At a time when banks are relying on government help to remain in business, one local bank continues to rely on the same privately funded, “grassroots” business plan it has had for over 30 years.

 The Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services (SFBFS) is a privately-funded, non-profit organization that serves the working poor of Sacramento County, and is perhaps best known for its "Run To Feed The Hungry" — a 5K and 10K event that takes place on Thanksgiving Day each year. Its mission statement is simple: "Dedicated to assisting those in need by alleviating their immediate pains and problems, and moving them toward self-sufficiency and financial independence." Established in 1976, it has extended its services without interruption through good economic times and bad, and it continues to expand with new programs aimed to educate individuals in a variety of areas.

The SFBFS’s primary focus is helping the working poor, people in the midst of tough times who may have difficult financial decisions to make. Its clientele includes single parents, disabled individuals, veterans, families, people in low-wage jobs who do not have a high school diploma, the elderly and children. Over half of its services benefit children under 12 years of age.

Blake Young, President of the Food Bank said, "Serving the poor and trying to educate the community is an important endeavor."

Young oversees the coordination and operation of 13 different services and programs offered to the community by his organization. Besides the obvious distribution of food, the non-profit also provides clothing, the Computer Clubhouse—which is an after school program for kids ages 8-18—adult education workshops, and a mother-baby program among others.

Young spoke with pride about the organization, sharing certain figures of the work it does. In 2008, the SFBFS served five million pounds of food to 18,000 people and gave away 500,000 articles of clothing. The SFBFS’s programs serve roughly 1,000 people daily. Between 450 and 550 people receive food from the SFBFS daily. Young also shared that 500 women participate in the mother-baby program every month and 150 women participate in the women's art program every week.

An operation of this size requires an extensive workforce to function. This need is met by a staff of 30 along with about 3,000 individuals who volunteer their time on a monthly basis.

During business hours, 100 volunteers are always on site at the Food Bank's headquarters on 3rd Ave in Oak Park, making the facility an ant hill of activity.

Immense funds are also needed to keep the SFBFS running. The SFBFS is 100 percent privately funded, receiving no funds from government sources. Of this, 62 percent of all funds received come from individuals, a number well above the 50 percent mark that indicates a healthy charitable organization, said Young. He cited this community support as the key to the SFBFS's success, "Our business is building long-term relationships with grandparents, parents, children, organizations."

The organizations he spoke of include KCRA, the Sacramento Bee, Clear Channel, UPS, REI, Intel—whose employees donated 10,000 volunteer hours in 2008—the UC and CSU university systems and local churches of all denominations.

"We couldn't do this without the churches," Young said. The "brown bag" lunch program relies on churches that donate their parking lots on Sunday afternoons and help hand out food to all comers.

Young talked about the current state of the organization, saying that "there has been a 25 percent increase in people served from this time a year ago, most of whom are using our services for the first time."

Despite this increase in demand, he said that the SFBFS is still able to meet the need in its entirety. Donations remain steady, and although he does anticipate a slight drop as the economy worsens, he is confident the SFBFS will continue to meet the city's need. There are no plans to seek grants or government funding of any kind.

A couple who had just received a cart full of groceries said, "They're doing great things for the community. If it weren't for the food bank there'd be a lot of starving people in Sacramento. I hope they never close, people would be in trouble if it closed."

In his newsletter, Young extends an open invitation for anyone in need to seek SFBFS's services, writing, "If you or your friends know of a family who has fallen on hard times, please refer them to our organization. Seeking assistance can be an embarrassing situation. We will make sure to serve their needs in a very dignified manner.”

If you're interested in donating or volunteering, you can receive information through the website at sfbs.org.