This Week’s Needs at the Food Closet:
We are into the New Year of 2025 and Shirley Reiter, one of the volunteer managers of the Food Closet, extends a grateful thank you for your consistent and generous support of the Food Closet during 2024. She alsosent this update to share what is happening currently at the Food Closet.
“Thank you to all the wonderful donors who helped make the Food Closet successful in providing food to the hungry and needy this year. Your generous donations were welcomed especially as the need for simple staple groceries has increased among all age groups and demographics. No longer are we seeing just the unhoused and senior citizens, we are seeing middle aged clients who appear to be the “working poor” just making their paycheck stretch a bit further. We calculated that if gave out a bag of groceries and fresh produce, it would probably total up to $40.00 a bag.”
The last few weeks your donations have totaled 7 bags of groceries, two bags of bags, rubber bands and $30 in cash donations What a great way to kick of the New Year!
Special note: this week the highest need is for hearty canned soups – as these are flying off the shelves during the cold weather.
Drop off donations at the Food Closet. COVID is still present! The Diocese has allowed food pantries to remain open during COVID. The 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 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 is 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 95126
Current Food Donation Requests:
Hearty soups (Ie. -Progresso, Campbell’s Chunky, Healthy Choice or ramen noodles)
Traditional Quaker oats (please, not the instant packets)
Cereal: such as – cheerios, Frosted Flakes, corn flakes, Honey Nut Crunch
Non-food Items
newspaper sleeves
Brown pepper bags with handles
Plastic shopping bags (like Safeway’s)
rubber bands
