Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties is centered in one of America’s wealthiest regions. But as the cost of living soars, nutritious food has become a luxury for the nearly 250,000 people who depend on us for food every month. A recent article in USA Today highlights this disparity.

More than two-thirds of our clients purchase unhealthy food. They know the food is unhealthy, but it’s what they can afford. We’re on a mission to not only end local hunger, but to provide everyone with access to the nutritious food they need to thrive.  Local farmers are some of our strongest allies.

Thanks to generous growers throughout our region, Second Harvest was able to distribute nearly 30 million pounds of fresh produce last fiscal year, more than any other food bank in the nation. Much of this food was donated from family farms, demonstrating the deep connection that farmers have to local community.

Together, farmers and the food bank community can ensure that anyone who needs a meal—especially a healthy meal—can get one.

Kathy Jackson was named a “Woman of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal in 2010 and currently serves on the boards of the California Association of Food Banks and Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief charity. In 2014 she was honored as Network Leader of the Year across the 202 food banks within Feeding America.