This week’s news and requests. A new year is upon us, but it is also time to share the great appreciation the Food Closet has for the care and support of the St. Mark’s community. Your consistent and thoughtful contributions filled the many gap needs throughout 2022. Now 2023 brings new customers to the Food Closet. Many are newly unemployed and reliant for the first time ever on the generosity of those who are able and willing to augment their family’s food needs. These weekly lists of needs below are the items which fly off the shelves or fill the supply needs to run the Food Closet. Your donations are more critical then ever 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
Creamy peanut butter (please, no organic or oil topped
Protein products (Ie. Canned chicken, spam or tuna)
Packets of instant oats
Granola Bars
Table Salt
Jam
Non-food items:
Brown grocery bags with handles
Sandwich size ziploc bags
Trash bags (33 gallon size)
Black sharpie markers
Rubber bands