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1. Decrease the instances of hunger and food insecurity for low-income SF families by 50% in 2.5 years

2. Decrease the instances of chronic diseases related to food insecurity or malnutrition for low-income families in San Francisco by 25% in 2.5 years

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What’s hunger?

Hunger is a personal, physical sensation of discomfort caused by a lack of food.

What’s food insecurity?

When people have inconsistent access to nutritious foods such as dark greens, fruits, and whole grains. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2023; UCSF, 2024).

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44 million people experiencing food insecurity

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44 million people experiencing food insecurity

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Annually, in the United States (US), there are over 44 million people experiencing food insecurity (Feeding America, 2024).

In 2021, the food insecurity rate in the US was 10.4%(Feeding America, 2024).

In 2022, 12.8% of U.S. households were food insecure, and 36.7% of households below the poverty line were food insecure (Economic Research Service USDA, 2023).

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1 in 4 San Francisco residents at risk of hunger 

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1 in 4 San Francisco residents at risk of hunger 

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Of all the participants of San Francisco Marin Food bank, 80% identified as food insecure (SF Food Security Task Force, 2023).

In 2021, 87,690 San Francisco (SF) residents were food insecure. The food insecurity rate was 10.1% (Feed America, 2024).

According to the Food Security Task Force, 1 in 4 San Francisco residents is at risk of hunger due to low income (FSTF, 2023).

Higher rates of food insecurity persist in low-income SF neighborhoods, despite its presents in medium-income households.

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Grow Together San Francisco (GTSF)

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1. Increase the number of low-income San Francisco residents who buy and consume healthier foods within 1 year. (behavior)

2. Increase the number of low-income San Francisco residents who participate in community garden and receive resources within 1 year. (circumstance)

3. Increase the number of low-income San Francisco residents who cook with healthy nutritious food within 1 year. (skill)

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Low-income families living in San Francisco

People experiencing hunger or food insecurity

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Building on cultural wealth of low-income SF families 

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Building on cultural wealth of low-income SF families 

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This program was designed using Tara Yosso’s cultural wealth theory. The GTSF program recognizes that low-income families in San Francisco already have a significant wealth of knowledge of their neighborhood(s) and experience with managing familial capital. For this reason, we are utilizing community education to deepen the connection to this pre-existing knowledge and to build on knowledge regarding families and nutrition.

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Program Activities Phase 1: Program Development (mos. 1-6)

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Program Activities Phase 1: Program Development (mos. 1-6)

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Raise funding/purchase materials

Hire 10 community ambassadors

Recruit PH educators & interns

Develop training materials for ambassadors in effective cooking and gardening skills for each workshop

Network and collaborate with existing community gardens

Develop educational workshops: gardening, cooking, and budgeting

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As of 2023, an individual making less than $104,000 per year was considered to be low-income in San Francisco.

(Echeverria, 2023)

An individual who is low-income or unemployed may experience difficulty in affording a sufficient amount of food to support their family. As prices of food continue to increase, low-income families are left food insecure.

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How Age and Disability Plays a Factor in Hunger 

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How Age and Disability Plays a Factor in Hunger 

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In San Francisco county, over 26,000 residents who are elderly, low-income, and/or disabled receive monthly SSI (Supplemental Security Income) payments.

Even with government assistance, these populations face difficulty accesses or preparing food due to lack of transportation, preexisting health conditions, and functional limitations.

(Justice in Aging, 2023)

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Bay Area Parents Struggle as Food Aid Fades

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Bay Area Parents Struggle as Food Aid Fades

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Bay Area parents are voicing the growing despair as pandemic-era food assistance ends, "It's not enough... Everything is so expensive right now. I have my kid ... I can’t work," says mother Lucia Pablo.

Pablo's experience sheds light on broader issues:

both single-parent and low-income families grappling with escalating food insecurity amid soaring living costs

childcare hurdles (SF Chronicle, 2024).

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600 Neighborhoods in SF are Food Deserts

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600 Neighborhoods in SF are Food Deserts

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An analysis identified 600 neighborhoods across the San Francisco metro area with low food access, also referred to as a "food desert."

A food desert is defined by the USDA as a neighborhood where at least one-third of the area's population is living more than a half-mile from the closest supermarket or large grocery store in urban areas or 10 miles in rural areas (ABC7, 2022).

Living in a food desert and/or not having regular access to healthy, nutritious food can be a major cause of food insecurity and potentially lead to hunger, long-term.

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Public Transit Cuts during COVID Exacerbate Food Insecurity in SF, Study Finds

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Public Transit Cuts during COVID Exacerbate Food Insecurity in SF, Study Finds

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A 2020 study spotlighting San Francisco, among 22 cities shows cuts in public transit sharply worsen food access.

Vulnerable communities, notably in areas of poverty and for individuals without vehicles, face heightened challenges. This underlines the critical link between public transport and food security (Kar, A., Carrel, A. 2022).

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LOW MINIMUM WAGE + HIGH COST OF LIVING:

San Francisco's minimum wage (MW) is $18 per hour or 37,000 a year for full-time workers (SF.GOV, 2024)

San Francisco is among the top 5 most expensive cities in the US; the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is $3,020 or about 1 and 1/2 months' pay on MW (SF Gate, 2022)

INFLATION:

The price of groceries continues to rise due to labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, high demand, droughts, the cost of both organic and inorganic farming (Washington Post, 2024).

SUPERMARKET REDLINING:

Increased effort into building and preserving supermarkets in higher-income neighborhoods which results in little- to-no access to healthy, affordable foods in lower-income neighborhoods (Move for Hunger, 2024).

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Without enough food or water, people are more likely to face difficulty maintaining their overall physical and mental health.

For example, without proper nutrition, the chances of developing chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure increases. Additionally, poverty status or economic insecurity is linked to food insecurity which can cause chronic and acute stress.

(Feeding America, 2024; SFDPH, 2023).

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Program Activities Phase 2: Program Implementation (mos. 3-24)

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Program Activities Phase 2: Program Implementation (mos. 3-24)

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Training for Ambassadors:

Ambassadors and interns meet for training for 2 hours a day for 5 days a week in a span of 3 weeks. This training would include gardening and cooking skills that will then be taught to participants.

Information Distribution:

Distribute 1,000 flyers about existing community gardens to recruit participants.

Gardening 101 Workshop:

Gardening 101 will occur every 3 months for a 3 hour session, which consists of teaching 20 participants how to plant, take care of harvest by providing a hands-on experience.

Training Approach

Practice gardening

Live demonstration

Training Topics

How to properly use gardening tools

How to maintain soil

Public Health Lectures:

2 hour lectures by public health professionals will take place once every 6 months to educate 30 participants about nutrition and the risk of chronic illnesses.

Training Approach

Teaching about nutrition and health

Training Topics

How to make healthier food choices (healthy foods vs. unhealthy foods)

Chronic illnesses associated with poor diet such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension

Cooking Workshop:

2.5 hour cooking workshops will occur monthly for 19 months involving 15 participants.

Training Approach

Practicing hands on how to cook healthy meals

Live demonstration

Training Topics

Proper hand hygiene

How to use cooking knives

How to use healthy ingredients

Budgeting Workshop:

1 hour lessons about smart/budget-friendly shopping for fresh produce will happen once every 5 months with one 9 month gap, which will include 30 participants.

Training Approach

Budgeting skills

Training Topics

How to find food that's affordable

How to create a budget

Community Events :

Community meals will take place every 3 months to demonstrate the possibilities of what healthy meals can be made at the community garden sites, serving up to 50 participants.

Training Approach

Demonstration

Practice cooking

Following recipes

Training Topics

Cultural foods

Meal preparation

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Program Activities Phase 3: Closing (mos. 22-24)

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Program Activities Phase 3: Closing (mos. 22-24)

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Host the final community meal to demonstrate the acquired knowledge and skills. Here, we will give space for testimonials and present participants with certificates of completion.

Conduct an evaluation of the GTSF program

Develop a final report of the GTSF program

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1. Increase the number of residents in low-income neighborhoods in San Francisco who understand the links between chronic illness and diet within 6 months. (knowledge)

2. Increase the number of residents in low-income neighborhoods in San Francisco who know how to access community gardens and where they are located in the community within 6 months.(knowledge)

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1 Program Director

1 Program Coordinator

1 Health Educator

2 Health consultants

10 community ambassadors

1 training session for community ambassadors

Hand out 1,000 flyers about existing gardens

Hand out 1,400 seed packets

20 posters about program events

7 community garden meals

7 community garden workshops

23 cooking sessions/ educational workshops/ skills workshops

4 budgeting and financing workshops

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https://www.sf.gov/information/minimum-wage-ordinance-0#:~:text=and%20temporary%20employees.-,Employees%20performing%20work%20in%20San%20Francisco%2C%20including%20part%2Dtime%20and,Francisco%20Labor%20and%20Employment%20Code.

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/cost-living-san-francisco-17726528.php

https://moveforhunger.org/blog/redlining-and-food-justice-america

https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work

https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/02/grocery-price-inflation-biden/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9385776/

https://www.sf.gov/sites/default/files/2023-02/FSTF_2023_Recommendations.final_.pdf

https://abc7news.com/food-desert-insecurity-bay-area-inflation-alameda-county/12487238/#:~:text=An%20analysis%20by%20the%20ABC7,half%2Dmile%20from%20the%20closest

https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/other-sources/article/?id=14527271&title=%E2%80%98Hunger-is-not-seasonal%E2%80%99:-Bay-Area-food-banks-struggling-to-keep-up-with-a-spike-in-need

https://justiceinaging.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Snapshot-of-Older-Adults-in-San-Francisco-County-Accessible-Outline.pdf

https://www.sfdph.org/dph/comupg/knowlcol/FSTF/default.asp

https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-security-and-nutrition-assistance/#:~:text=The%20prevalence%20of%20food%20insecurity,of%20a%20lack%20of%20resources

https://www.fao.org/hunger/en/

https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2017/overall/california/county/san-francisco

https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/food-insecurity#:~:text=Food%20insecurity%20is%20an%20official,children%2C%20experience%20food%20insecurity%20annually

https://www.sf.gov/sites/default/files/2023-02/FSTF_2023_Recommendations.final_.pdf

https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/top-ten-foods-for-health

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GTSF Program Director (full time)

Program Coordinator (part-time)

2 Consultants (Holistic health educator and a cardiovascular doctor)

10 community ambassadors (part-time)

1 Heath Educator (part-time)