Community Corner

Fuel Stolen From Food Bank Trucks That Deliver To The Needy

"The loss is equivalent to more than 34,000 meals."

(The following information was sent to Patch by Second Harvest Food Bank and is reprinted here.)

SAN JOSE, Calif., November 14, 2013 – As the holidays approach and the community focuses on helping those in need, someone stole gas from Second Harvest Food Bank – gas that is used to deliver food to the seniors, children, and families who depend on the Food Bank every month for food. One or more thieves cut the gas lines in the middle of the night and took about 90 gallons of diesel from two trucks parked at the Food Bank’s Bing Center in San Carlos earlier this week.

The gas is valued at more than $400. The trucks had to be towed to get fixed and Second Harvest now needs to hire a security guard to watch over the facility. The Food Bank estimates the total loss to be more than $17,000.

“The loss is equivalent to more than 34,000 meals,” said Kathy Jackson, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. “Who would steal from the Food Bank, particularly as we head into the holidays and so many people are depending on us for food? The theft not only cost Second Harvest dollars that could have been used to purchase food, it cost us precious time. We have to get the food out into the community on time and on schedule, and we need all of our trucks up and running to do that.”

Second Harvest launched its Holiday Food and Fund Drive last month with a goal of raising $13.2 million and 2 million pounds of food. This is a critical drive because the Food Bank raises nearly half its annual revenues during the holiday season. Second Harvest must meet this goal to help address the rising need for food.

The Food Bank continues to face unprecedented need. The number of people Second Harvest serves jumped 50 percent after the recession started and has continued to edge up every year since.

Second Harvest provides food to more than 250,000 people in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties every single month – a staggering one in 10 people in the Food Bank’s two-county region.

To ensure that anyone who needs a meal can get one – this holiday season and all year long – Second Harvest partners with more than 330 nonprofit agencies to provide food at more than 770 sites throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, including pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.

Second Harvest is one of only a few food banks in the nation that does not charge its partners for the food it provides. Last year, the Food Bank distributed nearly 52 million pounds of food to the community. More than 50 percent of the food Second Harvest provides is fresh produce.

Community members who want to help the Food Bank recover from this loss and meet the rising need can visit www.SHFB.org or call (866) 234-3663 to make a donation. Anyone who needs food should call Second Harvest’s Food Connection hotline at (800) 984-3663.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties is the trusted leader dedicated to ending local hunger. Since its inception in 1974, Second Harvest has become one of the largest food banks in the nation, providing food to more than one quarter of a million people each month.

The Food Bank mobilizes individuals, companies and community partners to connect people to the nutritious food they need. More than half of the food distributed is fresh produce. Second Harvest also plays a leading role in promoting federal nutrition programs and educating families on how to make healthier food choices. Visit www.SHFB.org to get involved.


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