Open Heart Food Bank To Open In Livermore

The following is a press release from Open Heart Kitchen.

LIVERMORE, CA - Open Heart Kitchen (OHK) announces the launch of a new food redistribution effort, named the Open Heart Food Bank. The Open Heart Food Bank (OHFB) is a continuation of the organization’s COVID-19 response efforts that included households weekly through two pop-up grocery distributions in Dublin and Pleasanton. Many of these families first came to OHK during the pandemic emergency grocery distribution at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Serving as a food distribution hub for Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore, the organization has secured a 19,000-square foot warehouse in Livermore to store and redistribute food and fresh produce to community partners throughout the Tri-Valley, and
ultimately into the hands of community members.

In May 2022, Open Heart Kitchen was selected by the Alameda County Community Food Bank as the Redistribution Organization partner for the Tri-Valley region. Executive Director John Bost explains, “We are expanding our capacity to provide more people with access to fresh produce and groceries, in addition to prepared hot meals. Together with the Alameda County Community Food Bank, we estimate that the new Open Heart Food Bank will reach 15,000 individuals in the Tri-Valley region. Not only will we be able to accept more deliveries, we can now distribute food like the Alameda County Food Bank but on a smaller, more efficient, accessible, and localized scale. With this new facility, Open Heart Kitchen can eventually scale to redistributing upwards of 1 million pounds of fresh produce and groceries per year to our local community.”

The organization’s administrative offices and Street Outreach Program currently operate out of the warehouse located on Marathon Drive in Livermore. The Alameda County Community Food Bank has committed $500,000 in funding to launch operations at the Open Heart Food Bank.

OHK board member and Vice President of Operations for the Alameda County Community Food Bank, Erick Lovdahl, said, “It was clear that Open Heart Kitchen was the organization with the capacity to serve as the Redistribution Organization partner for the Tri-Valley. The growth of Open Heart Kitchen in the last few years proves that there is a need for a localized food system. Streamlining the delivery routes to the Tri-Valley and then distributing that food to local food pantries will significantly increase efficiency in our member network.”

Many non-profits in the food insecurity space are grappling with increased demand for services and the reality of the end of emergency COVID funding - including less funds to CalFresh recipients. An impending “hunger cliff” will push people even closer to rationing their food budget to create room for other expenses like childcare,
transportation, and life-saving prescription medication.

During the upcoming 2023-2024 fiscal year, Open Heart Kitchen anticipates serving 100,000 Senior Meal Program meals to 1,600 low-income Tri-Valley seniors, many of whom rely on CalFresh and whose budgets are already stretched thin to make ends meet on a fixed income. Demand for hot meals through Open Heart Kitchen’s Hot Meals Program is up 6% over the previous 2022 fiscal year.

“The Open Heart Food Bank will provide a means to meet the region’s needs more comprehensively and will be operational at a critical time when we can pull people back from the hunger cliff,” Bost continues. “The cost of building out the Open Heart Food Bank is $3 million, so we will require the support of Open Heart Kitchen’s donors and community partners to invest in the organization’s growth and the launch of the Open Heart Food Bank.”

For more information about Open Heart Kitchen’s mission and how you can help, visit openheartkitchen.org.

This press release was produced by Open Heart Kitchen. The views expressed here are the author’s own.