Renewal Food Bank

What We Do

Renewal Food Bank is an independent non-profit agency dedicated to food rescue and providing food to people who are experiencing food insecurity regardless of race, color, religious beliefs, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or cultural or ethnic background.

Description

Renewal Food Bank provides food assistance and essential hygiene items for our customers. Customers can shop weekly and receive produce, meat, shelf-stable groceries, baby supplies, pet food, and hygiene items, providing significant relief for their monthly budget while avoiding devastating decisions between basic needs such as shelter, education, or food for their family.

Since September 2022, demand for our services has surged by over 60%, to more than 460 families per week, benefiting over 1,500 individuals. In 2023, nearly 1,000 new families registered with us, predominantly comprised of BIPOC and immigrant families, as well as unhoused and LGBTQ community members. Our mission is increasingly urgent as neighboring food banks reduce services or close entirely and redirect customers to us.  

At Renewal, we warmly support everyone who requires food assistance with a low-barrier registration process, and we never turn away anyone in need of food assistance. A significant percentage of the families we serve are immigrants from Eastern Europe, the Americas, and East and Southeast Asia. Our registration process is available in 6 languages and informational signage is provided in 10 languages along with photographs. Currently, 60% of our staff and 55% active volunteers speak language(s) other than English fluently, so customers facing language challenges can comfortably shop with us. Renewal is committed to providing our customers with culturally relevant food by partnering with grocery stores like Asian Family Market, Halal Meats, Mayuri Indian Groceries, and many more. Our client-choice/grocery-style model allows folks to select food that aligns with their dietary requirements and cultural and religious preferences.

Part of what makes Renewal Food Bank unique is that 0% of our operating costs are spent on purchasing food. We partner with more than 18 local grocery stores and other retailers to procure high-quality, culturally relevant food and fresh produce, totaling over 25 pickups weekly. In the last six months, our food rescue team prevented over 275,300 pounds of food from going to the landfill through our food rescue program. We are committed to providing customers with access to nutrient-rich options, particularly fresh produce and proteins that empower our customers to make healthy meals. With the efforts of our staff and volunteers, we are able to provide customers with respectable quantities of 6-8 types of fresh fruits and vegetables weekly. 

We strongly believe that many more individuals facing hunger require our services. We see a strong need to extend our hours, and add in delivery service, which will require additional food rescue pickups and financial support to purchase food, along with other operational costs such as rent, gas, and program and volunteer support. Like most emergency food providers, we have been facing a funding cliff since 2023, as much of the existing financial support has been exhausted. 

Please donate to us, so we can keep supporting the underserved communities and reduce negative impacts on the environment.

 This is only possible because of the generosity of people like you!