Name: Food bank demand skyrockets amid pandemic in San Mateo County
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Food bank demand skyrockets amid pandemic in San Mateo County

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Offer expires September 15, 2022, so sign up today!You have permission to edit this article.Welcome,As the stay-at-home lingers, an unprecedented rise among those struggling to put a meal on the table is disrupting supply lines and straining the resources of a primary local food bankSecond Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley officials gave the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors a glimpse at the challenges associated with meeting the rapidly increasing demand during a meeting Tuesday, April 21.CEO Leslie Bacho acknowledged the difficulties encountered when responding to a global pandemic, but also recognized the selfless contributions driving the food bank.“It’s heartbreaking to see so many in need so suddenly, but it is heartwarming to see how the community has responded,” said Bacho.Since a stay-at-home order was issued to stem the spread of COVID-19, officials said Second Harvest has fielded up to 1,200 calls per day from those experiencing food insecurity, up from about 170 calls per day before the mandate. Similarly, web traffic has spiked and the amount of households served with boxed food has nearly tripled.To meet demand, the food bank established more distribution sites throughout the county and added a new warehouse to store more groceries. The National Guard has arrived to assist with boxing and distribution too.Yet despite the ramped up effort to meet the need, Bacho said the service has struggled to keep clear and stable supply lines. To that end, she said food deliveries to Second Harvest have grown less reliable and some high-demand items such as pasta are growing increasingly challenging to acquire.“There are a lot of challenges with the supply chain,” she said.Additionally, food bank officials said operating drive-through distribution sites at new locations are presenting logistical hurdles which can lead to long lines and waits for food.Supervisor David Canepa said cars at distribution centers in Daly City and northern portions of the county have backed up onto city streets, fueling conversation that additional sites must be established.Second Harvest officials said some of the problem is linked to disallowing individuals from picking up their groceries in person. Keeping drivers in their car is safer, but the process takes up much more space than it would otherwise.Food bank representatives said county officials could ease the process by considering closing some roads to through traffic on certain distribution days, as has proved a successful model in San Jose.For their part, county officials expressed a commitment to considering a variety of options which could help smooth the process.“We all stand ready to help,” said Supervisor Don Horsley.County Manager Mike Callagy agreed, and said county officials could help direct volunteers to assist with food distribution or offer some trucks for food transportation, if necessary.“There is no more severe impact from this crisis than lack of food and I can’t believe how you’ve brought all your resources to bear to help so many people and we want to help you in any way we can,” said Supervisor Dave Pine.In other business, Pine, Canepa and board President Warren Slocum led a movement urging health officials to release COVID-19 data according to location.The discussion followed Callagy commenting Monday that officials would be in favor of seeing more detailed information about where cases occurred. County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow has expressed a reluctance to share such information, citing fears it may give some a false sense of security.And while supervisors acknowledged those concerns, they also touted the value of offering more specific data to residents.“While I understand the argument against, I think at this point the transparency weighs in favor of starting to show that data by city,” said Pine.And finally in the meeting, the board agreed to spend $1 million from the county’s Measure K tax fund to the program established to benefit small businesses struggling due to COVID-19. They also agreed to reopen the property tax collection office May 4, once the order to shutter the service expires. Go to to see information about tax payment locations and hours.(650) 344-5200 ext. 105×××Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,racist or sexually-oriented language.PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.Don't Threaten. 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Food bank demand skyrockets amid pandemic in San Mateo County

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