Sacramento is nicknamed the "City of Trees" for a reason. Even in its most urban core, the city is filled with fruit trees. So what happens when those trees produce more fruit than the owners can harvest, let alone eat? One option is to let Harvest Sacramento take care of it. This year alone, the group has collected more than 13,000 pounds of fruit from the Sacramento area, all of which goes to the Sacramento Food Bank. Harvest Sacramento organized a Midtown Fruit Harvest on Saturday in which 25 community volunteers helped pick more than 1,300 pounds of citrus for the food bank. In just three hours, the group collected grapefruit, oranges, lemons and kumquats from nine houses in the grid

Students help harvest fruit from neighbors to supply area food banks Gleaning effort facing possible shut down   By Maria L. Lopez & Randy Stannard Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. More than 50 students from Theodore Judah Elementary School and community volunteers will walk from their McKinley Park area campus to harvest fruit from their neighbors’ yards for local food banks on Saturday, Feb.20. Volunteers will receive an orientation at 9 a.m. and expect to begin walking to residences by 9:30. Judah is located at 3919 McKinley Blvd. Last weekend, volunteers walked to neighbors’ homes to ask for permission to gather the fruit. Randy Stannard of Harvest Sacramento, and a coordinato

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) is proud to host the Women’s Wisdom Teachers’ Art Show throughout the month of February. Teachers and volunteers who lead classes for the Women’s Wisdom Art program at SFBFS will have the opportunity to exhibit their art, a gift that inspires clients in the program year round. Designed as a uniquely feminine environment that supports the artistic and personal growth of women in all stages of life, Women's Wisdom Art believes that artistic exploration naturally brings greater self-knowledge. Classes are free to clients and include drawing, textiles, clay, mixed media, poetry, gourd crafting, creative writing and painting with acrylics and wate

The Wall Street Journal featured a story recently that held some tremendous promise for Sacramento Area small businesses.  The article titled “Three Best Ways to Win Community Support” outlines the some opportunities that small businesses can create or take advantage of.  I think these are particularly ripe for those businesses around the Sacramento community.   First off, a recent trend in small business marketing has been to develop community around your products and services.  Community is where loyalty comes from.  It is why we have newsletters, a social networking presence, and why we all wish there was a bar where everybody knew our name.  These tips will help you further to engage

Built Environment/Green Space Presentation November 10, 2009 5:30pm-7:30pm Sacramento Food Bank 3333 3rd Avenue, Sacramento, CA AGENDA Moderator: Charles L. Mason, Jr., Ubuntu Green Confirmed Panelists: Anya Lawler, Consultant, California State Assembly Committee on Housing Graham Brownstein, ECOS Davida Douglas, Alchemist CDC Brandon Kitagawa, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention, Statewide Coordinator of Community Action to Fight Asthma (CAFA) Constance Slider, Coalition on Regional Equity Invited Panelists: Paul Zykofsky, Director of Land Use and Transportation, Local Government Commission Randy Rosalex, Green Sacramento Builders Darnell Robinson, Clearinghouse CDFI

Lace up your shoes Sacramento, the 16th annual Run to Feed the Hungry is almost here! Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services encourages you to be part of a Thanksgiving tradition. The 5K and 10K fun run and walk launches from Sac State on November 26. This is currently the largest Thanksgiving Day run in the country and this year will be no exception. With 30,000 participants expected to be involved, you are guaranteed a morning of fun with family and friends. For returning walkers and runners, here are a few changes this year that deserve special attention: * New Start Time: To accommodate more runners, the 10K will begin at 8:45am and the 5K will begin at 9:05am. * New Course Route: W

Members of the Regional Food System Collaborative (RFC) turned their attention again Thursday morning to improving the region's food system. The gathering, hosted by Valley Vision, couldn't have been held at a more fitting location. While colleagues gathered inside the Sacramento Food Bank, the hungry lined up outside to receive bags of free food. Attendees came from local organizations that have a stake in our food system and share common goals: improving our eating habits and the way the local food system functions. The discussion was facilitated by Valley Vision's Bill Mueller and the group of more than 50 broke into three subgroups to put their plans for change into action. The coll

In a celebration of Urban Agriculture Day, Slow Food Sacramento hosted a series of workshops and tours throughout the day Saturday to benefit Sacramento Hunger Coalition and Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition (SACGC). For $25, ticket holders were able to choose from an itinerary of workshops, tours and movie screenings after either touring Soil Born Farm or cycling around town on the "What's 'Growing' On" Bike Tour. The morning cycling tour led roughly 25 cyclists on a 10-mile guided trek around local community gardens, starting at Southside Community Garden and making stops at McClatchy Park Farm Stand, David Lubin School Garden and the Sacramento Food Bank's garden along with

One of the keys to serving local communities effectively is supporting existing institutions that already provide valuable services. The Sacramento Food Bank is one such institution. This past Saturday, Game Plan Academy (GPA) students assembled alongside GPA mentors, Jesuit High School alumni, teachers, students, parents, and staff as part of a GoDoGood project.  The mission of GoDoGood is to capture people's energy to 'do good' and put these passions into action in local communities. The Sacramento Food Bank provides an excellent outlet for Sacramentans who want to 'do good' for those in need in a well-organized, structured, and warm, supportive environment. GoDoGood brought a talented,

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 ext