SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — Across the Bay Area food insecurity continues to be a major issue as COVID-19 has only made matters worse as community based organizations and local governments are stepping in to provide food assistance for its residents. 

Last week, the city of San Jose launched it’s San Jose COVID Food Relief Program that will run through the end of the year. 

Off the Grid, a Bay Area food truck and catering company has partnered with the city and awarded $2,313,360 for grocery delivery and $622,400 for meal deliveries to homes to at-risk populations. 

The company will provide free, high quality locally sourced groceries and prepared meals to the doorstep of families and individuals impacted by COVID-19. 

Eligible participants can receive groceries delivered once a week which would include fresh produce, whole grains and a source of protein. 

“What we experienced is all different sorts of communities are now fragmented,” said Matthew Cohen, Off the Grid CEO. 

“Off the Grid is all about building food communities and usually it’s in-person food communities all over the Bay Area.”

In the last week, Cohen tells KRON4 News the program has had 1,000 people sign up. 

Who qualifies? 

Eligible participants include: 

  • Anyone who has suffered from employment or business interruptions due to COVID-19. 
  • Anyone who is at high-risk for severe illness as defined by the CDC. 
  • Participants must not have existing assistance purchasing or cooking food on a consistent basis.

Off the Grid has also partnered with Veggielution to help deliver groceries to families living in East San Jose’s Mayfair neighborhood.

For those who do not have access to a kitchen or have access to food prep spaces, the program will also be offering prepared meals delivered three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

Frozen meals or shelf-stable meals will also be available on a case-by-case basis. 

In addition, participants can request a primary and secondary cuisine type including American, Latin American, Chinese, Vietnamese and others — meal requests must be made 48 hours in advance and cancellations can be made up until 4 p.m. the previous delivery day. 

“What we really wanted to do was be able to contribute to providing a connection between a restaurant or a farmer and or a family, in a way that wasn’t happening and that helped to sustain those businesses,” said Cohen.

“It was a privilege to be able to work with San Jose in particular to be able to be able to execute this program because it really is something that is benefiting both the food community and those people who are receiving the benefit.” 

Want to sign up? Click here or call 408-351-8238.