To aid in the pandemic economic recovery effort and help ease food insecurity and access in Marin County, the San Rafael Leadership Institute (SRLI), a program of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, partnered with ExtraFood.org for a program called Add A Meal, Help Our Community Heal. ExtraFood.org coordinated and delivered prepared meals to communities of need. The program allowed patrons of participating restaurants to add extra meals to their check when purchasing their own meal.
The Goals of “Add A Meal, Help our Community Heal:"
-
Increase awareness of food insecurity in Marin County and the Bay Area
-
Highlight food insecurity programs in Marin, such as ExtraFood.org
-
Provide opportunities for the community to support communities of need
-
Provide additional revenue and support to San Rafael restaurants
The Need is Real: In Marin County, about 19,260 residents — 7.4 percent — were considered food insecure before the pandemic, according to Feeding America's "Map the Meal Gap" interactive study performed in 2018. Job loss and economic crises associated with the pandemic have pushed the rate of food insecurity in Marin to — 12.2 percent — and beyond in 2020/2021.
