Hunger & Food Insecurity

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Mobile Pantry Van with Tri-City Volunteers

Who needs a Mobile Pantry?

In spite of our recovering economy, Alameda County residents, including those in Fremont and surrounding cities, face “one of the most profound poverty issues of our generation” according to the recently published Hunger Study Report by Alameda County Community Food Bank. Unfortunately, due to the high cost of living too many people in our community are not getting enough nutritious food to eat. Seniors living on SSI face real poverty and housing insecurity – where rent can be more than their monthly allowance and they are faced with choosing between medicine, food and rent. Meanwhile, families and individuals today, more than ever, rely on several jobs just to make ends meet. We know the Tri-City Volunteers [TCV] Mobile Pantry is successfully serving the housed and homeless, and individuals and families of all ages who are hungry in our area. Mobile food pantries are like farmers’ markets on wheels, delivering a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and baked goods to people in need.

Where does the TCV Mobile Pantry go?

The TCV Mobile Pantry brings food outside of regular hours of operation to partner site locations where there are people in need of food. These sites might be schools, churches, senior and community centers, or homeless encampments. Because it is a Mobile Pantry it can travel and enter underserved areas to assist people who are unable to travel to find food. It will bring access to TCV services, while offering opportunities to select the food they need for themselves and their families.

How does a Mobile Pantry work?

Each distribution is held in a Farmers Market style allowing people to walk through and pick the foods that best fit their needs. Volunteers oversee distribution and assist people with questions or concerns.

The Sisters of the Holy Family are creating new traditions by carrying forward our ministries through collaboration and partnership.

While our Sisters are no longer organizing parish pantries, we are supporting a local mobile pantry operating in Fremont, Union City and Newark, California to reach more people in need.

The good news is we were able, through help from benefactors like you, to make a second Mobile Pantry Van a reality for Tri-City Volunteers [TCV].

Through your generosity, combined with funds from our Mission Fund, TCV can serve even more individuals and families who are food insecure, or experiencing hunger. This van is like a farmers’ market on wheels by delivering to people in need who are unable to travel to local food banks. The van also provides access to other services of TCV.

We are enthusiastic about this since it is a direct reflection of our own mission “to seek out and advocate for the poor and needy, especially families.”

However, it is an expensive venture to power the van – the insurance, fuel, and maintenance are just a few of these costs. If contributions exceed the cost to power the van for a year, we could apply the remaining funds toward a third van!

We, therefore, invite you to join us as we support the ongoing costs of this new van. Will you make a contribution towards the TCV Mobile Pantry Van’s operations? Every contribution you designate for the mobile pantry will increase our ability to make a more significant impact.

We want to thank our family and friends who have already answered our call toward this effort.

Please send your donation today to the Sisters of the Holy Family, PO Box 3248, Fremont, CA 94539. Mark your donation “TCV Mobile Pantry Van”, or donate securely online or call 510-624-4581.