Project Open Hand facts for kids
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Project Open Hand is a special non-profit organization in California. It helps elderly people and those who are homebound by providing them with healthy, custom-made meals and groceries. They serve people in San Francisco and Alameda County. The group started in 1985 to deliver food to people with AIDS. Over time, they also took over food banks. In recent years, they have expanded their help to include people with other serious health problems. They also serve lunches to seniors. Their main office is at 730 Polk Street in San Francisco. Paul Hepfer is their current CEO.
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The Story of Project Open Hand
Project Open Hand was started in 1985 by a woman named Ruth Brinker. She had worked with food services before, including Meals on Wheels. Ruth saw that there weren't many services for people with HIV or AIDS. She knew these people especially needed good, healthy food. At that time, there was no cure for AIDS.
How It All Began
The project began by serving meals to just seven people with AIDS. It was funded by a $2,000 grant from the San Francisco Zen Center and the Golden Gate Business Association. Ruth first cooked the meals in her own kitchen. Later, they moved to Trinity Episcopal Church. In 1987, a grant from the Chevron Corporation helped them get a professional kitchen. Project Open Hand also took over a food bank around this time.
Growing and Helping More People
By 1991, Project Open Hand also took over the AIDS Food Bank from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. They were serving 500 meals a day by 1988. On October 17, 1989, they opened a branch in Oakland. This was the same day as the Loma Prieta earthquake. In 1996, they opened a second professional kitchen in Oakland. A year later, in 1997, they moved their main office to 730 Polk Street. They bought this building to be their headquarters.
Expanding Services to More People
Tom Nolan was the executive director from 1994 to 2011. He started to expand the organization's mission. They began helping senior citizens and people with serious illnesses other than AIDS. This included long-term conditions like diabetes. Kevin Winge took over after Tom Nolan. He expanded food pickup services even more. Now, people with conditions like breast cancer, diabetes, and heart disease could also get help. Mark Ryle became the director in 2016, and Paul Hepfer took over in March 2019.
Food as Medicine
From 2014 to 2016, Project Open Hand worked with the University of California, San Francisco. They studied how healthy food helps sick people. Since June 2017, the project has been a big part of "Food is Medicine." This is a three-year state-funded project. It provides special meals to people with long-term illnesses who get help through Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal is California's health program for low-income people.
Community Support and Volunteers
Many people help Project Open Hand through volunteering. In 2003, about 125 volunteers helped every day. The organization gets its money from donations. These include gifts from groups like the Isabel Allende Foundation. They also receive money from the government and the city.
In June 1996, they delivered 1,600 dinners daily. They also gave out 1,500 bags of groceries each week. Their food bank also provided up to 300 bags of groceries to people who walked in. By July 2003, they were serving almost 2,000 clients every day. In 2004, they had helped a total of 30,000 people.
In August 2011, they were getting $5.6 million a year from donations and government funds. They were serving almost 2,600 meals a day. This included seniors and people with cancer and other serious illnesses, along with those with AIDS. They also continued to provide groceries. By April 2015, their budget was $10 million. They served about 8,000 clients, including 4,400 in their senior lunch program. In February 2019, they provided 2,500 meals and 200 bags of groceries daily. Before 2020, they also hosted holiday gatherings at the end of the year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic stopped these events.
Managing Funds Wisely
When Project Open Hand started, many charities focused mostly on helping people. They sometimes paid less attention to keeping detailed financial records. After some questions were raised, the organization created a board of directors. They also made sure their director's pay was fair. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, their finances were reviewed. No problems were found, showing they managed their money well.
