How We Are Helping the Bay Area — How We’re Helping the Bay Area

Tonight, hundreds of thousands of people will go to sleep hungry throughout Silicon Valley not knowing where or when they will get next meal. Hunger is an ever-growing problem and every day the need grows. With your support, we are **feeding the need.**

Every plant tended by volunteers in our organic garden; the hundreds of thousands of hot meals we prepare, serve and deliver; the meals we recover and redistribute from partners throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties; and every bag lunch we distribute is a seed sown in our community for those who find themselves in need of a healthy, nutritious meal.

OUR WORK

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Our History

For the first 35 years, Loaves and Fishes was a classic soup kitchen. In 2015, we redesigned our model -- obtaining temperature-controlled trucks and developing partnerships with non-profit and community organizations serving our shared population. Using this hybrid service delivery model, our services increased to 547,000 meals per year by FY2018.

In FY2019, we integrated our A La Carte food recovery program into our portfolio of services -- receiving prepared food and excess produce from local farms, corporate, airport, restaurant, and academic institutions, and redistributing meals at designated school, community, shelter, and transitional housing locations.

FY2020 was already shaping up to be our largest service year ever. Then COVID-19 struck, and we knew within weeks that the explosive increase in requests for our services would make it an unprecedented year of growth. Requests for our assistance tripled, and although the pandemic is over, the need for food has not lessened.

By the end of June 2024, we provided over 1,200,000 meals to our most vulnerable neighbors in need; and by June 2025, we will exceed 1,500,000 meals.

Over our 40-year history, we have grown from providing over 10,000 meals annually to now serving over 1.5 million meals annually.

WE KNOW THERE IS SO MUCH MORE WE CAN DO.

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OUR MISSION

Our Vision

Our mission is simple. We aim to provide hot and nutritious prepared meals, delivered and served to feed hungry families, children, seniors, veterans, students, and disabled individuals in our Bay Area community.

ALL ARE WELCOME NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

Our vision is ambitious. We want to create as many avenues as possible to ensure anyone in need of a meal in our community has access to nutritious and quality food.

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Who We Serve

We serve anyone experiencing hunger, homelessness or food insecurity. They are families, parents, children, seniors, veterans, students, and disabled individuals. They are your neighbors. These statistics represent real people.

These are the people we serve day in and day out. And 1 in 3 of those we serve are hungry children.

Asset 19.png — Why We Do This Work

Millions of families and children living in America face hunger and food insecurity every day. This means they lack reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable and nutritious food.
Even though Silicon Valley is one of the world’s wealthiest areas, the number of people fighting hunger and food insecurity in the Bay Area has grown to *1.5 million*. Every day, individuals have to make impossible choices between food and other basic needs.
“Do I feed my children or put gas in my car?”
“Do I feed my family or pay my rent?”

When you and your family are hungry, food becomes a daily, all-consuming effort. Paired with homelessness, unemployment, or under-employment, how do you manage, let alone get by?

Many families and children have to juggle limited resources to provide the most basic needs: food, clothing, and shelter. When income dips or unemployment strikes, food often becomes expendable - not out of choice but out of necessity. Many households that experience food insecurity do not qualify for federal nutrition programs and need to rely on their local food banks and other hunger relief organizations for support.

EACH DAY, WE DO ALL WE CAN TO REMOVE THE BARRIERS TO HUNGER RELIEF IN OUR BAY AREA COMMUNITY.

“It is essential that we take it upon ourselves to make a difference in the lives of others less fortunate. Please join me, and the rest of our Loaves & Fishes family to bring hope one meal at a time.”

— Shawn Milligan, Chair, Board of Directors

Meet Our Team

Together, we believe that food represents family, community, healing, and love shared. We are grateful to be able to enjoy a hot and nutritious prepared meal after a long day. We know that a full belly makes us happy and that sharing food creates memories. We also know that food is powerful, a resource, and we cannot live without it. We believe that food binds us together.

REACH OUT TO US HERE

Meet Our Board

Our founding board members created a solid foundation for us to build on over the years. Our current board members and advisory council are committed to the Loaves & Fishes’ mission and vision and charting a path forward to meet our community’s ever-increasing needs.

Shawn Milligan (Board Chair) | Milligan Land Company, LLC

Andy Kryder (Board Vice Chair) | Giving Gourmet and Retired General Counsel, CPA

Richard Haughey (Board Treasurer) | Retired Civil Engineer

Patricia Tennant (Board Secretary) | Retired Educator

Sara Morales | Asian Americans for Community Involvement

Noe Munoz | Heritage Bank of Commerce

Tom Robinson | Robinson Oil Corporation

Steffen Hack | Morgan Stanley

Murphy Sabatino | M&M Properties

Andrew J. Znidarsic | Bon Appetit Management Company

Armando Gomez | Armando Gomez Consulting

Kimberly Smith | Copia

Chris Papa | Jackson Lucas

Mary Ellen Ynes | Zeno Group

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Loaves & Fishes recovered **more than 630,000 meals** in 2023

via our A La Carte food recovery program, and we do not intend to slow down.

Why Recover Food?

Nearly 1 in 3 people in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties are at risk of food insecurity. At the same time, a staggering 38% of all food in the United States – that’s 235 million tons - goes unsold or uneaten every year.

The food that’s wasted could feed millions, yet it often ends up in landfills contributing to environmental damage and greenhouse gas emissions.

Food recovery is crucial because it reduces food waste, helps fight hunger, and protects the environment. By recovering surplus food and redirecting it to those in need, we ensure that nutritious meals are available to communities while minimizing waste in landfills. It’s a win for both people and the planet!

About
A La Carte

In 2019, Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen expanded our services to include A La Carte, a vital program that helps feed our hungry neighbors across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

A La Carte operates a fleet of trucks throughout the Bay Area, collecting surplus prepared and packaged food from corporate and university campuses, cafeterias, grocery stores, and catered events. This food is then delivered directly to our neighbors in need. By offering a no-cost, convenient, and dignified experience, A La Carte helps individuals and families struggling with food insecurity.

This program unites for-profit companies, who generously donate their excess food, with our nonprofit and public school partners who work tirelessly to nourish Silicon Valley’s food-insecure communities.

About
SB 1383

A La Carte also aligns with California Senate Bill 1383 (“SB 1383”), a groundbreaking law aimed at reducing the disposal of organic waste in landfills, including edible food. SB 1383 mandates that by 2025, 20% of edible food that would otherwise go to waste must be recovered for human consumption.

By partnering with businesses to recover and redistribute surplus food, A La Carte not only fights hunger but also plays a critical role in supporting the state’s ambitious environmental and sustainability goals.

How it Works

Contact and Assessment: A food generator contacts us, expressing interest in donating excess edible food. Our staff evaluate whether the donation aligns with our food safety criteria and the needs of the community we serve.

Food Donation: Food generators and donors provide surplus, wholesome food that would otherwise be discarded. We can accept produce, dairy, meats, shelf-stable items, baked goods, and prepared meals.

Sorting & Transportation: Our refrigerated fleet of trucks collects, sorts, and transports food safely and efficiently to our distribution sites throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Community Distribution: We partner with after-school programs, shelters, community centers, and senior housing centers to ensure the food reaches those who need it most. All are welcome at our distribution sites, no questions asked.

Our Zero-Waste Commitment

In 2022, Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen became the first nonprofit in the country to obtain and put into service a Harp Renewables aerobic biodigester, internally named “Maynard.” Maynard converts food scraps and organic materials into soil enhancer in 24 hours, and has the capacity to digest 5,000 liters of organic waste per week. Excess food that remains from our operations is disposed of in our biodigester, which further aids in our organization wide organic waste reduction initiatives. We provide the soil enhancer to local agricultural producers and to the Loaves & Fishes Garden.

Curious about food recovery or donating food?
Send us a message below, or dial (408) 922-9085 ext. 7

Name

First Name

Last Name

Organization

(if applicable)

Email Address

Phone

(###)

###

####

Where are you located?

(We generally operate in and around Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.)

Are you interested in donating food a single time or on a recurring basis?

What kind(s) of food are you looking to donate?

Check all that apply:

Individual prepared meals

Bulk prepared meals

Bread / baked goods

Dairy / eggs

Produce

Shelf-stable packaged goods

Meat

Other (please specify below in "Additional Message")

Additional Message

(Please indicate the amount of food you anticipate being able to donate, if possible. Thank you!)

Our Partners & Sponsors

We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our partners and sponsors who are committed to the Loaves & Fishes mission and who continue to humble us with their immense generosity.

See our giving family

Other Resources

NEWS UPDATES

FINANCIALS

NEWSLETTERS

If you’re looking for more information about us, our work, or would like to speak to a staff member please contact us. We’re happy to help!

CONTACT US

FEED THE NEED

What You Can Do to Help

Now, more than ever, we need your help to continue to feed the growing need. Your support makes a difference in the lives of so many families, children, seniors, veterans, students, and disabled individuals throughout our Bay Area community who don’t have access to food.

And food is the foundation upon which we stand - it drives everything we do. When we feed those around us, we give them life, show them love, help them stay fueled, improve their health, provide them with medicine, and provide them with hope. For us, it about more than meals.

By volunteering with us, you play a tremendous role in helping feed our hungry neighbors. From assembling bag lunches and hygiene kits at home or at our socially-distanced events, you help us feed the need.

Volunteer with us

It doesn’t take much. For every $3.50 you donate, you help to provide a meal to the most vulnerable among us in our hungry community. Help us move someone from hunger to hope by making a donation today.

Make a donation

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CONTACT US

Get More Information

If you’re looking for specific information about volunteering with us, have questions about our donation options, our meal programs, or simply have a general inquiry please contact us for more information. We’re happy to help point you in the right direction.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

VOLUNTEERING

MEAL PROGRAMS