We obtain our food from Alameda County Community Food Bank, which acts as a clearinghouse to the charities and community groups who feed the hungry. We also actively source and receive food donations daily from local wholesalers and retailers, including: Safeway, FoodMaxx, Luckys, Target and a host of smaller businesses.

Last year, through our grocery cart program, we provided 3.6 million pounds of food, enough to make one and a half million meals, to over 5,000 distressed local families, the homeless and single seniors.

The food we distributed had a value of $6 million dollars and the clients we support told us that they channeled the food savings of approximately $1,200 per family we made available to them into paying rent (49%), utilities (31%), education (15%) and medical expenses (8%).

Tri-City Volunteers is a non-denominational, nonprofit organization which acts as a client direct pantry for people who are hungry and who subsist on low and very low incomes. Two-thirds of our population is made up of migrant families, mostly from China, the Philippines, Mexico and Afghanistan.

We were established in 1970 and have been in our present location since 1985. We operate with a staff of 10 employees and over 1,000 volunteers. Our annual budget is just over $600,000 and, proudly, two-thirds of our income is supplied through the private donations of folks just like you. We take great pride in being a strong, relevant, diverse community organization.

Tri-City Volunteers is an innovative conduit between the food industry's food surplus and the welfare sector's need.

Tri-City Volunteers receives government-distributed food and rescues edible but surplus food, including fresh fruit and vegetables from the country's farmers, manufacturers and retailers.

This includes groceries with incorrect labeling/specification, damaged packaging and close to date code as well as excess stock and cancelled lines. Without us, much of this food would simply go to landfill.

We collect food five days a week, Monday through Friday, picking up donations in one of our two distinctive red vehicles. Many smaller food vendors and donors, however, like to drop-off direct to our Fremont facility. We love getting to know our donors and our donors appreciate being able to see the good we do for themselves. You are always welcome to visit and take a tour.

Unfortunately, supply doesn't always meet demand. In particular, there is a gap between the amount of foods rescued and what we need to provide nutritious meals. Your financial contributions, from both public and corporate sectors, provide essential funds to cover the elements that cannot be obtained through donations.

Our vision is to create a community without hunger. We do this by collecting surplus and donated food from producers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers and distributing it to low-income families in need. Last year, we distributed the equivalent of 1.5 million meals. Unlike many other food banks, our goal is to cut that number in half by 2020 by strengthening job skills and improving workability through our volunteer program. It is our mission to eliminate food insecurity in the Tri-Cities of Fremont, Newark and Union City. We do this by providing pathways to financial self-sufficiency through our food distribution programs and by encouraging volunteerism in order to improve the quality of life for all in our community especially children, low income families and seniors. We aim to become California's leading food pantry. We desire to promote our operations and distribution model county-wide, if not country-wide, by providing the highest quality, freshest produce, from donor to client in under 48-hours and with 98% client satisfaction.

Thousands of Tri-City adults cannot provide sufficient income and food for their families, but with your help we will provide the food and opportunities these families need, reduce homelessness and build employment solutions.

When you make a donation to Tri-City Volunteers or volunteer your time, your generosity has the power to transform the life of someone who is hungry and experiencing crisis. Volunteer hours are crucial to our work and we are especially proud to assist school students, as well as those sentenced to community service through the traffic court alternative sentencing program in completing their hours for community good. For more information, please visit our Volunteer and/or Donate pages.