Food Bank – Teen Observer Archive

August 8, 2014

Tiffany Kang: tackling nutrition, one story at a time

Tiffany Kang talks to a group of volunteers on a recent weekday. More than 13,000 people volunteer annually. Photo by Cassidy Hopkins

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Alameda County Community Food Bank provides many hungry people in the county with wholesome food through the work of staff members such as Communications Coordinator Tiffany Kang. She and the rest of the 80-member staff, and thousands of volunteers, provide for those who may not otherwise be able to put food on the table.

Kang’s duties at the food bank revolve around journalism, social media and press correspondence. She manages the food bank website, writing articles on a multitude of topics and upcoming events, and handles the organization’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Other tasks include “pitching to journalists so that they will cover our events, writing and sending media alerts and press releases to make broadcast TV and radio stations aware of our happenings and cause, … [and] helping our partners,” referring to local businesses trying to increase their exposure by partnering with the food bank.

But for Kang, “The most fun part of my job is going out and reporting with a camera … meeting with clients, … [and] talking with people.”

When Kang meets with people and hears their stories, she places particular importance on “preserving the integrity of their voices.” She emphasizes the ramifications of poverty and obesity on the health of people, particularly children, who comprise 50 percent of their clients.

Kang said that those in poverty are more inclined to consume cheaper, though unhealthy, foods to make ends meet. She said the consumption of unhealthy foods is prevalent in elementary school-age kids. So the food bank does provides groceries and meals to students during the summer as well as the school year through some of the 240 agencies they work with, including churches, soup kitchens and the Salvation Army. Kang acknowledges that during summer, “There is almost no guarantee they will get the nutrition they would during the school year.” That is why programs such as the food bank’s new Mobile Pantry and its children’s backpacking program, which allows children easier access to food throughout the year, are important to Kang.

Her desire to help others also feeds her love of storytelling. She aspires to tell her story and that of other people because she is “convicting with, convicted by words.” And part of that involves “preserving the integrity of their voices.” But for her, it is more than just that. “I’ve always been a writer… and I wanted to use my words meaningfully. I wanted to tell true stories,” she said.

August 8, 2014August 9, 2014

Local organics at work

Half Moon Bay Orchids are sold at the farmers market. Photo by Charlotte Hoppen — Half Moon Bay Orchids are sold at the farmers’ market. Photo by Charlotte Hoppen

BERKELEY, Calif. — On a foggy Saturday morning while many in Berkeley are still sleeping, more than 60 vendors are setting up their stands under white canopies on Center Street here for the weekly downtown farmers’ market. The market opens up at 10 officially, but the sellers arrive by 9 and stay until 3:30.

The market features organic food and drink vendors. Many of the products are locally grown and packaged fresh nearby. The products range from fresh produce to fried food, pastries, seafood and candy.

Simon Gottlieb is a salesperson for the Three Twins Ice Cream stand. He is also the father of one of the founders of the company. Gottlieb started out his career by making and delivering the organic ice cream.

Three Twins started as a small shop in San Rafael, Calif., and now Gottlieb and his son have begun to expand across the country. The company still distributes organically grown products, but Gottlieb has big plans.

“Right now, we are in all of the Whole Foods across the country,” he said. “We’re almost everywhere.”

He said they began with just four flavors: Madagascar Vanilla, Cookies and Cream, Bittersweet Chocolate and Mint Confetti. Now, Gottlieb said, “We have over 100 flavors, three sandwiches, single serves, 21 pints and six quarts.” His favorite flavor is still Madagascar Vanilla.

Not all sellers have food stands: Michael Hsien sells Half Moon Bay Orchids each week. He makes about 60 sales per week at the market; he is also involved with the growth of the orchids at the local nursery. It takes about two years for each orchid to fully develop before selling, he said.

Hsien enjoys the sense of community he is involved in at the farmers’ market. Another who enjoys selling there is Rebekah Swanson, who works for Massa Organics. “I’m actually new to the Bay area,” Swanson said, “but I’ve worked in farmers’ markets my whole life.”

Massa Organics products include rice and almond butter. “Berkeley is a very health-conscious area,” Swanson said. “It’s a wonderful thing to know it’s healthy and to stand by it.”

August 7, 2014August 9, 2014

Alameda food banks gives food for all

OAKLAND, Calif. — Many neighborhoods are “food deserts,” areas where people have no access to reach good, healthy foods, which affects the rise in obesity and obesity-related diseases, says Tiffany Kang, communications coordinator for the Alameda County Community Food Bank. But she and others in the nonprofit organization are working through social-service agencies to bring healthy food to them.

Since 1985, the Alameda County Community Food Bank has been providing food for rehab centers, food pantries, soup kitchens, child and senior care centers, after-school programs and other community-based organizations. About 80 employees and 13,000 volunteers bag and pack fresh fruits and vegetables to be sent to these 240 partner organizations.

In 2012, the food bank distributed 23.3 million pounds of food to these organizations, 53 percent of which was fresh fruits and vegetables. The food bank also was the first in the country to ban carbonated beverages in its donations; since then, it has increased fruit and vegetable distribution by 1000 percent.

Weekly, the food bank distributes enough food for 380,000 meals for men, women and children living with food insecurity.

Tiffany Kang, communications coordinator for the food bank, talks to volunteers. Picture taken by Cassidy Hopkins

Kang said, “If in a line of 20 [people] one was fed what needed it, we’ve done our jobs.” She took this position two months ago after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and said her role in communications gives her a chance to write meaningful stories.

“My own family grew up on food stamps, so this is an area that’s very close to my heart,” she said.

She explained that working with the food bank is also cost-efficient for the many agencies they work with. “The extent of hunger can never be measured,” Kang said, “but we go by: If you’re in line, you’re hungry.”

The goal of Bay Area food banks, including Alameda County’s, is to give food to everyone, “no questions asked,” she said. In the summer, the food bank also tries to reach the many children who are no longer receiving free or reduced-cost breakfasts and lunches from their schools through its Mobile Pantry and backpack programs.

August 6, 2014August 9, 2014

Alameda Food Bank, an everyday aid

volunteers at work — Student volunteers bag carrots on a recent weekday; more than 13,000 people volunteer annually. Photo by Cassidy Hopkins

BERKELEY, Calif. — “Over here, put on some gloves!” shouted Sheila Burks, the volunteer coordinator, as we entered the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Our journalism class of 16 high-schoolers — alongside other volunteers — spent a recent weekday morning sorting and packing pears and carrots under Burks’ direction.

Our joint efforts that day led to impressive statistics: “We were able to package 1,700 pounds of carrots and 8,241 pounds of pears for a total of 9,941 pounds of produce sorted and packed. This is like saying we were able to create the equivalent of 9,251 meals for individuals and families in Alameda County in a couple of hours,” Burks said in a follow-up email.

Carrot, at Alameda Food Bank by Anna Levy — A misshapen but still edible carrot gets packaged at the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
Photo by Anna Levy

Much of the food bank’s produce comes from major grocery stores that don’t want discolored or misshapen fruit and vegetables on their shelves, even though those foods are still edible and healthy, because their customers won’t buy them.

Volunteers and staffers care about quality and freshness of food as well, said Tiffany Kang, communications coordinator, and so they toss anything that is moldy or otherwise inedible. “If an employee here wouldn’t eat it, no one else is going to eat it. It gets thrown out,” Kang said.

And for every $1 that is donated, the food bank can purchase and distribute $4 worth of food. It’s in this way that 2 million pounds of food are given each month to those in need.

The food bank is a hub that works with 240 smaller social-service agencies, including soup kitchens, the Salvation Army and others, as well as schools and libraries to distribute food.

Everybody is treated equally. As Kang said, “if you’re in line, you’re hungry.”

August 6, 2014

Food bank: ‘No questions asked’

Volunteers package 1,700 pounds of carrots on a average day. Photo by Cassidy Hopkins — Volunteers package 1,700 pounds of carrots to later be distributed. Photo by Cassidy Hopkins

OAKLAND, Calif. — Every day, dozens of volunteers and staff at the Alameda County Community Food Bank sort and package fruits and vegetables like carrots and pears in order to feed the hungry. These and other types of food are then taken to 240 agencies across the county. The food bank, which has been in service for 29 years, compensates for the lack of help from federal agencies, said Tiffany Kang, the communications coordinator. “We treat all clients equally — no questions asked,” she said.

More than half of the primary clients of the food bank are children, and the food bank can be categorized as a seasonal-dependent operation with high demand during holidays and summertime. Children who get free meals from school do not have access to as much food in the summertime, so the food bank goes to places like public libraries with a mobile pantry to deliver food.

The common sight of food barrels that are seen in schools, offices and malls only account for 5 percentage of the total food collected at the banks. Money from donors leads to the most food purchased and distributed. Through “grocery rescue programs,” Kang said, the food bank receives all the odd-looking produce that such corporations as Safeway and Lucky’s do not want to sell, but the food itself is still high quality and nutritious.

With every $1 donated, $4 worth of food can be bought and distributed in the county, Kang said.

“[We] always try to go with the ideology that if you’re in line, you’re hungry.”

August 6, 2014August 6, 2014

Food bank on a mission

food_volunteers — Volunteers bag carrots on a recent weekday at the main warehouse. Photo by Cassidy Hopkins

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Alameda County Community Food Bank is a nonprofit organization dedicated to feeding those who are hungry. The 80 staffers and thousands of volunteers send food to more than 240 different agencies that distribute it to those in need. Soup kitchens, Salvation Army centers, schools and churches are just a few examples of the places the hungry go for a free meal or groceries. However, it’s not just about feeding the hungry. According to Communications Coordinator Tiffany Kang, the food bank’s mission also includes nutritional education. Kang said many people with tight budgets can’t afford the most nutritional food. Food with little to no nutritional value, like candy or cookies, are often cheaper than apples or oranges, she said. The food bank knows how important nutrition is. Especially for their primary clients, children. Even though students will often receive a free or reduced breakfasts and lunches during the school year, but when school is out, such as during holidays or the summer, kids can go hungry. The food bank fills that gap by collecting donations that go to purchasing wholesome food. Every $1 they receive of donations equals $4 of food they can distribute. The donated food is bagged by staff and volunteers from across Alameda County. Once bagged, it is trucked out to one of the agencies or shelved in their shopping center for representatives from smaller agencies to pick up. In one morning, the food bank is capable of sorting and packaging more than 9,000 pounds of food. That is the equivalent of 8,251 meals for those in need. She said working at the food bank, which she joined in June, is motivating. “My own family grew up on food stamps, so this is an area that’s very close to my heart,” she said. “And I’m fortunate enough to be able to buy what I need now.”

August 6, 2014

Moonlite Bakery lights up Berkeley’s farmers’ market

Shirley Trimble laughs with a customer as she displays a wide variety — from brownies to frittatas to granola — at her stand at the Downtown Berkeley Farmers’ Market. Photo by Hanna Duenkel

BERKELEY, Calif.— A decorated chalkboard displays the baked goodies at the Moonlite Bakery booth at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market. Fresh baked cookies, cakes, brownies, frittatas, granola and even home-brewed iced tea sit behind a glass panel, waiting to be bought. Almost every item caters to a person’s dietary needs, such as the gluten-free polenta torta. Every treat is organic and attracts the customer’s eye with bright colors, like the vegetable frittata and the sour cream and blueberry coffee cake, or interesting names, such as the coffee-rum pirate cake and the organic hibiscus peppermint iced tea.

Shirley Trimble runs the bakery and sells her pastries to local cafes in the Berkeley area. “I’ve worked as a baker for 30 years. I started selling pastries to cafes around eight years ago,” said Trimble. Her pastries change depending on her whims and the season, and she’s at her booth year-round at the market.

“My most-sold item is a vegetable frittata,” said Trimble after she served several customers pastries from her booth. Trimble said she gets lots of customers because “some people like to have something to munch on when they’re walking.”

Trimble also sells hot chocolate occasionally.

“I’ve always been into baking as a little girl,” she said, taking a sip of her iced tea. “When I was a teenager, I went into a bakery and tasted a vanilla eclair and that’s when I knew that I wanted to bake.” Trimble has baked ever since and takes pride in her creations.

“Today, my specialty item is a Mexican Chocolate Pop Tart,” she said.

August 6, 2014

Food for thought

Tiffany Kang is the communications coordinator for the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Photo taken by Cassidy Hopkins. — Tiffany Kang, the communications coordinator for the Alameda County Community Food Bank, sometimes goes on site to meet the hungry standing in line. Photo by Cassidy Hopkins

OAKLAND, Calif. — This city is known for the Oakland A’s and its close proximity to San Francisco. However, the city is also known for its high poverty rate and the number of families who go to bed hungry each night. This is where the Alameda County Community Food Bank finds its mission.

Since 2005, the food bank has been feeding the hungry and food insecure through its 240-member agency. Volunteers flood the food warehouse everyday, eager to help package fresh meals to the needy. About 13,000 volunteers donate their time each year.

Tiffany Kang, communications coordinator for the food bank, handles the social media connections, answers the help line and packages fun and informative material to help her clients. Kang interacts with the clients and makes the time to learn the regulars, which is crucial.

“What’s important,” Kang said, “is understanding what kinds of needs they have.”

These can range from being short one meal to having no meals at all. The age range is also wide, although Kang said, “Over 50 percent of our clients are children.”

According to Oakland’s city data, the child poverty rate is 25.5 percent. Of these children, 55.4 percent are being raised by a single-mother household in which they have no way of purchasing enough food to feed themselves.

The food bank became aware of this and started forming relations with the local elementary and middle schools. These pairings provide children with food each day over the summer, too, for those normally dependent on the school’s free lunches.

Some children live in “food deserts,” in which they have access to convenience stores and gas stations but are miles away from a grocery store that sells fresh food. Fresh fruits and vegetables are more expensive than a bag of chips and a soda, which is a factor in the purchasing process.

“We talk to a lot of parents and kids who buy simply what is the cheapest,” Kang said.

Kang also said there is a direct tie between poverty and obesity. She hopes to diminish the rising obesity problem by distributing fresh food at a low cost. The food bank was also one of the first to stop distributing carbonated beverages.

“We’re getting our food directly through grocery rescue companies,” Kang said. Much of the produce is still good even if it’s misshapen or appears imperfect. But it has to be edible. “If an employee wouldn’t eat it, no one will eat it.”

The food bank doesn’t only distribute healthy food. It also specializes in nutritional education so citizens can learn how to purchase fresh goods without hurting their wallets. “A big part of the community here is nutritional education,” said Kang.

Along with nutritional education, the food bank is consciously aware of the different ethnic foods that they feel a need to provide for their diverse clients. They study where the different nationalities live and then distribute the food accordingly.

“There are ethnic enclaves where certain people dwell,” Kang said. For example, the food bank will donate ethnic foods like tofu to people who know how to cook and prepare it, she said.

Research is done at the food bank, but they make a point never to ask the clients or families anything personal about their situation. This provides the clients with a sense of identity security, which is a necessity when you are food insecure.

“The most we ask for is how big your household is and how many kids you have,” Kang said. “We are here to ask no questions and provide food.”

The no-questions-asked policy can seem risky. However, the food bank trusts that their clients are indeed in need of food.

“We treat all of our clients equally, no questions asked,” Kang said. “If you’re in line, you’re hungry.”

Recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Kang decided to chase the risky nonprofit organization path over the safe corporate life because of the difference she said she can make.

“My own family grew up on food stamps, so this is an area that’s very close to my heart,” Kang said, “and I’m fortunate enough to be able to buy what I need now .”