New food pantry opening, community leaders and former 49ers champion highlight Bay Area hunger-relief efforts.
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As the Big Game arrives in San Francisco, a national movement is turning the spotlight on Bay Area families facing food insecurity. Now in its 36th year, Souper Bowl of Caring will host several local events this week to help ensure that no one in the community goes without a bowl of soup to eat.
Founded in 1990, Tackle Hunger’s Souper Bowl of Caring event has generated more than $220 million for local food charities nationwide. Through community-led events and its national giving platform, Tackle Hunger connects donors with neighborhood food pantries, soup kitchens, and hunger-relief programs in their neighborhood. In San Francisco, the focus will be on expanding access to healthy food and critical resources for families in some of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods, including awareness around food charities’ need for balanced options such as dairy products that support child nutrition and family health.
On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 10:00AM PT, Tackle Hunger will host a press conference and ribbon-cutting to celebrate the grand opening of the True Hope Evangelical Ministries Food Pantry and its first food distribution at True Hope Evangelical Ministries, 950 Gilman Avenue. Led by Senior Pastor Dr. Arelious Walker, the pantry will primarily serve residents of the Alice Griffith Housing Community in the greater Bayview neighborhood.
The event will feature partners including Tackle Hunger, Toys for Tots, the San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition, and special guest Eric Wright, former San Francisco 49ers player and four-time Super Bowl champion. Additional partners supporting the event include Big Bus Tours, Kaiser Permanente, and LA Foods. That evening, supporters will gather in Oakland for a private fundraising dinner and auction benefiting hunger-relief efforts throughout the Bay Area.
“This week is about more than football, it’s about making sure our neighbors have access to healthy food, basic supplies, and dignity,” said Alison Reese, Executive Director of Tackle Hunger. “The opening of this pantry shows what’s possible when community partners come together to care for neighbors in need.”
Residents and media are encouraged to attend the February 4th press conference or to find and support nearby food charities through the Tackle Hunger Map at map.tacklehunger.org or host a Souper Bowl of Caring campaign to benefit a local charity near them.
About Tackle Hunger | Home of the Souper Bowl of Caring
Tackle Hunger unites communities to fight hunger. Since 1990, Souper Bowl of Caring has used the energy of the Big Game to support local food charities nationwide. Learn more at www.tacklehunger.org. Contact Bianca Thornton, [email protected] for more information.
Contacts
Bianca Thornton, [email protected]
