During the 2020 summer, Levi’s® and the Giants teamed up to highlight and honor six nonprofits in our community who took action and made a difference for those most in need. While our world has changed in ways we could have never imagined, there remained one constant and that is the work so many in our communities did and are doing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The six organizations support and are a resource for veterans, homeless, victims of domestic violence, and those that need an extra hand. Each organization received a grant and reusable masks from Levi's. We thank all of these groups, and the individuals volunteering, for their perseverance and selflessness.
Project Open Hand’s mission is to improve health outcomes and quality of life by providing nutritious meals to the sick and vulnerable, caring for and educating our community.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Project Open Hand's grocery centers remain open in San Francisco and Oakland. In addition, Project Open Hand has been able to facilitate the following:
- Client intakes and recertifications are being done telephonically and some in-person client services by request.
- Lapsed clients are being allowed services and recertification dates have been extended until clients can safely return to routine check-ups with their health providers.
- Expanded grocery delivery to more than 100 clients.
- COVID-19 funding to provide meals to patients with COVID-19 or vulnerable population.
- Project Open Hand’s Community Nutrition Program continues to provide meals.
To learn more about Project Open Hand, visit www.openhand.org
California State Senator Scott Wiener volunteered at Project Open Hand in San Francisco to support the organization’s efforts to provide critical nutrition to the community during the COVID-19 health crisis. Senator Wiener spent his time preparing nutritious to-go meals that were given to seniors and adults with disabilities at our Community Nutrition space located in our headquarters on 730 Polk Street. "We have a lot of people who are food insecure and who have health problems. Project Open Hand plays such a critical role in making sure that people who need healthy food have that nutritious food and can stay healthy, particularly, during COVID-19," Senator Wiener said. "The government can't do it alone. We need our non-profit partners to really make sure people get the help they need."
“For over three decades Project Open Hand has provided nutritious meals for people in San Francisco and Alameda county dealing with serious illnesses. This is what we do, it’s who we are. We are doing all we can to keep up our current level of service and prepare for what will certainly be an increased demand for our meals in the weeks and months to come. It’s part of our DNA. There’s something unique to POH that helped in our response. Maybe that’s the north star of how we were founded, but it reinforced in us that this is why we were created. And we’re not going to back away from this.” Paul Hepfer, CEO, Project Open Hand
