Due to the pandemic, many residents were suddenly without jobs or a reliable income. Food insecurity reached new heights. The library already had an established Lunch at the Library program, feeding kids and teens 18 and under, and was able to increase service capacity. Expanding food distribution helped to address the needs of an underserved population and turn the library into a community hub. Staff built upon already existing community connections and promoted library services to those coming for food pickup.

Staff at the San Pablo Library coordinate the delivery of food boxes once a week. They set up tables, cone off spaces in the parking lot, create signs and share the information with the public via community partners, social media and other library channels. A long line of people waits their turn as staff hand out boxes for more than hour. For some of the unhoused patrons, the library is able to keep the food boxes stored in the staff area so they can return each day to collect food without it spoiling.

Staff are making a difference in the community by providing safe, healthy food and directing them to library services. Staff sign up residents for library cards and promote other services like wi-fi hotspots, printing and scanning services, rent or immigration services, English language classes and mobile device charging stations. The City of San Pablo considers the program a huge success and in the 2021-22 fiscal year reinstated 17 additional library hours that were lost during the initial wave of the pandemic.