This week’s news and requests. Good news to share – Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, the main food contributor to the Downtown Streets Team’s Food Closet at All Saints Church, met it’s annual goal for 2023. Not only was the target number met but it was exceed at 114% by the end of Giving Tuesday. If you have been able to read these notices recently this couldn’t be better news because the Food Closet is currently averaging 5 new families each week. These are people who never anticipated job losses or food insecurity. Despite Second Harvest regaining it’s solvency – there is still great need for direct community donations to the Food Closet. These weekly lists of needs below are the gap items which fly off the shelves or fill the supply needs to run the Food Closet. Your donations are still critical and as ever greatly appreciated.
Volunteers Needed: Helping hands are needed at the Downtown Streets Food Closet. No food preparation skills are needed – the FC distributes free donated and predominantly prepackaged food to its customers. Needed skill set for a volunteer is a pleasant, patient person with good social skills. Fluency in Mandarin would be beneficial as well. High school students over 15 are welcome to serve too. All Covid protocols are strictly enforced. Volunteers must be vaccinated and boosted.
Available volunteer openings are:
Monday and Wednesday – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.***
Tuesday and Thursday – 12:00 – 2:30 pm.***
Friday – 12:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Please contact Charlotte Coker at (408)591-7539 or charlotte.ca413@gmail.com for *** these days.
Contact Shirley Reiter at (650)704-9813 or shirleyreiter@yahoo.com for the other days.
Drop off donations at the Food Closet. The Diocese allows food pantries to remain open during Covid. All Saints Food Closet is taking precautions to protect staff, volunteers, customers and donors using a protocol from Second Harvest, the main Food Closet donor. The address and new hours are: 425 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto – M, T, W, F: 9 am-2:30 pm Thursday: 9 am to 2:30 pm (except 12 pm to 1 pm when closed for staff meeting ). Access via the blue side door that opens onto Hamilton Street. Please call ahead – (650) 325-3663 to let them know you are coming. Please do not drop off food after hours – it brings up a variety of concerns as people often congregate unsafely after hours to go through the food.
Donating by Check: You can also donate by check. Check donations will be used to purchase needed shortfall items. Please write a check to the Downtown Streets Team, and write in the memo line “For Food Closet”. Checks can be mailed to: Project Manager Downtown Streets Team, 1671 The Alameda, Suite 306, San Jose, CA 9512
Current Donations Requests
Food needs:
Quaker oats (not the packets)
15 oz canned or cupped fruits
Jam/jelly
Sugar
Non-food items:
Ziplock bags both sandwich size
Paper towels
rubber bands