St. Anthony’s Kicks Off Christmas Curbside Drive:

 Fresh off the busiest month in 2 years, St. Anthony’s predicts a greater need in 2014

Where:  St. Anthony’s Dining Room.  150 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA

When:  Saturday, 12/21 – Tuesday, 12/24. 9am – 3pm weekends/8am – 5pm weekdays

What:  Drive for ham, socks, hygiene items, cold weather outwear, and monetary donations

December 20th, 2013.  San Francisco, CA:  St. Anthony’s kicks off its Christmas Curbside Drive on Saturday, 12/21 – the shortest day of the year – with the goal of collecting 500 hams and 2,500 pairs of socks before Christmas.  With T minus 5 days to do this, organizers have faith that people will drive to the occasion and drop off much needed donations.  Volunteers clad in red jackets will be at the ready to greet drivers outside of St. Anthony’s Dining Room.

In November, St. Anthony’s Dining Room recorded the highest number of meals served since February 2012.  Recent cuts to California’s food stamp program have delivered another blow to people who are struggling to meet their basic needs.  Executive Director Barry Stenger used this alarming rise in the number of meals as a call to action for people around the Bay Area.  “Now, more than ever, is the time for us to support families and individuals in need.  As the stock market breaks record highs, people are still falling through the safety net in record numbers.  Those struggling to make ends meet are the first ones to feel the impact of an economic recession and the last ones to benefit from an economic boom.”  With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, Stenger believes that San Franciscans will continue to help St. Anthony’s meet this need, in the same way they have for the past six decades.

For more than 60 years, St. Anthony’s has offered a gateway out of poverty through a network of life-sustaining services. By addressing immediate needs such as hunger and clothing, as well as long term needs such as employment, drug and alcohol recovery, and physical and mental health, St. Anthony's supports low-income people as they pursue training, work, sobriety, and purpose. St. Anthony’s does not rely on federal, state, or local government support. We are funded by private donations.  For more information, visit www.stanthonysf.org or like St. Anthony Foundation on Facebook.

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Karl Robillard

St. Anthony Foundation

150 Golden Gate Avenue

San Francisco, CA  94110

415-722-4512