It's the beginning of the annual Cathedral School for Boys Lenten food drive to benefit the
San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Barrels were delivered to school on Monday.
Families are encouraged to place non-perishable food items in the bins located at Jones Street, Sacramento Street, and in the Upper School hallway. Monetary donations are also very useful to the Food Bank, as they are able to purchase $5 worth of food for every $1 donated. There is a specific web page for the Cathedral drive:
https://us-p2p.netdonor.net/1803/general/73086/csb-hawks.
And don't forget to sign up to volunteer with the School at the SF-Marin Food Bank warehouse. Two dates are currently available: March 14 (ages 8+) & 15 (ages 4+). Sign-up
HERE.
The Food Bank receives a significant amount of bulk donated food (produce) and is able to purchase other types in bulk at a significant discount. Food drives such as ours provide a small percentage of the total food they receive, but are important for variety and high value items which they cannot purchase in quantity discount. Items of most value include high quality protein such as canned fish and meat.
From green and health perspectives, an excellent choice is canned fish such as pink salmon. Pink salmon is "heart healthy", with high levels of calcium and omega-3 fish oil (the type with bones and skin is more nutritious, as well as less expensive). Pink salmon have a shorter life span and thus lower potential contaminant accumulation vs. longer lived salmon species such as King, Sockeye (Red), and tuna (which accumulate naturally occurring ocean mercury); pink is also a well-regulated U.S. fishery. Tuna fisheries are of greater concern due to by-catch as well as impact on the wide-ranging populations. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and
Target all have good prices on large cans of pink salmon with bones and skin - 14.75 oz cans run about $2.75-$3.50.