Celebrating 50 Years
For the past 50 years, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services has been nourishing our community, growing from humble beginnings in the basement of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Oak Park to a 110,000 square foot warehouse in North Sacramento. What started as a grassroots effort to feed a few hundred families has expanded into a large-scale operation, distributing over 40 million pounds of food annually to hundreds of thousands of children, seniors, families and individuals throughout Sacramento County. We're proud to have spent the last five decades supporting our neighbors struggling with hunger and remain committed to leading this work in our community throughout 2026 and beyond.
Upcoming Events
50th Anniversary Open House
Thursday, March 19, 2026
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
SFBFS Distribution Center
1951 Bell Avenue, Sacramento
50th Anniversary Celebration
Thursday, May 14, 2026
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Good Neighbor by Urban Roots
1701 R Street, Sacramento
Timeline
1976
Father Dan Madigan founds Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Oak Park.
1983
The Sunday Lunch program begins, serving meals—and eventually bagged lunches—to hundreds of community members.
1988
The Clothing program opens, providing clothing to men, women and children at no cost.
1989
The Community Learning Center opens in Oak Park, offering tutoring for adults in math, reading and English as a Second Language.
1991
Havens' Transitional Living program opens a small collection of homes in Oak Park for unhoused families with children.
1992
The Mother-Baby program opens its doors, offering formula and diapers to mothers and fathers attending educational parenting workshops.
1993
A group of senior volunteers come together to form the Bridge Builders, a dedicated crew who assists in various programs, including assembly of the monthly newsletter mailing for over 15 years.
1994
On Thanksgiving Day, the inaugural Run to Feed the Hungry draws 796 participants.
1998
Child Services begins offering programs for youth. One component of the program is tutoring elementary-aged students in an after school setting, later becoming the After School Academy. The other component is a co-operative childcare program for 1-5-year-olds, later named Playcare.
2000
Women's Wisdom Project is adopted by SFBFS and offers art classes to women overcoming difficulties. The program, later renamed Women’s Wisdom Art, runs for 12 years before moving to Wellspring Women’s Center.
2000
Ride Against Hunger sets off to raise funds for SFBFS through a competitive bicycling event, operating for four years.
2000
Computer Clubhouse begins offering technology training to teens through a new youth-centered program, thanks to support from the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network.
2005
A year after breaking ground, SFBFS opens the doors to a new educational facility in North Sacramento, the Saca Community Learning Center.
2005
Blake Young becomes the President/CEO of SFBFS.
2006
Father Madigan retires from SFBFS.
2008
SFBFS begins distributing food throughout North Sacramento as a new component of the Food program.
2008
SFBFS partners with KCRA 3 to host the inaugural Turkey Drive, collecting 2,653 turkeys.
2009
Rogers Jewelry Co. begins hosting Race for the Rock (later renamed Race for the Ring) to raise funds for SFBFS. The event runs for five successful years.
2009
The Sunday Lunch program and food distributions from SFBFS triple-wide trailer in North Sacramento close in preparation for an expansion throughout the community.
2010
The Havens’ Transitional Housing program closes after 19 successful years. On the same site where the homes stood, SFBFS breaks ground on a new Education & Technology Center and Demonstration Garden in Oak Park.
2011
The Mother-Baby program is transitions into SFBFS' new Parent Education program, providing education and resources to a larger pool of community members raising children.
2011
SFBFS launches a new Senior program to provide companionship and fresh produce to seniors.
2012
The Youth Education program is formed, combining Playcare, After School Academy and Computer Clubhouse into one program that serves children.
2012
SFBFS opens the new Education & Technology Center, offering Adult Education, Parent Education and Youth Education programs to the community as well as classes in the Demonstration Garden.
2014
SFBFS acquires Senior Gleaners Inc., tripling the number of individuals served each month to 150,000.
2015
Through a partnership with the Diocese of Sacramento, SFBFS begins offering Refugee Resettlement Services and Immigration Legal Services.
2015
Renovations begin on the Arata Brothers Building to grow Clothing operations, expand volunteer prep space, install heating and fire sprinklers, add a new roof and ready the space for future program growth.
2015
The Food program expands dramatically, working with over 220 partner agencies across Sacramento County. The Food program now offers CalFresh Outreach, Nutrition Education, School Support and Healthy Food for All Seniors.
2015
In partnership with Visit Sacramento, SFBFS enters the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the largest 24-hour fresh produce drive. Local farmers, distributors and community members donate 170,923.8 pounds of fresh produce in one day.
2016
With an award from the Sacramento Metro Chamber, Job Smart Clothing is created to assist individuals seeking professional clothing for job interviews and entry into the workforce.
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic causes the largest food insecurity surge in history. SFBFS responds with staff, volunteer and community support, feeding over 300,000 people per month.
2021
SFBFS becomes a state-funded Diaper Bank and establishes a program to distribute free diapers to partner agencies throughout Sacramento County.
2022
As part of the Strategic Plan, SFBFS announces a reallocation of resources, going all in on food.
2023
SFBFS consolidates its two campuses, selling the Education & Technology Center in Oak Park and unifying the organization at the campus in North Sacramento.
2023
In its 30th year, Run to Feed the Hungry surpasses 30,000 registrations for the first time, welcoming a record-breaking 31,285 participants to East Sacramento on Thanksgiving Day.
2024
SFBFS distributes more than 40 million pounds of food in a calendar year for the first time.
2025
SFBFS has a record-breaking year, serving more people than ever before and selling out Run to Feed the Hungry for the first time in the event’s 32-year history.
2026
SFBFS celebrates 50 years of service and impact in Sacramento County.