Part of COVID-19 Data and Reports
Citywide Food Support Programs
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, one in four San
Franciscans lacked reliable access to healthy food . The current public health
crisis has made it even more difficult for many people to afford and safely
purchase nutritious meals. Now more than ever, San Francisco’s most vulnerable
residents need nutritional support from the City and its community partners.
Throughout this crisis, one of our primary goals has been
to ensure San Franciscans can access food while protecting themselves and their
families from exposure to the virus. To meet this goal, we have expanded our existing services and launched brand new programs and partnerships to reach residents with the greatest risk of hunger and with the highest health risks.
The City
partners with dozens of private and community-run organizations who work
tirelessly to provide food to our communities. The City supports their efforts
in a variety of ways, including funding, supplies, transportation, and
staffing. Below
you will find data on some of the key City-supported programs. We will continue
to update this page with more information as it becomes available.
For more information on how to access food resources, visit https://sf.gov/get-food-resources.
Expanding Food Programs during COVID-19
San Francisco is fortunate to have a robust food support
system that quickly responded to COVID-19. Public benefit programs, like
CalFresh and WIC (Women, Infants, & Children), help thousands of low-income
individuals and families access food each year by providing benefits to
purchase groceries and receive nutritious meals. Many other residents are
supported by our diverse network of community partners across the City’s
neighborhoods and communities.
We have worked closely with our partners to make these
programs more responsive to the unique challenges that COVID-19 presents, such
as transitioning to grab-and-go meals and providing multiple days’ worth of
food to minimize touchpoints.
Four essential food programs and their dynamic response
to COVID-19 are highlighted below. Click the buttons at the top of the dashboard
to find out more about each program. Data will updated weekly.
New Food Programs Created for COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has created new food security challenges, and the
City developed new food programs and partnerships to address these needs. Three
of these efforts are highlighted below, including support for food insecure
households during isolation or quarantine, a new innovative program that
provides restaurant meals for older adults at home, and delivery of meals to
people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Click the buttons at the top of
the dashboard to find out more about each program.