How We Operate

How We Operate

Second Harvest Food Bank operations are streamlined and efficient, providing 55,000 clients per month with nutritious food and leveraging every dollar donated to provide 4 meals for needy families, all with a small staff and a low 5% overhead. How do we do it? Donations, community support, and the gracious help of a host of volunteers help us maintain a focus on our mission-and the low-income families, children, seniors, and working poor who need us most.

Where does the food come from?

Second Harvest receives food from local growers and shippers, food industry manufacturers and retailers like local grocery stores, federal food programs, food bank networks, and community food drives like the Holiday Food Drive.

What is Food Security?

Communities are considered to have food security when everyone has access to culturally appropriate, nutritious food from local, non-emergency sources. Second Harvest Food Security projects help support this goal:

  • Second Harvest Garden Each spring Second Harvest plants a Food Bank Garden where we grow peppers, squash, fresh corn, tomatillos, tomatoes and other produce popular with those we serve. To volunteer for work on the Second Harvest Garden, call Brooke Johnson at (831) 722-7110 ext 220.
  • Farmers Market EBT/Food Stamps Several area farmers’ markets now have wireless devices allowing low-income families to purchase fresh, local and organic produce with food stamps with their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.
  • Food For Work Program Second Harvest’s Food For Work Program provides USDA commodities and fresh produce and bread once a month to low-income area residents in job training programs. Food For Work is being distributed at the Center For Employment and Training (CET), the Homeless Garden Project and Women Ventures (a construction training program for women).
  • Seeds and Seedling Distributions Thanks to groups like Seeds of Change, Upstarts Nursery and Ag Against Hunger, Second Harvest distributes thousands of seeds and seedlings to our low-income clients so they can grow their own produce.
  • Request a Food Security Presentation Second Harvest Food Bank’s Outreach Department does presentations on how improve food security in our communities. To arrange or assist with a food security presentation, contact Brooke Johnson at (831) 722-7110 ext 220.

To learn more about the national food security movement, go to the Community Food Security Coalition website.