Social venture - Essay Example

Through the efforts of volunteers, the food collected are “sort, repack and shelve almost 400 tons of food at our warehouse every week, doing the work of what would be about 50 full-time employees” San Francisco Food Bank (2011). This makes the organisation boast of close to two million pounds of food in their warehouse. These pounds of food are given back to society by delivering them to over four hundred local non-profit making organisations who for various reasons may be in need of the food.

Social Problems and Challenges addressed by San Francisco Food Bank As its name suggest, the social problem addressed by San Francisco Food Bank is hunger reduction and provision of food to feed the masses. This social problem addressed by the organisation cannot be described with any other words better than saying it is a course in the right direction. The decision to tackle food related problem is particularly important noting the fact that scholars shuch as Abraham Maslow recognises food as the number one need of humanity.

This way, it is true to conclude that San Francisco Food Bank tackles the most important social problem of humanity. The basis on which the organisation operates in this venture of social problem is seen in its mission statement, which is stated as “We provide food to over 24,000 households in San Francisco and Marin counties each week. We will distribute 41.5 million pounds of food to the community this year, enough to feed 88,000 meals every day” (Charity Navigator, 2011). Clearly, the figure of 88,000 meals everyday is awesome and needful.

Inversely, the city of San Francisco would have 88,000 meals missed every day and some 24,000 households would have suffered empty stomach but for San Francisco Food Bank. Strategies used in addressing social problems The major strategy used by San Francisco Food Bank in the jurisdiction of its social mission is volunteerism and fundraising. According to the organisation, they “rely on volunteers like you to help sort, package and distribute healthy food to people in need in San Francisco” (San Francisco Food Bank (2011).

Volunteerism is also seen in the acquisition of the food in the organisation’s ‘food bank’. This way, the company acknowledges the fact that “this can include test-marketed products, items close to code date, produce that is the wrong shape or size for conventional markets and excess. Food drives are an important source of variety.” Day in an out, the organisation through mass media advertisement and publicity programs solicit for the inclusion of the ordinary San Franciscan in its volunteer activities.

The organisation also organises fundraising events that aims at soliciting for physical cash for the running of the organisation. Scrutiny of San Francisco Food Bank’s Strategies in addressing Social Problems – including Projected Social Impact The major strength of San Francisco Food Bank’s strategy for addressing its social interventions is that the work output of the company is extremely large to be undertaken by regularly and fully employed workers, especially as the organisation is only a non-profit making venture.

Volunteerism is chosen by the organisation purposely because the work load on the organisation is extremely tedious and vast. Needing to feed over 24,000 households with 41.5 million poun