About
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is one of the largest food banks in the nation, serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in California from its base in San Jose. In Silicon Valley — one of the wealthiest regions in the country — the organization reports that 1 in 6 people in the community turns to Second Harvest each month for nutritious food, and that half of those served are kids and seniors. It is a member of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.
Mission
Second Harvest's mission is simple and direct: end hunger in our community. The organization works to ensure that families, seniors, and children have reliable access to the healthy food they need to thrive, through changing economic conditions and policy uncertainty.
What they do
- Food distribution — sourcing and distributing healthy food, with a strong emphasis on fresh produce, across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties through its Curtner Center and Cypress Center facilities in San Jose and the Bing Center in San Carlos.
- CalFresh assistance — helping eligible neighbors apply for CalFresh (California's SNAP food benefits), with a Food Connection team that guides people through the process.
- Meals for Kids — programs providing meals for children.
- Nutrition education — a Nutrition Center and multilingual resources; the organization serves its community in more than a dozen languages.
- Food access hotline — 1-800-984-3663 connects neighbors with free food resources.
History
The Food Bank, Inc. of Santa Clara County was formed in 1974 by Economic and Social Opportunities and incorporated as a nonprofit agency in 1979. In 1988, the San Mateo County Food Bank merged with it to become Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. The organization moved into a 65,000-square-foot San Jose warehouse (now Curtner Center) in 1992, opened the Peninsula's Bing Center in San Carlos in 1996, and doubled its operations in 2012 with the Cypress Center in North San Jose, a dedicated produce distribution facility. In 2019 it changed its name to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.
Scale and impact
During the economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic the organization served an average of about 500,000 people every month; today it reports that 1 in 6 people in its community turns to Second Harvest each month, half of them children and seniors.
Financials
According to Form 990 filings compiled by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, EIN 94-2614101), the organization reported total revenue of $309.8 million, total expenses of $261.3 million, and total assets of $320.8 million for the fiscal year ending June 2025. It publishes its financial statements on its website.
Governance
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by a board of directors and led by a professional staff team, with governance and financial information published publicly.