runners and caring chefs like Ken, Lance, Wesley and Yoel, hundreds of pounds of fantastic edible food would end up in the compost. Instead, the food winds up in the mouths of San Franciscans in need. Everyone wins. Food Runners does it again.

Is your kid's school having an auction this spring? Do you know where the excess food will go at the end of the event? Food Runners would love to pick up the leftovers and make sure they get delivered to an agency feeding those in need. Call 415-929-1866 to make arrangements. It only takes a moment.

The Long and Short of It

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:53:00 +0000

Excited volunteer on the job

Some are tall. Some are small. Some are old. Some are young. Some text. Some do not. Come November, some will vote for Obama. Some will vote for the other guy. Food Runners volunteers come in all shapes and sizes from all walks of life. Hipster or codger, college student or college prof, soccer mom or working mom, group or individual, they all sign up because they want to help. In an essay written for an application to nursing school, volunteer Syndey N. describes the Food Runners experience beautifully.

"I've been involved in community service activity in San Francisco since September of 2011, helping out in the area that is near and ear to my heart. I volunteer with Food Runners, a San Francisco based non-profit that redistributes food (that would otherwise be thrown away) to those in need. I chose to work with Food Runners because for me, eating is so much more than just meeting energy and nutrient needs. Good food is something that should be savored and appreciated. The very act of eating a meal is something that can be shared with family or good friends, serving to build stronger social ties. For many underprivileged folks right here in the San Francisco, eating a meal that is both healthful and delicious is sadly beyond their reach.

volunteer loading up at the Farmers Market

As a Food Runners volunteer, I have a weekly run that I'm responsible for. When I first started with Food Runners, my pick up locations were near the waterfront... Fort Mason, Fisherman's Wharf. My deliveries were the same places each week one of which was a residential building for low-income folks located in the Tenderloin district. Heading down to Fisherman's Wharf makes one feel like a bit of a tourist, but by the time I reached my drop off destination, I felt as though I had just gone on a driving tour of San Francisco. A tour passing through the regions of "haves" and "have nots." Seeing these stark contrasts in such a short time span can really create feelings of unjustness. I was glad to do something to help.

Of course, because I delivered food each week to these folks, I got to know some of them by face, many by name. They were always happy to see me pull up to their home with my car loaded down with delicious fresh food. And I, likewise, always felt happy to know that I had helped these people at least on that day, have a little food security."

typical Friday at St. Gregory's Food Pantry

Helping thy neighbor with food security is what Food Runners is all about. Creating community is a wonderful collateral benefit. Should you have any doubt that food insecurity is on the rise, even in a city as blessed as San Francisco, check out the San Francisco Food Security Task Force's recent report on the subject. Or pull up to St. Gregory's Church one Friday at lunch time and watch the line of people waiting for free groceries build until it wraps far around the block, 3-4 abreast. You might even see the Food Runners truck arrive with a giant load of donations from Whole Foods, Bay Bread, Genentech, SF Baking Institute, Laguna Honda Hospital and more. Food Runners can't change the world, but with our trusty truck and an army of dedicated volunteers like Syndey, we can change things for our neighbors. One bite at a time.

Are you or do you have friends who are looking for ways to give back but aren't sure what to do? Tell them about Food Runners. There are three ways to help. Donate time. Donate food. Donate money. Any way you slice it, donating to Food Runners is fast, it's easy and it's fun. And most importantly, it makes a difference.

A Very Good Year

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:20:00 +0000

2011 proved another year of growth for Food Runners. Between environmental concerns and financial havoc, awareness of hunger and waste was greater than ever. Throughout 2011, more businesses called more often to donate their leftovers to Food Runners. Volunteerism was up overall in 2011 as well. David Letterman, step aside. Check out Food Runners Top 10 list of highlights from 2011.

10) VOLUNTEER FUN: "When I went to pick up donations from the Ferry Building Farmer Market, I came upon Jeremy Irons (!) rummaging through the compost bin. Turns out he was in town filming a documentary about recycling and composting around the world. One never knows who they are going to see on a food run. Just another Food Runners volunteer perk!" from volunteer Danee A.

9) LUNCH ANYONE? Who doesn't love a good P B & J sandwich? USF student Steffi's thoughts exactly. In February, Steffi organized a crew from her Alpha Phi Omega chapter to make 100 bagged lunches for donation. Steffi called Food Runners who directed her and her team of "food angels" to deliver the lunches to after school programs for low-income students at both Booker T. Washington Community Center and Hamilton Recreation Center.

8) NUTS TO SOUP: "It's all very fresh and delicious," stated Adam. "It was supposed to be vegan but some chicken stock got in the mix by mistake and we can't use it." Thus came the call from San Francisco Soup Company to donate 300 gallons of delicious corn chowder one Thursday in March. Food Runners truck drivers David and Kacie happily delivered the product to Fraternite Notre Dame, Martin DePorres House of Hospitality, Harbor Light Center and Derek Silva Community.

7) HOT DAWG!: It's yellow. It's orange. It's sleek. On November 18th the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile did food runs for Food Runners. The kids at Columbia Park Boys and Girls Club are still talking about their Food Runners delivery that day. Good deeds come in all kinds of packages.

6) ALL TOGETHER NOW: Whole Foods Potrero and Whole Foods Noe Valley had already been making daily donations to Food Runners for years. Whole Foods Haight opened on February 16th. Food Runners volunteers were on the job from day one. Whole Foods 4th St. joined the Food Runners bandwagon in September. Now all the San Francisco Whole Foods stores donate to Food Runners on a daily basis. Yes, yes, yes!

5) TWEET/LIKE: Food Runners joined Facebook and Twitter in August. Check us out!

4) WELL DESERVED: On December 14, Food Runners founder, Mary Risley, received the Foodie Chap Humanitarian of the Year award, presented by KCBS News Radio on behalf of Iron Chef Ron Seigel (of resturant Parallel 37) and Iron Chef Dominque Crenn (of restaurant Atelier Crenn).

3) TWEET, TWEET, TWEET: Have you ever tried to find a phone number for a modern high tech company? In September, with no phone number in sight, Food Runners emailed a random employee on the Twitter website contact page inquiring as to the fate of the corporate cafeteria leftovers. Chef Lance from Twitter called the next day. Since then, Twitter has been donating multiple trays of beautiful cooked food on a daily basis, Monday thru Friday.

2) OUTSIDE THE BOX: The Outside Lands Festival dominated the western end of Golden Gate Park from Friday, August 12th thru Monday, August 14th. Food Runners, in partnership with Ashley Hillis, creator of the Zero Leftover Initiative, picked up approximately 2 tons of excess food over the course of the festival. That's 2 tons of nutritious food that went to San Franciscans in need instead of the garbage.

1) THE RESULTS: "I would like to share one of the miracles that comes from Food Runners. The Oshun drop-in center for Women and Children has only prevailed through tough times due to Food Runners unconditional support with food donations delivered by dedicated volunteers." Chef Danny Higginbotham, Walden House.

"For once, these teens might get enough healthy fuel to get through their afternoon. For some of these kids, if it weren't for Food Runners, lunch would be their last meal of the day." After school program staff member Mike, Hamilton Recreation Center.

"The food has not only offered nourishment, but it has also helped students expand their palates and their views of what is nutritious. With the help of Food Runners, students have felt appreciated and cared for." Program coordinators Jodi Tsapias and Dania March, Downtown High School.

"I just want to thank Food Runners for the generous donation that came yesterday. "It was like the holidays," said the tenants. It was a great community feeling watching everyone talk and eat meals. When I see smiles on the tenants faces, I'm happy." House Manager, Elise W., Leroy Looper Residence.

It's a brand new year! Remember to spread the word that Food Runners is always looking for more food. Tell your local restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries and other businesses that they never have to throw away or compost good, edible food. Food Runners is just a phone call away at 415-929-1866. And don't forget to tell your friends that they can help too by becoming a Food Runners volunteer or by making a monetary donation to Food Runners. Giving back never felt so good!

Hot Diggity Dog!

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:14:00 +0000

It's yellow. It's orange. It's sleek. It's funny. It's the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Did you happen to notice it driving around town on Friday, November 18th? It wasn't selling wieners or other Kraft products that day. It was doing food runs for Food Runners: picking up excess food from businesses and delivering it to agencies serving those in need. Good deeds come in all kinds of packages.

Traci called the week before. She and the Wienermobile were to be in San Francisco for a day and she wanted to do something special. She found Food Runners on the internet and she picked up the phone. Food Runners did the happy dance upon receiving her call. Volunteers are always welcome, especially the Friday before Thanksgiving when many of the regulars are on their way out of town. A chat and a few email instructions later and the fun began.

First stop: Veteran's Equity Center. Every Friday, Veteran's Equity donates fresh produce leftover from their Thursday evening food pantry. Sometimes, pantry clients take all the food. Most times, they don't. Enter Food Runners. Enter Traci, her partner Yoli and the funny car.

Food on board, the Weinermobile headed over to St. Gregory's Church in the Potrero district to make the delivery. The folks at St. Greg's scratched their heads when they saw the hot dog on wheels pulling up. Probably a mistake they thought until Traci and Yoli popped out announcing a delivery from Food Runners. St. Greg's staff and volunteers unloaded with a grateful chuckle.

After St. Greg's, the fun careened toward Union Square for the usual Friday afternoon pick up at Justin TV. Serena at Justin had a good laugh when she arrived curbside with her cart full of leftover in-house lunch. Follwoing the pick up, the Wienermobile headed out Geary Street to Thrive House in the Western Addition. Thuy at Thrive had her camera ready and couldn't wait to show the kids who would be arriving shortly for their after school program for which Food Runners provides a delivery every Friday.

Traffic thickened in the afternoon sun, but that didn't daunt the stalwart Traci. From Thrive House, she continued on her mission soon arriving at Twitter in SOMA. Chef Lance presented Traci and Yoli with the usual big load of excellent leftover lunch o' day from Twitter's corporate cafeteria. Final stop: Columbia Park Boys and Girls Club in the Mission where the kids came out to get a glimpse of the Weinermobile. Columbia Park staff received the food gladly knowing that not only would some hungry bellies get much needed food, but in addition, the kids would be exposed to healthier, more nutritious foods than they might normally eat. A win, win for all.

Traci ended the adventure with the following email:

Dear Food Runners,

Yoli and I had a wonderful time running around town, picking up and delivering food in the Wienermobile. It was great to see so many smiling faces and meet so many kind people. Thanks again for letting us help out! Hopefully we can do it again someday.
Best,
Traci

Again someday indeed. Maybe next year!

Jingle, jangle, jingle. Holiday parties and events are in full swing. Do you know what's happening to the leftovers at the events you are attending? Tell the food staff about Food Runners. Food Runners volunteers will pick up the leftovers with a smile and make sure they are delivered to San Franciscans in need.

Happy, healthy, hearty holidays to all! Compost, schmompost! Call Food Runners instead. 415-929-1866.

The Season of Excess

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:36:00 +0000

The parties! The galas! The food! Oy, so much food. So many leftovers. The Halloween costumes are stashed. The plastic skeletons put away until next year. Aunt Isabel is already rifling through the cedar chest in search of the damask table cloth big enough for the family table with all the leaves inserted. Cousin Doug has been planning the Thanksgiving menu with his sister Christine since July. Candied yams or plain? Traditional stuffing or Cajun style? Do you call it stuffing or dressing? Visions of golden brown, fat breasted birds roasted to crackling perfection dance through our heads along with thoughts of the mouth watering lobster canapes and delectable petit fours bound to turn up at all those swell holiday soirees where the gowns sparkle, the jewels glitter and the revels continue until the wee hours. The Season of Excess has officially begun.

Volunteers Lisa M and Dawn D loading up at Whole Foods

That's excess for many of us. But what about the estimated 197,000 San Franciscans who struggle to feed themselves and their families on a daily basis? That's approximately 26% of San Francisco's population that faces the threat of hunger everyday. It won't be The Season of Excess of even Enough for them.

That's where Food Runners comes in. It may be the Season of Excess, but it's also the Season of Giving. Of course, at Food Runners, The Season of Giving lasts 365 days a year. Happily for Food Runners, the donations roll in at greater volume over the holidays when those in need may feel the pinch the most. Donations like the 25-30 frozen turkeys provided annually by the Westin San Francisco Market Street Hotel. Donations like the 100 pies courtesy of Mission Pies last December 24th. Donations like the 200 brown bag lunches prepared for two Thanksgivings in a row by groups of USF students who care. In addition, stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods donate mind-boggling amounts of "spoils" (insider talk for food, still in good condition that's on or just past it's sell by date) on and over the few days surrounding each holiday.

Volunteer Ron K's trunk full of donations

Food Runners volunteers love this time of year. Showing up with food for those in need is gratifying at anytime, but showing up during the holidays with carloads twice their normal size makes volunteers' hearts expand to three times their normal size. In the words of Food Runners volunteer David T. last Christmas in speaking about Robert, a man on the receiving end of a weekly Saturday food run shared by David, his wife and some Food Runners volunteer friends: "Robert has become, for us, the human face of the people we touch in our role as middle person between the food and those who need it. But he has become more than a client. He has become a friend and a man with a back story that, like some gigantic onion, gets peeled back layer by layer each time we interact with him. We will be making two runs on Chirstmas Eve of the usual overflow from Trader Joe's. We are hoping against hope that, despite the non-Saturdayness of the runs, we will be able to find Robert there on the curb outside his building where, if we are lucky, he will make our Christmas, not vice versa." It doesn't get much better than that.

Volunteer Judy E picking up planned overage @ Piperade

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. In the words of Food Runners director Mary Risley, "There's enough food out there for everyone. It's a matter of distribution."

Volunteer Alexa V doing ride-along on Food Runners truck

Oracle! Oh, Oracle!

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:39:00 +0000

They came. They loaded. They delivered. Day after day. Hotel after hotel. Box after box after box after box. Approximately 1,200 boxed lunches per day to be exact. Hand loaded. One by one. For four straight days by Food Runners truck driver David and his assistant Kacie. Phew!

Every year, for one week in October, Oracle World comes to town. Every year, for one week in October, Howard Street, between 3rd and 4th closes down to vehicles. Traffic snarls. Locals fume. Conventioneers, their swag in hand, breeze blithely back and forth between Moscone North and Moscone South across the thoroughfare in question. Over 45,000 conventioneers attended Oracle World this year. That's over 45,000 folks who eat. Downtown hotels bustled at capacity. Buffet stations brimmed over. Boxed lunches filled the reach-ins. San Francisco's hospitality industry rejoiced. So did Food Runners.

It all began on Monday afternoon and continued throughout the week. The Food Runners truck was prepared. The Marriott called. Over 400 per day. The Palace called. Over 150 per day. The St. Francis called. Another 400 per day. The Parc 55 called. 100+ per day. The boxed lunches mentioned above, that is. All fresh. All delicious. All rib-stickin'. As always during Oracle World, there was no way for hotel chefs to know in advance how many guests would choose to take the lunches provided or choose to dine at local restaurants instead. Hence the surplus. Pure purgatory for the hotels. Pure gold for Food Runners.

McCall's Catering got in on the act too. Big time. They donated just a few leftovers from that little Oracle Party for 24,000 held on Wednesday night at Treasure Island. The donations included such items as tubs and tubs (the big ones!) of pasta, shrimp, pork, chicken, shredded cabbage, salsa, salad dressing, hot dogs, hot dog buns, quiche, bagels and last but not least, gallons upon gallons of fresh fruit juice. McCall's contributed another large donation on Thursday following a huge Oracle event at Yerba Buena Center.

The Sisters at Fraternite Notre Dame did the jig when the Food Runners truck pulled up overflowing with McCall's Catering lexans. Craig, a resident at the Lyric Hotel, left multiple messages thanking Food Runners for the boxed lunches delivered on Tuesday. "Enough for everybody!" he exclaimed. Charlie at Martin Deporres House of Hospitality grinned as he does every year during Oracle World. For a whole week, it rained excess food in San Francisco. For a whole week, Food Runners made sure that, all over town, agencies feeding the hungry got a piece of the pie. Thanks Oracle World. See ya next year!

Food Runners is proud to announce that Twitter just joined the ranks of Food Runners donors. Twitter is donating on a daily basis. They began last Thursday, October 6, just as Oracle World wound down. Tweet. Tweet. Tweetly-tweet!

Partners in Good

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:16:00 +0000

The planning began in mid July. Ashley called the San Francisco Food Bank. The Food Bank referred Ashely to Food Runners. Following the initial connection, "I'm so glad we found each other" became the refrain between Ashley and Food Runners.

This year's Outside Lands Festival dominated the western end of Golden Gate Park from Friday, August 12th thru Monday, August 14th. An average of 60,000 concert goers attended each day. That's a lot of people in need of sustenance which was largely supplied by food vendors like Let's Be Frank, American Grilled Cheese Kitchen and many more. In addition, the event's tech crew of over 150 required three fully catered meals daily. Altogether, that translated into a mountain of prepared food that generated a mountain of leftovers. Without Ashley and Food Runners, all that surplus food would have likely gone to waste.

Ashley delivering trays to vendors

Ashley Hillis, creator of the Zero Leftover Initiative, designed for events just like Outside Lands, had already cut her teeth doing massive food rescue at the Bonnaroo Festival held in June in Tennessee. After working with Superfly Presents, the company that puts on Bonnaroo, she was invited to San Francisco to do recovery at Outside Lands. Once on the job, Ashley was looking for a San Francisco agency to partner with for Outside Lands. Food Runners was the perfect fit.

After many email and phone exchanges discussing logistics, on site operations got underway on Thursday, August 11th when Ashley met with Food Runners for a "walk through" of the Outside Lands sprawling set up. Food Runners and Ashely met with Chef Steve of Chef's Touch Catering before supplying the food vendors at the various meadows with containers in which to place their leftovers for each evening's 10PM pick ups to be performed by volunteers.

Ashley with FR truck drivers Dave and Kacie

At 10AM the following day, the Food Runners truck, armed with security passes commandeered by Ashley, made its way around the Polo Field's track to the backstage catering tent for the first pick up of leftover crew food. Food Runners' truck drivers, David and Kacie, loaded up trays of yummy lasagna, chicken, and potato gratin before taking off to resume their daily route. By noon, hoards of folks were streaming into Golden Gate Park. Purple hair, tie dyed shirts and flounced, full skirts abounded. Highly amped strains of rock n' roll shattered the quiet neighborhoods west of Crossover Drive. Outside Lands had begun. All three loud, crowded, foggy, cold days of it.

Volunteer Bill W. piling up the donations

For three days in a row, the Food Runners truck arrived at 10AM to pick up the leftover crew food. For three nights in a row, the Food Runners truck came back at 10PM to pick up the vendor donations. For three nights in a row a small crew including Food Runners volunteer Bill W., his daughter Sarah, Ashley's mom Lisa and Ashley's sister Whitney all met Ashley at 9:30PM to collect the vendor donations. This involved Ashley wielding a golf cart from vendor site to vendor site while Bill, Sarah. Lisa and Whitney retrieved whatever the individual vendors had to offer. Bill reported Ashley's driving skills to rival those of Danica Patrick! "White knuckles all the way," he chuckled.

Sisters Whitney and Ashley on the job.

The overall donations averaged 30 trays per pick up. That's 60 trays a day over three days. At an average of 10lbs per tray, the grand total comes to approximately 2 tons! That's 2 tons of nutritious food that went to San Franciscans in need instead of the garbage. Rock on, Food Runners. Rock on! In addition to the food, Ashley also recovered boxes of useful items from event sponsors like Garnier Fructis.

One night's haul in the back of the FR truck

A thousand thanks to Ashely Hillis without whom the scope of the Outside Lands pick ups would not have been the same.

If you're outside of SF and want to learn how you can get involved with event/festival food recovery, please reach out to Ashley Hillis ashleyhillis@me.com. Or follow her food recovery adventures via Twitter @ashleyhillis.

The Food Runners word is out! More and more businesses are doing it! Please welcome new donors West Studios, Meraki, Uva Enoteca, Spur, Hipmunk and Crosslink Captial. Wow! Do you know what your office or local market does with their leftovers? Tell them about Food Runners. Donating good food to those in need is just a phone call away at 415-929-1866.

Food Runners is now on Facebook and Twitter! Check it out.

Good Things, Small packages 4 email

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 04:10:00 +0000

"How do you know how much food to cook for 3,000 people before an athletic event?" Mary C-R. asked as she stacked multiple trays overflowing with enchiladas at the close of the Avon Two Day Breast Cancer Walk of July 10. "I was in the catering business for years, and even I don't know how you get that one right. Thank goodness for Food Runners," Mary continued. "I've been constantly frustrated by food waste over the years. I was thrilled to bits when I found Food Runners." Food Runners picked up nearly1,000 pounds of food from the Avon Walk that day thanks to Mary.

Mary stands a trim and fit 5'plus a wee bit tall depending on which running shoes she's wearing that day. Weighing little more than a teenage girl, her shoulders could easily fit through through the doorway to a child's playhouse. Strawberry bangs swing past her dancing hazel eyes which crinkle endearingly when she smiles her infectious smile. Don't be fooled by Mary's pixie like presence. Mary is a powerhouse. In the food business since the age of 15, Mary knows a thing or two about how much food goes to waste on a regular basis. It drove her crazy until one day...

"I was on my morning run outside the Mission district and noticed someone carrying trays and pans of various sizes into a building from a truck labeled "Food Runners"; obviously a donation. I walked inside my house, flipped open my laptop and looked up "Food Runners." The rest, as they say, is history."

History indeed. Mary signed on as a Food Runners volunteer that day. Within a week or two of doing her first food run, Mary and her partner Jonathan volunteered for a regular gig at the Castro Street Farmers Market. Every Wednesday evening, as the sun sets over Twin Peaks, Mary and Jonathan gather generous donations of farm fresh produce from the market's vendors. Summer and early fall are particularly bountiful often filling Mary's car to the bursting point. Mary and Jonathan deliver the treasure to the very appreciative Father Alfred Center in SOMA. In addition, until this week, when a new job changed Mary's schedule, Mary ran food on Mondays from Rainbow Grocery to Clara House, a ladies shelter in the Western Addition. "I really LOVE that run," Mary lamented. "I'm so sorry to have to give it up."

"Every week since I joined Food Runners," muses Mary, "I have felt humbled as well as fulfilled to know that I have this small chance to give back to the community that has, for years, and still does, support me." Food Runners feels humbled in return to have a citizen like Mary in its ranks. Long may she volunteer.

Food Runners welcomes new donors Square Up and Craigslist both of whom are donating the surplus from their in-house meals on a weekly basis. What happens to the leftover food from your company's in-house meals? How about all the hot dogs and potato salad that won't get consumed at this year's company picnic? Call Food Runners, 415-929-1866. Help your company be green and community focused. Making a difference is so easy.

Good Things, Small Packages

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:17:00 +0000

"How do you know how much food to cook for 3,000 people before an athletic event?" Mary R. asked as she stacked multiple trays overflowing with enchiladas following the Avon Two Day Breast Cancer Walk of July 10. "I was in the catering business for years, and even I don't know how you get that one right. Thank goodness for Food Runners," Mary continued. "I've been constantly frustrated by food waste over the years. I was thrilled to bits when I found Food Runners." Food Runners picked up nearly 1,000 pounds of food from the Avon Walk that day thanks to Mary.

Mary stands a trim and fit 5' and a smidge tall depending on which running shoes she's wearing that day. Weighing little more than a teenage girl, her shoulders could easily fit through through the doorway to a child's playhouse. Strawberry bangs hover above her dancing hazel eyes which crinkle endearingly when she flashes her big, infectious smile. Don't be fooled by Mary's pixie-like presence. Mary is a powerhouse. In the food business since the age of 15, Mary knows a thing or two about how much food goes to waste on a regular basis. It drove her crazy until one day...

History indeed. Mary signed on as a Food Runners volunteer that day. Within a week or two of doing her first food run, Mary and her partner Jonathan volunteered for a regular gig at the Castro Street Farmers Market. Every Wednesday evening, as the sun sets over Twin Peaks, Mary and Jonathan gather the generous donations of farm fresh produce from the market's vendors. Summer and early fall are particularly bountiful often filling Mary's car to the bursting point. Mary and Jonathan deliver the treasure to the extremely appreciative Father Alfred Center in SOMA. In addition, until this week, when a new job changed Mary's schedule, Mary ran food on Monday mornings from Rainbow Grocery to Clara House, a ladies shelter in the Western Addition. "I really LOVED that run," Mary lamented. "I'm so sorry to have to give it up."

Food Runners is now on Twitter! Start following today. Food Runners on Facebook coming soon.

Connecticut Yankee

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:38:00 +0000

The tall, handsome man with the close cropped hair was a natural. He had to do it. "Growing up, my mom would not throw away a thing," reports Andy Geremia, founder of Food Runners in Connecticut. "If a tomato was rotted, she would cut away only the really bad part and use the rest."

While driving to work one December day in 2008, Andy heard a story on NPR about Food Runners here in San Francisco. Why wasn't there such a program in Connecticut he wondered? That very same morning, Andy called Food Runners founder Mary Risley to see how she got stared. With Mary's guidance and generous support, Food Runners CT was formed in June of 2009.

To date, Food Runners CT receives food donations from more than 35 organizations around the state. The volunteer pool includes 50+ concerned citizens who, like Andy, are dedicated to alleviating hunger and waste. Food Runners CT delivers to 13 organizations statewide from soup kitchens to shelters to mobile clinics.

Dave at Wayne's Organic in Oneco did the happy dance when he first heard about Food Runners CT collecting end of the day donations. Dave said his pigs and chickens were so well fed, he would rather donate his produce to needy families.

A recent Food Runners CT donation, consisting of baked goods, allowed a young mother, who was a client at the social services agency in receipt of the donation to provide a beautiful cake for her five year old son's birthday.

One afternoon, a corporate cafeteria donated many trays of sushi (California rolls). The sushi was delivered to a men's shelter where most of the fellas joked that they had never seen sushi before but couldn't wait to try it.

In Willimantic, Eastern Connecticut State University students volunteer every Tuesday gathering donations from The Main Street Cafe for delivery to the Covenant Soup Kitchen.

Volunteer Deb in Coventry had been doing some food rescue with her local farmers market on an ad hoc basis. Now that Food Runners CT has a regular schedule, Deb reserves multiple slots and is always ready to jump in if another volunteer needs to cancel.

Riz in Meriden likes to say he is not a "do-gooder." Really? Riz volunteers regularly for the Aetna run in Hartford.

Since signing up in mid-March, Betsy in Southington has been taking the Friday morning Southington Supermarkets run on a weekly basis.

Like Food Runners San Francisco, Food Runners Connecticut's mission is to help alleviate hunger and waste by keeping viable, perishable food out of the trash. Because of Food Runners, less food on both coasts ends up in dumpsters and more food ends up on the plates of those in need. It's win-win for everybody thanks to Andy, Mary and all the dedicated Food Runners volunteers!

Ever wonder where the excess food from your local market or farmers market goes? Next time you're there, ask. Tell them about Food Runners. No food purveyor in Connecticut or San Francisco need ever throw good food away.

Weather or Not

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:26:00 +0000

Don't miss Food Runners brand new video right here on this website!

It depends on the weather. Whether the weather is cold, warm or hot. Whether the the fog is in or out. The serious runners prefer cool and overcast. The not so serious runners pray for a warm, sun-drenched day. At San Francisco's annual Bay to Breakers race, Food Runners capitalizes when a cold wind roars off the Pacific and thick gray mist veils the entire city all day long.

2011 Bay to Breakers Forecast: Partly Cloudy. Windy. High: 58F. Low: 49F.

2008 was Food Runners best ever Bay to Breakers year. The sun never emerged from the gloom. The wind howled savagely all day. Being naked or scantily clad was no fun. Many left early. Many just stayed home. Unanticipated low attendance translated to tons of leftover food. The Food Runners truck made it safely across town through the drunken revelers and other partiers stalwart enough to have braved the day until the bitter end. The truck puttered carefully around the Polo Fields track to the Best Beverage Catering tent in the VIP area. Over 80 neatly packed trays of food awaited: everything from barbecued chicken to sandwiches, to quiche, pasta, brownies, cookies and more. In addition, there were numerous cases of oranges and bananas. What a haul! Enough for five different shelters that afternoon.

In 2009, the sun shone, a light breeze whispered through the eucalyptus trees and the fog stayed on the far horizon. Everyone came out to play and stayed out. Once again, as the party wound down, the Food Runners truck wove safely through the crazy-quilt crowd. This time, Best Beverage had a mere dozen or so trays. The Food Runners truck driver picked up a few additional items from some of the other food vendors. What a difference a sunny day makes!

In 2010, Bay to Breakers changed sponsors. The rules changed. The food set up changed. No one knew what to expect resulting in a reasonable haul for Food Runners. Nothing like 2008, but far better than 2009.

Before

After

This year marks the 100th running of Bay to Breakers. The rules and the set up have changed again this year. Best Beverage will still be responsible for the majority of the food, but no one knows what to expect. At this year's race, well... city-wide block party is more like it... alcohol is banned for the first time. It's anybody's guess how that will affect attendance. Could be a boon for Food Runners! Whichever way the literal and figurative cookie crumbles and whether the weather, is cold, warm or hot, Food Runners will be on the job picking up the leftovers and delivering them to San Franciscans in need.

Summer is almost here. Are you attending any weddings this summer? Yacht Club barbecues? Company picnics? Ask the caterers what they are doing with the leftovers. Tell them about Food Runners. In San Francisco, edible, perishable food need never go to waste. A pick up and delivery by a smiling Food Runners volunteer is just a phone call away.

A Great Run

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:54:00 +0000

It's 1:25 on the first sunny Tuesday afternoon in a month. In the back parking lot of the Ferry Building Marketplace, the one reserved for delivery trucks, Food Runners volunteer Dave M. wraps up a phone call from inside his modest silver hatchback. At 1:30, Dave emerges from his car and heads to the CUESA booth out front to pick up a cart. The Ferry Building's Tuesday Farmers Market is jammed thanks to the good weather. Before heading to the shops inside, Dave stops in at the Heirloom Organics booth to check in with Mary, the "greens lady." Dave hands Mary a few lawn sized garbage bags and tells her, "I'll be back." "I've got a good load for you today," Mary assures with a smile, "See you shortly."

Down the busy inside aisle lined with specialty shops Dave trundles. "Do you have anything for Food Runners today?" he inquires at Miette Patisserie. The sales person reaches into the refrigerator case and pulls out two decorative brown boxes, each containing the kind of exquisite cakes that even the most hard-corps health food aficionado would have trouble saying "no" to. Two shopping bags full of bento box lunches along with a dozen or so delicate Japanese salads await Food Runners at Delica RF-1. Pepple's Organic Donuts offers three boxes chock full of mouthwatering, confections that give a whole new meaning to the concept of donuts. Dave wheels the kitty to his car to unload before heading back to the Farmers Market portion of the run for the produce donations.

It's a good day for Food Runners. The "greens lady's" toned, tattooed arms hand over three giant bags crammed with organic greens. Bruins Farms supplies several flats of succulent, fat-cheeked tomatoes. Dave reaps a broad spectrum from Hamada Farms as well as County Line Harvest. By now, the cart is overflowing. Dave crams the haul into his car before going back out for one last load donated by Everything Under the Sun. Dave can barely close his car doors.

Dave turns out of the Ferry Building and endures a jaunt down Market street weaving between the trolleys, countless busses, hoards of pedestrians and impatient cyclists. At last he veers off on Turk, drives a few blocks, then pulls up to the Sala Burton Residence, a clean, well maintained building mid-block between Hyde and Leavenworth. A woman in her 70’s, wearing a salmon and lilac, hand-painted caftan with metallic gold ankle boots adorning her feet, stands sentinel on the curb. Soft silver waves caught in a bun frame her aquiline face. Dave emerges from his car. "Hi Beverly," he waves. "Hi Dave," she returns in her mellifluous yet no nonsense voice. "Let me tell the tenants that Food Runners is here."

Beverly is the President of the Tenants Association at the Sala Burton Residence. The Sala Burton Residence is a public housing building serving approximately 100 low income seniors and disabled adults. Beverly has held her tenant elected position for many years. It’s easy to see why. She advocates passionately for her fellow tenants most of whom are in their 60’s, 70’s or 80’s. Beverly does everything from activating the “Remembrance Fund” which supplies flowers in the lobby of the building or to the grave of a newly passed away tenant to finding services like Food Runners.

Food Runners has been delivering the Tuesday Farmers Market donations to the Sala Burton Residence since July of 2008. Dave has been on the job the majority of that time. Dave loves seeing Beverly as much as Beverly loves seeing him. Beverly often calls Food Runners to say thank you and to mention what a difference Food Runners makes for the tenants she so fiercely represents. It's a good thing. A very good thing.

Food Runners is always looking for more food. Are your local shops throwing away food? What about the caterer from the gala or Bar Mitzvah you attended last week? Tell them about Food Runners. Food Runners volunteers are eager to pick up their excess food and deliver it to San Franciscans in need.

Food Runners Goes Viral

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:21:00 +0000

Volunteers Ora S. & Dan H. collecting donations from the Wednesday night Castro St. Farmers Market

Remember when "viral" meant something unpleasant that you caught without trying and the only good thing about it was that you got to stay home from school?

The internet has changed all that! "Viral" has taken on a whole new meaning.

Food Runners wants to go viral. Despite the more than ten tons of food picked up each week by Food Runners volunteers, masses amounts of food are still being thrown away by San Francisco business every day. Help get the word out. Send the link ( http://blog.foodrunners.org/ ) to this very blog to everyone you know. Let's put San Francisco at the top of the "zero food waste" list. We all know how much San Franciscans care about their fellow citizens. Let's prove it beyond a shadow of doubt by getting the word out.

Help Spread the Word...

Food Runners really needs: your help in letting everyone who might have excess food know about our service to the community.

All a business with food has to do is: put the food in plastic bags or other food-safe containers and call 415.929.1866 for a pickup.

Businesses can be assured that: a Food Runners volunteer will come to pick up the food and deliver it where it can best be used.

Whole Foods Noe Valley Saturday donation picked up by volunteer Ron K.

Food Runners' goal is: to keep edible nutritious food out of the compost!

In addition: if anyone has food leftover from an event at their home, they too can call 415.929.1866, and we will tell them where they can deliver it in their neighborhood.

Sister Marie Isabelle loving a much needed donation.

We'd also like to: increase the awareness of Food Runners with churches, schools, and corporations.

Simply copy this link: http://blog.foodrunners.org/ and send it to anyone you know in religious organizations, schools or colleges, caterers, event planners, law firms, and other businesses with food, you can help ensure that food is never wasted.

This is a small way: we can help our fellow San Franciscans in need.

Tell everyone you know with food to call 415.929.1866.

Unloading Trader Joe's donation for All Saint's Episcopal Church Saturday Dinner Program

Whole Lotta Fun Going On

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 22:22:00 +0000

Food Runners volunteer Alexa made it clear that she wanted to ride the whole day. She couldn't wait to see the entire operation from start to finish. "I would LOVE to ride on the 'big person's truck'. I've been curious about just how much food the truck schleps in a day," she wrote in an email a few days before the big adventure. "I'll probably pop out of bed 20 times during the night before asking, "is it time to go yet...???" -- better than Christmas morning!!"

When Food Runners truck driver Dave H. reported for duty at 7:30AM on January 17, he found Alexa waiting for him by the back of the truck, her sleek chestnut page boy tucked neatly into her Food Runners hat. Alexa's lifting muscles and curiosity tingled in anticipation as she hoisted herself into the cab. She felt gloriously macha perched high above all the lowly cars snaking their way through San Francisco on their way to work.

First stop: Whole Foods Potrero Hill. Dave slid the cart off the truck and escorted Alexa up the ramp to the composting area of the loading dock. "Here's where we pick up the produce," Dave said pointing to several shopping carts overflowing with boxes of berries, apples, oranges, spaghetti squash, bunches of kale and more; all of it pristine enough to feed to a toddler. "This is what they would throw away without Food Runners?" Alexa asked in amazement. "Yep," Dave replied. "But wait, there's more." With that Dave led Alexa to the deli area where they picked up two large boxes brimming with house made soups, salads and sandwiches. From there, they checked in with Chelsea in Dairy. From Dairy they went to freezer to check for frozen items ready for donation. They got a little bit from everywhere that day.

Next stop: Whole Foods Noe Valley. The haul there proved just as fabulous in content and size, as Whole Foods Potrero, the big difference being that at the smaller Noe Valley store, everything resides on a single rack marked "donations." "This is really fun," Alexa commented as she slid yet another box filled with fresh salsas, guacamole and cut fruit onto the lip of the truck for Dave to stack properly for transport.

Third stop: Laguna Honda Hospital. "Stop here," Dave instructed Alexa as they entered the massive kitchen. "You have to get a hairnet." Alexa donned a stylish (not!) blue paper cap and went to work with David transferring industrial sized portions of fully cooked entrees from the hospital's steel pans into the disposable containers used for delivery. They totaled 16 pans of various items like spaghetti and meat balls, chicken tettrazini, as well as bacon, sausage and french toast leftovers from breakfast.

From Laguna Honda Hospital, the dynamic duo pushed on to Bayview for deliveries to the United Council for Human Services and Bayview Safe Haven. "Hooray! It's Food Runners" is the typical response when recipients see the truck pulling up. "Y'all are a Godsend," sighed one of the cooks at United Council. "The food really helps us stretch our budget," remarked Takai of Bayview Safe Haven. "And it's so nice to get fruit. Affordable healthy food is hard to come by and the kids really need it."

Alexa's day of pick ups and deliveries on the Food Runners truck continued with the largest donation coming from, as usual, Trader Joe's. "It's astonishing how much good food Food Runners keeps out of the trash," Alexa exclaimed while transferring boxes of bananas and pre-packaged salads from one of the three chock full of variety 'limos' of Trader Joe's donations. After the final delivery to the Iris Center in the Mission Alexa waxed contentedly, "Thank you for the opportunity to ride along. I already knew that Food Runners was special, but seeing the amount of food that changed hands today gave a whole new meaning to the words community service. I'm so proud to be a Food Runners volunteer."

The new year is well underway. Tell everyone you know about Food Runners. No edible food need go to waste. A simple phone call to 415.929.1866 is all that's needed for a pick up. Anyone calling Food Runners can be sure that a Food Runners volunteer will deliver their donated food to where it is most needed. Help spread the word!

The Year in Review 2

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:37:00 +0000

Happy New Year. Food Runners marked another busy year serving the greater community. Check out Food Runners top ten highlights from 2010.

10) GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES. It isn't large; one pan full, but it's one good pan full. In November, Nettie's Crab Shack in Cow Hollow joined the ranks of Food Runners planned overage program meaning that, once a week, Nettie's prepares a nutritious entree, large enough for 20-25 people, specifically for donation to Food Runners.

9) GOOD THINGS COME IN BIG PACKAGES TOO. Zynga Games Network is big and getting bigger all the time. Zynga began donating to Food Runners in June of 2009. Since that time, they have moved to a larger building and have gone from donating 2-3 three times a week to twice a day (morning and afternoon), 5 times a week. The food is and always has been fabulous. And it's always a lot. Food Runners volunteers can't say enough about how much they love delivering Zynga's generous, yummy donations.

8) SCHOOL DAZE. Acre Gourmet's "Real School Lunch Program" further solidified its ongoing partnership with Food Runners by adding regular pick ups from Town School to its already long standing pick ups from sister client, Cathedral School. Inspired by reading about Acre's efforts from Town and Cathedral, Chef Ian Morrison of Convent of the Sacred Heart School called Food Runners to begin a donations program. Donations from schools like Town, Cathedral and Sacred Heart are carefully directed to after school programs serving low-income kids such as Thrive House and Booker T. Washington Community Center.

7) IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. Genentech Head Chef Yoel Cohen couldn't stand seeing excess food from Genentech's on campus Grab n' Go cafes get thrown away. He knew there had to be a better way. Chef Yoel called Food Runners. It took a little while for Chef Yoel to navigate Genentech's in-house security concerns, but he never gave up. The excess Grab n' Go food doesn't get thrown away anymore. Since last February, Food Runners has been picking up from all the Grab n' Go's on campus on a daily basis. The food includes organic salads, beautiful wraps, sandwiches and more.

6) HOLIDAY MADNESS. Thanksgiving and Christmas were extra special at Food Runners in 2010. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, A.G. Ferrari Foods donated 50 complete Thanksgiving Dinners to Food Runners. Food Runners volunteer Lynn B. delivered the dinners to Clara House where they were received with awe and great appreciation before being enjoyed by the women and children residing there. On the Thursday before Christmas, Gastronaut Catering implemented its first "We Wish You a Tasty Christmas" program. Gastronaut, who donates three times a week to Food Runners on a regular basis, prepared a holiday feast for 40 especially for donation to a family shelter of Food Runners' choosing. The feast went to Jelani House in Bayview, not far from Gastronaut. The meal was picked up and delivered by mentors and their youth mentees from the Building Futures mentor program who volunteered for Food Runners for the purpose of learning about the importance of giving back.

5) SHIPSHAPE. "Your gonna need a bigger vehicle," came the sober response from Travis when asked if the food donation would fit in a car. The big ship docked at Pier 80 had come in to port sooner than planned. Three days worth of food enough for the crew of 60 sat on board. The ship wasn't scheduled to go out again for months. Travis, the vessel's food manager couldn't bare to see all that good food go to waste. He called Food Runners. The load filled the Food Runners truck to bursting three times. The folks at Hamilton Family Shelter, the Lucille Withe Center, Next Door and Martin DePorres all ate well that September weekend.

4) AT LAST. In May, Executive Chef Lucas Shoemaker of McCall's Catering and Events came aboard the Good Ship Food Runners. McCall's follows in the footsteps of fellow premier caterers and long time donors Paula Le Duc Catering, Taste Catering, Best Beverage and more. When McCall's calls, it's not just another pick up. It's an occasion. McCall's is organized, efficient, generous and the food is FAN-tastic.

3) FARM FRESH. Food Runners added four farmers markets to its list of regular farmers market pick ups. They markets added in 2010 are: the Upper Haight Market, the Inner Sunset Market, the Mission Community Market and the Fort Mason Farmers market. Fresh produce is gold in the food donations arena and Food Runners struck another vein in the Mother Lode.

2) WHERE'S THE BEEF? It's still happening! Food Runners founder Mary Risley saw a need and she filled it. Mary heard that the shelters never had enough protein. Last Spring, Food Runners resumed the meat program meat program Mary instituted in 2009. For the second year in a row, Food Runners purchased $1,000 of meat per week, for 20 weeks intended specifically for donation to the shelters. This year's meat supplier, Del Monte Meat Company has been most generous making sure that a generous amount and variety made up every order. Upon reading about the program in this very space in October, local citizen Kathy K. immediately donated $5,000 for the purpose of extending the meat donations for an additional five weeks.

1) THE GREATEST GIFT. What's the greatest gift that Food Runners brings to the community? Getting food to those in need, of course, but maybe something more...

This from Food Runners volunteer David T. about a man on the receiving end of a weekly Saturday food run shared by David, his wife and some Food Runners volunteer friends: "Robert has become, for us, the human face of the people we touch in our role as middle person between the food and those who need it. But he has become more than a client. He has become a friend and a man with a back story that, like some gigantic onion, gets peeled back layer by layer each time we interact with him. We will be making two runs on Chirstmas Eve of the usual overflow from Trader Joe's. We are hoping against hope that, despite the non-Saturdayness of the runs, we will be able to find Robert there on the curb outside his building where, if we are lucky, he will make our Christmas, not vice versa."

It's a brand new year! Remember to spread the word that Food Runners is always looking for more food. Tell your local restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries and other businesses that they never have to throw away or compost good, edible food. Food Runners is just a phone call away at 415-929-866. And don't forget to tell your friends that they can help too by becoming a Food Runners volunteer or by making a monetary donation to Food Runners. Giving back never felt so good!

Kid's Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:20:00 +0000

Sunday November 7th looked like a grim day for a farmers market run. The first storm of the season howled off the Pacific sending sheets of rain hurtling sideways through San Francisco's legendary hills. Food Runners volunteer Dianne M. did not waiver for an instant. She and her group of fellow students from Menlo Atherton High School's "Outreach Service Club" had been eagerly anticipating their stint at the Fort Mason Farmers Market for weeks. "The run goes rain or shine," read the instructions.

Diane grabbed her rain gear, rallied her troops and headed north. The group timed traffic from the Peninsula just right, arriving at Fort Mason at 1:15PM. Once parked (no easy feat), they burst from their cars baring bags, Food Runners "ID" cards, receipts and smiles. Their enthusiasm was infectious. Food Runners volunteer Art P., a veteran of the Fort Mason Farmers Market run, waited by the chicken truck just inside the parking gate. Art had been assisting on the run almost since its inception in August. He knew the ropes and would act as guide and fellow food gatherer to the students; a perfect gig for a Food Runners volunteer with no car.

After finding each other, Art explained to the stu-
dents how to go about col-
lecting the food from the vendors. Nothing to it really. Just a matter of catching the farmers as they shut down their booths for the day and asking it they might have anything for donation. Most of the vendors were extremely generous, as is their norm, handing over bags and bags of very ripe or slightly damaged but still gorgeous, organic produce. With Diane's group of ten or so, the gathering went very fast. The students piled the haul high at a spot predetermined by Art. When all was amassed, the spoils were evenly split for delivery to Friendship House, Harbor House and Hamilton Family Center. Fresh produce in good condition is a hot commodity amongst shelter chefs. Bread and sweets are easy to come by, but nature's nutritious treasures are not. Too costly.

Smiles abound all around on Sundays when the Fort Mason Farmers Market delivery arrives. On Sunday November 7th, the smiles were broader than usual when the clients saw high school students on the giving end of things. Perhaps the biggest smiles of all spread inside the hearts of Diane and her team as they drove home knowing that they made a difference that day. A real difference. They could have stayed home and stayed dry. They could have caught up on their Facebook pages. They could have texted their thumbs blue all day. Instead, they chose to get soggy while helping their neighbors in need. And they had a great time doing it. What a way to kick off the holiday season!

Speaking of the holidays... a major thank you goes out to A.G. Ferrari Foods who donated 50 complete Thanksgiving meals to Food Runners on Wednesday, November 24th. The meals were delivered to Clara House, a family shelter who was overjoyed at the bounty. Many thanks as well to Chef Brian Healey at the Parc 55 Hotel for his donation of 24 turkeys. The turkeys were picked up and delivered by Food Runners before being cooked, served and much appreciated on Thanksgiving Day at Martin DePorres House of Hospitality. Martin DePorres also received a donation of 60 pies from Food Runners courtesy of the Seven Eleven at 5100 Geary whose manager asked customers to purchase a pie specifically to be donated to a shelter for Thanksgiving. Food Runners volunteer David R. proudly picked up and delivered the pies.

Over the bridges and through the hills to holiday bashes we go. Do you know what's happening to the leftovers at the all the glittering soirees you are attending? Tell the host/caterer/event coordinator about Food Runners. In the words of Food Runners director Mary Risley, "There's enough food out there for everyone. It's a matter of distribution."

Not Your Typical Fare

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:12:00 +0000

Have you seen what they're serving for lunch at some of San Francisco's private schools?

On Wednesday, October 13th, Cathedral School for Boys dished out quinoa elbows "mac and cheese" with honey glazed carrot coins. Last Tuesday, St. Ignatius College Prep served lemon chicken & wild rice with broccoli & red pimentos. Tomorrow, the Hamlin School menu features Deistel turkey or veggie tacos with fresh salsa and seasonal vegetables. Glorious! What's even more glorious is that when these schools have leftover food, they call Food Runners.

"I wish I was having lunch at St. Ignatius," joked Food Runners volunteer Bruno Z. who loves doing food runs to St. Ignatius. "The pasta dish I picked up today looked fantastic," he continued. "And there was a lot. I love dropping that food off at the Janet Pomeroy Center. I'll bet it's some of the best food those kids get all week."

"My car always smells great after a food run to Cathedral or Town School," remarked volunteer Rita G. "I'm only sorry that I need to take a Food Runners maternity break. I'll be back. With the baby!"

"I couldn't believe last Friday's pick up at Cathedral School," marveled volunteer Ashley R. "there was so much food. The chef just said, sometimes the kids eat, sometimes they don't. My mouth watered all the way to Thrive House. There were two trays of pulled pork tacos, two trays of barbecued chicken sandwiches, a tray of sweet potato fries, a tub of cole slaw and a tray of chocolate cake. Thuy, the program director at Thrive House was so excited when she saw the delivery. Not only did she have more kids at the program than usual that day, but it was someone's birthday. How cool was that?"

Getting enough to eat and eating healthfully is an education and a privilege that many children in San Francisco do not get. Food Runners helps bridge the gap by directing all the great kid friendly, nutritious food donations from schools like Cathedral, Town and the Bay School (all of whom partner with Acre Gourmet's Real School Lunch Program), St. Ignatius College Prep and others to programs serving low-income youth like Thrive House, the Janet Pomeroy Center, Booker T. Washington Community Center after school program and more. Kids to kids. Perfect.

Have you been to Arizmendi Bakery's newest location in the Mission yet? Arizmendi always remembers to call Food Runners when they have an overabundance of their fabulous products. Stop in at this bright, sunny shop serving some of the best pastries, artisan breads and gourmet pizzas in town. A big thank you to parishioner Nita S. of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Daly City for calling Food Runners to pick up the leftovers from the annual international feast celebration. Food Runners volunteer Adena K. filled her car to bursting a week ago Sunday morning. The sisters at Mother Theresa's Missionaries of Charity in Ingelside couldn't believe their eyes when Adena arrived.

Does your child, grandchild, niece or nephew attend a school like Town or Cathedral? Ask the chef what happens to the leftover food. Tell the kitchen staff about Food Runners. More food to more kids.

Strong Bones, Healthy Bodies

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:04:00 +0000

Protein. It helps us think better. It makes us feel full longer. Protein keeps our muscles strong and it won't spike our blood sugar like a Danish or a bag of Doritos. Over the past few years, San Francisco has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking food assistance from community based food programs. The soup kitchens report seeing, in particular, a large increase in the number of seniors as well as families with working adults not earning enough to sustain basic needs. At the monthly San Francisco Board of Supervisors Food Security Task Force meetings, how to increase the nutritional content of the food available to local programs is a hot topic.

Enter Food Runners founder and director, Mary Risley. Mary's done it again. She put her compassion and incredible business acumen together and called for round two of the Food Runners meat program that she began in 2009. This past April, Mary called her friend Robert Rosenthal at Del Monte Meat Company explaining that she wanted to purchase $1,000 worth of meat every Tuesday for twenty weeks for the purpose of delivering it to shelters and food programs in need. Del Monte didn't hestiate for an instant. "We'll do right by Food Runners," the folks at Del Monte assured. Hunger in San Francisco is such an important cause. Del Monte is proud to partner with Food Runners."

Right from the first pick up, Del Monte lived up to its promise. Tuesday after Tuesday, sometime between 8-9AM, the Food Runners truck would roll away from Del Monte chock full of sausage patties, bacon, sides of pork, chicken both frozen and fresh, rump roast and more.

"This is fantastic," Chef Xavier of Bayview Hunter's Point Adult Day Health Center exclaimed. "I can make a hearty stew with this pork and serve the chicken later in the week. It's wonderful to be able to offer our seniors something substantial and nutritious," he remarked of the 140+ he serves lunch to on a daily basis.

"This is such a blessing," intoned Sister Marie Made-
leine at Frater-
nite Notre Dame in the Tenderloin. "Every month, more and more people are coming," she continued. "It's been hard to keep up. The meat will help stretch everything farther."

"The meat really helps our families who are mostly led by single mothers," enthused Araceli of the Iris Center in the Mission. "The need is is so great right now," she said in a subdued voice. "This gives our mothers a chance to put something healthy on the table instead of chips which is all they can afford if they can even buy food at all."

Day old bread and pastries are easy commodities to come by in the world of food donations, but protein is a different matter. Food Runners decided to do something about that. Mary simply asked herself, "where is the greatest need?" Her answer elicits nothing short of a big, "wow, Mary Risley. Wow!"

This past month Food Runners welcomed new donors Cups and Cakes Bakery, Baker and Banker and Casa Lucas. Many thanks to Oracle and some of the many businesses serving the annual Oracle Convention including, Moscone West, the Palace Hotel, the San Francisco Hilton, the Hotel Intercontinental, the San Francisco Marriott and in particular, McCall Catering for the thousands of pounds of food they donated collectively following convention activities. Among other donations during Oracle week, Food Runners picked up an average of 1,200 boxed lunches per day!

Do you know what your local market, bakery or restaurant is doing with their excess food? Ask them, then tell them about Food Runners. Donating instead of tossing their food is just a phone call away. Food Runners is safe. It's legal. And it's free.

Shipshape

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:39:00 +0000

Edgar waited under the big "Pier 80" sign for Travis. Travis swung his silver SUV close to the Food Runners truck, beckoning Edgar to follow him. Edgar followed Travis through the gate which Travis unlocked and out onto the pier. The hull of the ship soared upward taking an enormous gunmetal bite out the clear blue sky. The Food Runners truck looked like a Matchbox toy next to the giant freighter. Travis led Edgar up the ridged gangplank, through the city-block wide door and into the cavernous hull. A small crew of brawny, seafarers waited by two refrigerators the size of storage units. "In here we have the more perishable food," said Dean indicating the fridge on the right. "And in here we have all the frozen items. We have a lot of ice cream. Do you need coolers to transport it?" "No," Edgar replied. "The Food Runners truck has refrigeration and, anyway, the food goes directly to the shelters. It won't be on board very long."

"Ok, gents," Dean signaled to his crew. "Let's load it up." With that, the men piled box after box onto a pallet. A pallet lifter standing at the ready transported the food to the ship's entrance. From there, the fellas hand carried the boxes down the ramp and helped Edgar load up the truck. There were melons. The were oranges. There was orange juice by the gallon; cases and cases of milk in individual cartons. Cases of butter, grapes, fresh green peppers, yellow peppers, celery, bags of onions and so much more. And that was just the first fridge! Dean explained that the ship carried a crew of 60 and had come to port a day earlier than expected.

The contents of fridge number one filled the Food Runners truck to capacity. Edgar peeked into fridge number two. The freezer load was twice as big. "The truck has to be ready for the Farmer's Market by 12:30 on Saturdays," Edgar told Travis. "Can I come back for the frozen food tomorrow?" he asked. "Sure," Travis said. "Tomorrow will be no problem. Same time?" "Sounds good," Edgar replied. Edgar closed the back of the truck and set out to make his deliveries.
"Food Runners! The answer to tomorrow's brunch," remarked the chef on duty at Martin DePorres.
"It's my lucky day!" exclaimed the chef at the Lucille Withe Center when Edgar rolled up the truck door.
"Wow. We really need this," the chef at Hamilton Family Center sighed in relief.

The food from the ship filled the Food Runners truck to bursting a total of three times. The freezer food included top of the line steaks, shrimp, case after case of Haagen Daz ice cream bars (the good ones with the yummy crunchies in the chocolate coating) and more.
"We come into San Francisco 3-4 times a year, " Dean stated. "I'm so glad I found Food Runners. Now we never have to toss good food away again. We'll call you whenever we're in port."
Food Runners can't wait. The ship really came in!

Besides the big ship, please welcome new Food Runners donors, St. Finn Barr Catholic School, and Parkside Lending. Fall convention and gala season is here making for Food Runners busiest months of the year. To say nothing of end of summer harvest which yields the largest donations of the year from the 13 farmers markets that Food Runners picks up from.

A BIG thank you to Commonwealth Restaurant. Commonwealth is a Progessive-American restaurant loca-
ted in the heart of the Mission District. Chef Jason Fox and team craft inventive tasting menus from which a portion goes to local charities. For two weeks in September, $10 from each tasting menu went to Food Runners. Thank you, Commonwealth!

What kind of parties will you be attending this fall? Be sure to let the hosts know about Food Runners. Party leftovers need never be thrown away. Food Runners will happily pick them up and deliver them to San Franciscans in need. A quick call to 415-929-1866 is all it takes.

Zyng Went My Heartstrings

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:03:00 +0000

It all started a year ago with an innocuous little phone call. "This is Indy from an internet company in Potrero Hill," sang the young, friendly voice on the Food Runners message line. "We need a pick up at 365 Vermont Street, Suite A. " The little internet company turned out to be Zynga Games Network, the next big thing according to no less than the Wall Street Journal among others. Indy turned out to be Zynga's Head Chef Indy Roberts. The food turned out to be amazing.

The day of the very first pick up, Indy requested that Food Runners start picking up three times a week on a regular basis. Done. Food Runners volunteers began heading to Zynga every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon. The early reports were glowing. "I loved the pick up at Zynga," raved volunteer Susan Green following her first foray. "I'll pick up there anytime I can fit it into my schedule.

Volunteer Alexa Vuksich gathering the haul with aid of Zynga kitchen staff

"Zynga gave me 6 trays today," reported volunteer Frances Cuanang after her initial run. "There were lots of sandwiches, a tray of super fresh green beans and some delicious looking burritos. The kids at the Vietnamese Youth Develpopment Center went crazy!"

Since those early days, Zynga has expanded to pick ups five days a week. The little internet company that started in January 2009 has grown to nearly 1,000 employees. Chef Indy prepares lunch for 700-800 Zynga team members every day. Chef Matt Dutrumble prepares dinner every night for the 400-500 team members who work though the early evening hours. Neither Chef Indy nor Chef Matt can predict how many employees may not care for a given day's menu and decide to step out instead of dining in house. Therefore... leftovers. And what leftovers! Everyday, Zynga's menus are filled with something delicious and nutritious, prepared with care by Chefs Indy, Matt and the rest of Zynga's expert culinary team.

Example of Zynga's daily donations

Chef Indy is positively passionate about making sure the excess food goes to where it is needed rather than the compost heap. Enter Food Runners. Every day, in the mid-afternoon, a Food Runners volunteer arrives at Zynga's new, much larger headquarters on Rhode Island Street. Things have not slowed down at all. Zynga's donations are bigger and better than ever.

"The food that your volunteer brings on Thursdays goes a long way for us," states Jane, a staff member at the Potrero Hill Nieghborhood House. "We serve the children first and whatever is left goes to our seniors."

Thursday's recipient

Volunteer Dede Tisone can't say enough about her weekly Zynga run. "The food is so fresh and copious and the Zynga staff is so friendly and helpful. They always bring the food to my car and load it up for me. The ladies at Jelanie House are overjoyed to receive it."

Volunteer Candy Heurlin put it simply after completing a Zynga run this past Monday, "this is a great run. Really easy. Good people." Good people indeed! Zynga and Food Runners. Together. Making a difference.

Zynga donation arrives at Potrero Hill Neighborhood House

Everybody's doing it! The right thing, that is. Every month, more and more businesses are getting into the Food Runners act. New donors in the month of July include: Mission Community Farmers Market, Upper Haight Farmers Market, Inner Sunset Farmers Market, Prima Cosa Caffe and The Jim Joseph Foundation. Food Runners also welcomed ten new volunteers this past month most of whom were off and "running" within 36 hours of signing up! San Franciscans love helping their neighbors.

Are you ready something really special? Make your September dinner reservations at Commonwealth Restaurant. Commonwealth is a Progessive-American restaurant located in the heart of the Mission District. Chef Jason Fox and team craft inventive tasting menus from which a portion goes to local charities. From now through September 26th, $10 from each tasting menu will go to Food Runners. Thank you, Commonwealth!

The dog, or in the case of San Francisco, the "fog" days of summer are here. Are you hosting a big ole barbecue or a picnic this month or know someone who is? Undoubtedly there will be leftovers. Don't throw them away! Food Runners will pick them up with a smile. Getting food to your fellow San Franciscans in need is just a phone call away at 415-929-1866. Food Runners can't wait to hear from you.

The Middle Schooler That Could

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:20:00 +0000

When Brandeis Hillel 8th grader Sabrina Perrell wanted to give something special back, she chose Food Runners. Ever since she was a tot, Sabrina has been interested in food, sustainable practices, recycling, composting at home and helping social programs in her community. As a young child, the girl with the soft blond girls and captivating modest smile loved sinking her small hands into fecund brown soil at the local community garden in the Presidio. As she grew older, she enjoyed planting her own garden at home as well as growing plants and trees from fruit seeds. In addition, the ambitious Sabrina volunteered for projects at Glide Memorial Church, Pe'ah Gardens in Colma as well as helping with beach clean ups through the SF Parks Conservancy.

Sabrina discovered Food Runners when a friend mentioned it to her. Sabrina liked what she heard. In 7th grade, when she had the opportunity to research a non-profit organization for a school project, deciding on Food Runners was a no-brainer. Sabrina dove right in calling Food Runners herself to set up an interview. No parent intervention for this brave middle schooler. Sabrina's excitement grew as she learned about Food Runners mission, how the organization works and about Food Runners founder and Executive Director Mary Risley.

Last August, Sabrina celebrated her Bat Mitzvah. For her Tzedakah (community service) portion, Sabrina invited her guests to donate the traditional monetary gifts to Food Runners in her name instead of to her. They did and continue to so generously. In addition, Sabrina volunteered her time performing clerical work for Food Runners both over her summer vacation and during her jam packed school year.

Sabrina's mother, Food Runners financial donor and volunteer Cheryl Harrison, reports that Sabrina earned straight A's on her report card and has been accepted to The Bay School in the Presidio beginning this fall. From Food Runners, this soft spoken, shining example of what young people can do, receives a big, BIG A+. Thank you, Sabrina!

Food Runners volunteers performed 787 food runs in the month of June. Food Runners acquired 9 new volunteers and 5 new donors in June including SusieCakes Bakery and the Stonestown Farmer's Market both of whom are donating on a regular basis.

Are you attending any fabulous BBQ's or weddings this summer? Ask the catering staff what's happening to the leftover food. Tell them about Food Runners. Food Runners can pick up from their next event!

All Together Now

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:59:00 +0000

Jeanne and Dexter do it. Judy and Sheila do it. Dawn and Dede do it. Betty n' Barney, Pat n' Dave, and Calle n' Aldon all do it too. Doing food runs is fun and its special. Doing food runs with friends or family is even more fun and even more special. Here's why:

from Food Runners volunteer William N:

My niece (age 7) and my nephew (age 11) were in town for Passover and offered to help me with my food run. Our first stop was at Whole Foods on California Street. We made our way through the labyrinthian loading dock to the prep kitchen and announced ourselves. Not knowing what to expect, the kids were a bit nervous. When they saw the smiles and warm greetings we received, they perked up immediately. The kids eagerly helped carry the food to the car. Then we headed to Caduceus Outreach Services for our delivery where the kids got to ask Administrative Director Eileen Norman questions and tell her how great it was that there are special services for the homeless. Besides being fun, I believe that sharing my Food Runners experience with my niece and nephew made them more aware that there are simple ways that people of any size can help those less fortunate than themselves. The kids talked about their experience that evening at the family Seder.

From FR vol-unteer Ron K.:

Last Thanksgiv-ing, I found myself with no-thing to do. I thought I'd help out at a local soup kitchen. I made a few calls but was rejected. Turns out that vol-unteering at a soup kitchen over the holi-days is a hot ticket. There were volunteers aplenty and no room for one more. A friend referred me to Food Runners. The dispatcher promised to give me a choice run since I would be driving all the way up from San Carlos. I was hooked immediately and signed up to do the run on a weekly basis. My 18 year old son often accompanies me. He will be leaving for college soon. We share coffee and laughs on the way up. The food run is a really great gig. I do it for the bonding, the travel opportunity, the ritual and in the end, the knowledge that I have helped someone who I will never know.

From Food Runners volunteer Judy E.:

Every week my friend Sheila and I pick up and deliver for Food Runners. We are a good team, enjoying our friendship while helping those less fortunate. I usually drive and if parking is an issue (in San Francisco??), Sheila goes in to make the pick ups. No parking tickets on our food runs! Because of Sheila's height, we never worry about the delivery areas. The food is always well received and truly appreciated. At times we are offered coffee or a signed card as a thank you along with willing hands to help unload the food.

From Food Runners volunteer Jeanne M.:

My sons, Matthew (27) and Kevin (22) were doing food runs with me from Odwalla Juice back when Odwalla was just two guys in a warehouse throwing parties that included a rug tossed down on the cement floor and people dancing to fantastic bands that performed all night. Matt was about 5 years old at the time and Kevin was 1. Both have fond memories of the the folks at Samaritan House offering them donuts upon the drop off. The folks at Samaritan House used to call me the "Juice Lady." Matthew lives in San Francisco now and Kevin lives in Knoxville. Though they are not currently Food Runners, I suspect that someday soon, they will be.

From volunteer Jeanne S.:

I like to do runs with my son Dexter. He just turned 6. Running food is a great and easy way for him to experience helping people in our community. It's a simple concept for a child to understand - some people have extra food - lots of people don't have enough. Dexter and I are "food transporters." It's more fun to have his company, of course. We get to check out lots of different areas of the city and it creates opportunities to talk about how other people live, how fortunate we are and how we have a responsibility to give help and give back.

Food Runners picked up and delivered 114,040 pounds of food in the month of May. Volunteers per-formed 838 runs and the truck did 164. A big thank you to McCall Catering for the great donations following an e-vent for 2,000 at Treasure Island on 5/13 as well as the Black and White Ball on 5/22. Kudos and thanks to ace volunteers Jane K. and Sally H., both of whom volunteered to ride along on the FR truck assisting on those same enormous late night pick ups.

Nutritious food is still being thrown away every day in San Francisco. Did you know that approximately 160,000 San Franciscans don't have enough to eat on a daily basis? Tell your friends and local food related businesses about Food Runners. Helping to alleviate hunger and prevent waste is just a phone call and a car ride away.

Heroes Among Us

noreply@blogger.com (Nancy Hahn, Director of Operations) — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:07:00 +0000

When the unexpected happens, Food Runners volunteers are ready!

The message got left on the Food Runners line at 8:04PM. The message got picked up at 8:17PM. By 8:26, a Food Runners volunteer had been dispatched. Pick up arrangements for any excess food generated by last Thursday's Taste of the Nation event had been in place for weeks. Food Runners volunteer Dan H. was ready. He had Food Runners brochures. He had his Food Runners hat. He had containers. He had plastic bags. During the early portion of the event, Dan was to staff the Food Runners information table, promoting Food Runners and answering questions. Then, as the festivities wound down, Dan was set to make the rounds of the forty chefs on hand to see if they had leftovers. Following the food "round up," Dan would deliver the haul to the Oshun Center, a 24 hour drop in center for women located under the highway where SOMA bleeds into the inner Mission.

No one was anticipating much in the way of leftovers. Everyone thought everything would be eaten as it had been in past years. The message from Food Runners founder Mary Risley said simply, "I'm here at the Taste of the Nation event. There's way more food than Dan can handle. Can you send another volunteer by 9:30?" Four no-answers and one "sorry, I have dinner guests" later and volunteer William N. picked up the phone. "Sure I can do that," he replied enthusiastically. "Just give me the details and I'm on it." And on it he was. He arrived on the scene just before 9:30 and located Dan who was working his tuchus off gathering food. William filed this report:

"The biggest problem was transporting the food to the cars. There were no carts available. There was nowhere to park near the entry to the stadium club elevators (the event took place on the club level of AT & T Park) and security was in a hurry to get everyone out. After I returned one of the event tables on a dolly, I ended up lost in the bowels of the stadium when the main entrance got locked at 10:30. I was, however, rescued by someone in an electric cart who showed me out. Unfortunately, it was on the east side of the stadium. My car, with its flashers on, had been in the white zone by the 3rd Street Bridge for over an hour! Luckily, no one cared. Dan and I split the food and went off to make our drops. The delivery went just fine at St. Vincent De Paul. they took the food with smiles, appreciation and all of that through a metal detector. That's a long way of saying that lots of excellent food was enjoyed by many and instead of being wasted."

Dan reported that his delivery to the Oshun Center was met in a similar fashion, but only after a few moments of uncertainty by the ladies present to open the door to a strange man in the middle of the night. As soon as they understood it was Food Runners knocking, Dan received the hero's welcome he deserved. Heroes wander amongst us every day. Some of them just happen to be Food Runners.

Food Runners picked up and delivered 110,675 pounds of food in the month of April. Volunteers performed 893 runs and the truck did 263. Please welcome new donor Gastronaut Catering. Gastronaut jumped right in requesting pick ups on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on an ongoing basis. Volunteers assigned to the run have reported wonderful food, nice people and happy recipients.

Do you have friends who are looking for a way to give back but aren't sure what to do? Tell them about Food Runners. It's fast. It's easy and it's fun. And most importantly, it makes a difference.

FOOD RUNNERS HAS BEEN IN THE MEDIA!!

** Check out Food Runners and Urban Gardens
as featured on KQED blogs.

** Watch Food Runners founder Mary Risley on KQED'S

"This Week in Northern California" as aired on April 30.