In July of 2007, the San Francisco Food Bank compiled a report of hunger, poverty and food assistance profiles for every neighborhood of need in San Francisco. The San Francisco Food Bank based the analysis in A Look at Hunger in San Francisco: Neighborhood Profiles of Hunger and Food Pantries (pdf) on the 2000 U.S. Census and the Food Bank supported pantries as of July 2007.

According to the 2000 and 2005 U.S. Census, nearly 150,000 San Franciscans live at or near the poverty line, which means that nearly one in four children and one in five adults live with the daily threat of hunger. Hunger is a citywide phenomenon that afflicts people without regard for age, ethnicity, gender, family size and employment status. This report is unique because it provides detailed hunger statistics together with information on the food assistance available to families, seniors and the working poor in their neighborhoods.

Conducting this study, we learned that hunger exists in virtually every neighborhood in San Francisco. It may be surprising to find out that the common perception of a neighborhood was not an accurate indicator of the number of people in need. For example, the same number of people live at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line* in the Richmond (11,907) as in Bayview/Hunters Point (11,325). The San Francisco Food Bank will continue to track the hunger trends in San Francisco and adjust our food pantry network to best help those in need.

* A family of four falls below 150 percent of poverty if they earn less than $30,975 per year.

In 2005 the San Francisco Food Bank participated in America's Second Harvest’s Hunger in America Study. Known as the ‘Hunger Study’ this is the largest, national study chronicling the experiences of people in need of food. The study found that over 25 million people in the U.S. visit a food pantry, soup kitchen or food assistance program.

 

To help fight hunger in your neighborhood, you can:

Donate: Help provide food to people in need
Volunteer: Lend a hand in our daily operations
Take Action: Add your voice to our Advocacy Network