Community Corner

Hunger Doesn't Take a Summer Break

The local nonprofit 'CALL Primrose,' which provides food to the underprivileged of San Mateo, is experiencing a 'summer slump' in donations.

 

When the school year comes to a close, local food pantries such as CALL Primrose (Christian Action Life Line) - which serves Foster City and San Mateo as well as other cities along the Peninsula - tend to experience a real “summer slump” in donations.

This summer is proving to be no exception to the rule. 

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Unfortunately, summer tends to coincides with increased requests for food from low-income parents who rely on free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunch programs during the school year to help ensure their children receive enough nutritious food to thrive.

For each affected child, that is five to ten meals a week, heavily impacting these families and their already tight budgets.

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To meet this need, CALL Primrose has started a new program called Summer Helpings. Roughly 30,000 bags of additional food are distributed to pre-qualified families during the summer months through this program, until school starts again in the fall.

“It is vitally important that our summer donations come in strong in order for us to meet these increased summer needs,” said Mary Watt, executive director at CALL Primrose.

How can you help?

Below is list of vitally-needed, perishable and nonperishable items that the center welcomes through donations. 

If you tend to do your grocery shopping at a Luckys supermarket, you can also sign up to receive a Luckys S.H.A.R.E.S. card. Swipe the card every time you shop at a Luckys, and 3 percent will be donated back to CALL Primrose. To receive your card, call Mary Watt at 650-342-2255.

Have a garden? Why not plant a few extra tomatoes or other plant and donate the extras you don't need to CALL Primrose?

 

CANNED FOODS

• Stews, chili, hearty soups – low sodium
• Canned vegetables - low sodium
• Canned fruit - low sugar
• Tuna and meats – canned or pouched
• Peanut butter - old fashioned
• Jelly – low sugar
• Tomato sauce - low sodium
• Pasta sauce – low sodium
• Individual pudding cups 
• Individual fruit cups
• Ensure or Boost


PERISHABLES

• Hearty produce (potatoes, carrots, apples, oranges)

DRY FOODS

• Macaroni & Cheese
• Instant potatoes, gravy packs
• Jello and pudding mix
• Dry spaghetti or noodles – whole grain
• Cold cereal – low sugar, whole grain
• Hot cereal – whole grain, no sugar
• Crackers – low sodium, whole grain
• Whole grain rice or couscous
• Energy bars, granola bars
• Fruit roll-ups
• Crackers and cheese or peanut butter snack packs

• Deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo,
large and individual sizes
• Sandwich, quart, and gallon Ziplock bags
• Diapers (size 2-5)
• Paper towels, toilet tissue, napkins

TOILETRIES

• Deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo,
large and individual sizes
• Sandwich, quart, and gallon Ziplock bags
• Diapers (sizes 2-5)
• Paper towels, toilet tissue, napkins

 

CALL Primrose is located at 139 Primrose Road in Burlingame. For more information, call 650-342-CALL or visit www.callprimrose.org.

 


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