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Since 2013, the Peninsula Food Runners has been fulfilling its mission to nourish families while reducing the environmental impacts of food waste. For Thanksgiving, the nonprofit has a goal to purchase over 2,000 holiday meals for families and homeless individuals across Santa Clara and San Mateo county.
Founder and Executive Director Maria Yap lived in Malaysia until the age of 14 and grew up watching her mother, who was a social worker, help struggling individuals. She witnessed her mother’s clients struggle with losing their home to natural disasters, experience financial difficulties and food insecurity.
Later in life, Yap met Marie Risley, the founder of San Francisco Food Runners while attending Tante Marie’s Culinary School. She became a volunteer for the nonprofit and was inspired by Risley to expand the San Francisco Food Runners to the Peninsula and South Bay.
In 2024, Peninsula Food Runners delivered over 3.7 million meals to local communities and diverted over 4.45 million pounds from waste, according to Yap. Its recipients include soup kitchens, low-income residences, schools, homeless shelters and more.
The work of the organization is led by hundreds of volunteers, but Yap said they need more help.
“Our volunteers are people who make things happen. We need each other more than ever,” said Yap. “Just one hour of their time to pick up and drop off food can feed up to more than 10 people with nutritiously donated food.”
When the community faced uncertainty about food aid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during the recent government shutdown, Peninsula Food Runner was able to deliver over 338,000 meals to its recipients in October.
But due to the increase in food costs and the reduction of SNAP benefits, Yap explained that its biggest challenges are meeting the increase in demands for food delivery services. Currently, it serves 223 recipients, some of which receive food up to three times a week, she said.
In order to expand their efforts to feed families, Peninsula Food Runners is seeking more volunteers. Yap added that the organization is only staffed by a part-time employee and two full-time employees, including herself.
“With more financial backing we will be able to afford another person to help engage more community volunteers,” Yap said.
Peninsula Food Runners is accepting monetary donations and volunteers. For more information visit peninsulafoodrunners.org.
Peninsula Foodrunners is one of the beneficiaries of The Almanac’s Holiday Fund. Donations are divided equally among this year’s 11 nonprofit organizations and 100% of the funds raised go directly to the recipients. Donations to the Holiday Fund can be made at almanacnews.com/holiday_fund.
