Are You Hungry?

June 5th is National Hunger Awareness Day. All year long we talk about artisanal food, organic food, local food, gourmet food, restaurants, the farmers market, chefs, cooking, and yet rarely do we mention hunger or food security. If for even one day a year we all paid attention to this issue, we could help a lot of people in our own communities. There are so many ways you can help, here are just a few:

SAN FRANCISCO

Volunteer
Volunteer with the San Francisco Food Bank. This amazing organization distributes more fresh produce than any other food bank in the nation. They use volunteers to sort food weekdays and weekends. Click on "Volunteer" to learn more and to sign up for a shift.

Eat out
Go to Kuleto's on June 5 and order the special Hunger Awareness Day three course prix fixe dinner at Kuleto's restaurant in San Francisco and the proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank. Call 415-397-7720 to make a reservation.

Go shopping
Make a $5 donation to the San Francisco Food Bank at any San Francisco Macy's store on June 5 and receive a 15% off savings pass for the entire day.

Donate
A $10 donation allows the San Francisco Food Bank to provide meals to 40 children. You can also donate non-perishable food items. Click on "Donate" to learn more.

Take a cooking class
Learn how to make a gourmet Italian dinner at Sur la Table with Chef Bob Helstrom of Kuleto's on June 5, Hunger Awareness Day. All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the Food Bank. Call Sur la Table at 415.732.7900 for details and tickets.

Visit Union Square
Join the San Francisco Food Bank from 12:00 - 1:00 on Hunger Awareness Day to learn more about the issue of hunger and how you can run a food drive, volunteer or advocate for an end to hunger in San Francisco.

Wine. Dine. Donate.
Tanya Steel, editor-in-chief of Epicurious.com, and chefs Mark Franz, Jan Birnbaum, and Parke Ulrich invite you to San Francisco's Farallon for a dinner to benefit America's Second Harvest. The evening's special menu will feature dishes personally created by each chef, including diver scallop carpaccio, crispy maple pork belly, and roasted strawberry turnovers. Click on "Wine. Dine. Donate." to buy tickets.

ALAMEDA

Attend a Fundraiser
The second annual Empty Bowls event is on Tuesday, June 5, 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Food Bank, 7900 Edgewater Drive in Oakland. The family-friendly event features Chef Ann Cooper, Renegade Lunch Lady, as the keynote speaker. Guests will be invited to select a hand-painted bowl to take home as a reminder of hunger and the empty bowls in the community. A silent auction will feature ceramic pieces from local artists and gift certificates from local businesses. Delicious soup and bread is being donated by the San Francisco Soup Company and Semifreddi's Bakery. Tickets are $20 for an individual, $40 for a family of two adults and two children ($5 for additional child) and may be purchased by calling 510-635-3663 ext. 328 or click on "Attend a Fundraiser" to purchase tickets online.

Volunteer
There are lots of opportunities to help out in Alameda. You can coordinate a food drive or sort food. Click on "Volunteer" for ways to get inolved.

Donate
Every month thousands of Alameda County residents rely on the Food Bank for nutritious food resources. Your donations help provide low-income families and individuals with emergency food assistance and the most invaluable resource of all, hope. Your donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Click on "Donate" to learn more.