Groceries for Elders Sees Increased Demand During Pandemic

San Francisco, CA. Despite periods of increased demand, and the nonprofit being understaffed, Groceries for Elders continues to serve the community during the pandemic. The team of organizers and volunteers are pictured above packing bags of groceries recently for needy seniors. 

Program Director, Tom Beaver, said that the nonprofit was born out of adversity and that the service provided has been uninterrupted during the health crisis.

“Groceries for Seniors is a 501c3 non-profit that has been operating since1999,” Beaver said. “It was founded by John Meehan who had an impoverished upbringing and at one point was in prison for minor theft infractions during a period when he was drug dependent. He transcended those circumstances and went on to found the Haight Ashbury Soup Kitchen in 1983. In 1999, the program became Groceries for Seniors. Every week, we home deliver over 1000 overflowing, wholesome free bags of groceries to low-income senior apartment dwellers throughout San Francisco, CA.”

Seniors are at high risk for having complications if they contract COVID-19, and for those who rely on this service for groceries, their financial situation and their health can be jeopardized if they shop for their own groceries. 

According to Beaver, the nonprofit had a dramatic drop in volunteers during the early months of the pandemic. For an organization that relies heavily on its volunteer base, this can dramatically affect the community in which they serve. Many buildings have also asked for additional bags at this time, going from 1000 to 1300 bags. 

When asked how others are able to help Groceries for Elders, Beaver said this:

We are a very land organization. We have only four part-time employees and their salaries equal less than 10% of our overhead. In fact, for every $1 donated to us we are able to assemble and deliver 8 huge bags of groceries to our recipients. We are supported by in-kind donations from Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral who provides their auditorium where we do our work as well as donations from three Grocery Stores which adds to the food we are able to deliver. However, we do have overhead costs that we can’t avoid: our one delivery van, the bags we pack the groceries in, van and worker’s comp insurance, etc. and we do need help with those expenditures.

From Groceries for Elders:

Groceries for Elders accepts Tax Deductible donations in the following manner:

1). Checks, money orders, etc. can be sent directly to the nonprofit at the following address:

Groceries for Seniors

c/o Old Saint Mary’s

660 California Street

San Francisco, CA 94108

2). You can donate through the NETWORK FOR GOOD – a national organization that processes donations for non-profits. There are access points on our website: www.groceriesforseniors.org

NOTE: for a good look at what groceries for elders does, please see the FACEBOOK page at:

https://www.facebook.com/GroceriesForSeniors