Leah’s Pantry operates from two organizational headquarters, one of which is located in San Francisco, where we were originally founded. San Francisco holds special significance for our organization as it is where we established our initial organizational values and community-driven initiatives. Since San Francisco remains a primary location for many of our staff members, we are actively involved in community initiatives. For instance, Lura Jones, our Community Programs Manager, serves as an appointed member of the San Francisco Food Security Task Force, and we are active members of Shape Up SF.
Nutrition Education for Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities
Through our contract with San Francisco’s Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS), we are able to offer nutrition education workshops for older adults and adults with disabilities who are residents of San Francisco. Using our Food Smarts and Food Smarts Waste Reduction curriculum we offer weekly workshops at congregate meal sites and housing sites in all districts of San Francisco.
Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Change Initiatives: CalFresh Healthy Living
As a CalFresh Healthy Living sub-contractor for Self-Help for the Elderly, we implement both direct education and PSE change initiatives for older adults and adults with disabilities.
Our Wiser Dining program works to improve the congregate meal experience for clients while increasing nutrition standards and fostering increased opportunities for physical activity.
Our community engagement work in the Bayview and Treasure Island neighborhoods is centered around gathering direct input from community members on food security and physical activity opportunities. We aim to amplify their voices and address concerns within city-wide coalitions and collaboratives.
We also offer a direct education class called “Everybody Loves Line Dancing” at qualifying sites. This six-week series includes different nutrition education topics and line dancing routines tailored to participants’ abilities.
Nutrition and Community Engagement: Food As Medicine Collaborative
Through our partnership with the San Francisco Food As Medicine Collaborative, we conduct cooking demonstrations with supportive nutrition education each month at five health clinics during their Food Pharmacy distributions. These workshops involve the preparation of seasonal dishes using ingredients from the patients’ food prescription boxes. Additionally, we facilitate activities from the Food Smarts curriculum to encourage meaningful conversations among participants about health and well-being.
Programs
