Koret Food Program:
Making a difference for Bay Area communities
Catalyst
From the CEO's desk
“I’d rather teach a man to fish than give a man a fish.”
-Joseph Koret
Jeffrey A. Farber
Koret CEO
The Koret Food Program was developed to fund organizations that facilitate the transition from hunger to self-sufficiency. It honors the legacy of founder Joseph Koret while striving to continually address contemporary needs. In recognition of the impact of effective public policy, this year we have added a grant to California Food Policy Advocates, a policy and advocacy organization. Also this year, in addition to $328,000 in operating support to 14 organizations, Koret has addressed our community’s infrastructure issues, awarding a $1 million capital grant to the St. Anthony Foundation to modernize and expand its San Francisco operations.
Although we are not so naïve as to believe that we can abolish hunger, we maintain that by funding organizations that are farsighted and effective in their practices, we can bolster their efforts to reduce hunger and poverty.
In this issue you will read about the work of our Bay Area food banks, including statistics from their quadrennial hunger study, their “report card” on the state of the hungry in our community. We will introduce you to the year-round holiday programs our grants support in the Jewish community, and you’ll read about the extraordinary work of St. Anthony’s and Glide Memorial Church, two Bay Area organizations known for making a difference.
At Koret, we take seriously our responsibility to make an impact – to honor the legacy of our founders and to find long-lasting solutions that improve people’s lives.
Jeffrey A. Farber, CEO
Koret Foundation
Koret Fund
More money for rent means less money for food,
hunger study finds
by Rachel Rosenberg
JVS Kohn Intern
As the cost of living in the Bay Area rises, lower- and middle-income families must spend more of their monthly income on housing, leaving less money to spend on food and other basic needs, according to an area-wide survey of hunger conducted by the four Bay Area Food Banks annually supported by the Koret Food Program.
Each of the four food banks — Alameda County Community Food Bank, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, San Francisco Food Bank, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties — surveyed their own clients in partnership with America’s Second Harvest:the Nation’s Food Bank Network and Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. to better understand the face of hunger in the Bay Area. The survey of households receiving emergency food assistance at food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters is conducted every four years.
While the food banks surveyed serve different geographic populations within the Bay Area, their results showed similar trends. For example, all four food banks, serving four different Bay Area counties, reported that children and seniors are the most vulnerable to hunger. Children subject to an irregular food supply and lower-quality food are at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other health complications. Seniors who live on fixed incomes are often unable to afford basic necessities, making them more susceptible to disease and chronic health problems that are exacerbated by food insecurity. Overall, the study found that federal nutrition programs, including the food stamp program, are underutilized. California has the lowest food stamp program enrollment in the country, and among clients who use food stamps, many reported that the benefits often fail to last the month.
The Alameda County Community Food Bank report, “Hunger: The Faces and Facts,” concludes that addressing hunger requires the combined efforts of government, charitable services, and the community.
Hunger At A Glance*
|
Clients served annually |
Percentage of clients who are homeless |
Median monthly household income |
Alameda County Community Food Bank |
230,300 |
12 percent |
$800 |
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano |
75,400 |
26 percent |
$900 |
San Francisco Food Bank |
117,300 |
23 percent |
$810 |
Second Harvest Food Bank of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties |
127,100 |
15 percent |
$810 |
*Statistics from “Hunger in America 2006: A Report on Emergency Food Distribution in the United States in 2005"