Food bank donations matched dollar-for-dollar until March 1
Blog entry by Susan Mernit.
Last updated at Wed, 2 Feb at 8:33am.

One in six people in Alameda County does not have enough money for food.

The winter months are challenging for the Alameda County Food Bank and its clients. Contributions of food and money drop off after the holidays, while the need remains high.

Until March 1, every dollar given will be matched by a friend of the food bank.

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Surprising new ways to help your local food bank
Article by CB Smith-Dahl.
Last updated at Tue, 16 Nov at 10:17am.

Over the next few weeks, you'll start to see the familiar red bins pop up at local supermarkets and banks - encouraging you to bring in non-perishables from home or simply buy a little extra while you're at the store for the many Oakland residents who are struggling to put good food on the table.

But did you know that there are actually several other innovative ways that you can help our local food bank?

You can visit the Alameda County Food Bank and lend a helping hand in person. And even though no food is handed out at their Oakland Airport location, there is a regular need for weekday volunteers to help sort, screen, box and shelve food items, including fresh produce.

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The Oakland Food Map
Article by Emilie Raguso.
Last updated at Sun, 24 Jan at 11:55am.

Oakland has many neighborhoods where social action has improved food access, in West Oakland in particular. But many people continue to live in areas that qualify as food deserts, where there are no outlets to purchase healthy food within walking distance.

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More Than Ever, Oakland is Hungry
Article by Sierra Filucci.
Last updated at Sun, 24 Jan at 8:29am.

Less work means more hunger. Oakland's nearly 17% unemployment rate (close to twice the national rate) means that in our city, right now, many people don't have enough to eat. And in outlying towns like Fremont and Hayward, the problem is even more severe.

Recently the USDA reported that in 2008 nearly 15 million US households were “food insecure” -- which means a member of the household did not have access to adequate and nutritious food at some point during the year. The number of people seeking free food from American food banks and food pantries is the highest recorded since USDA began collecting this information in 1995.

What does increasing hunger look like in Oakland?

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