According to the San Francisco Food Task Force's latest assessment of food security among city residents (released in 2013), roughly 50 percent of District 6 residents suffer from food insecurity — compared to 28 percent citywide.

To give individuals a better understanding of what a good portion of the community faces come mealtime on any given day, St. Anthony Foundation is hosting the Tenderloin Lunch Experience at noon this Thursday, July 30th. Armed with $4 — the typical meal budget of a CalFresh (food stamps) recipient — participants will explore the Tenderloin in search of a proper meal and discuss their experiences over lunch.

With such a small budget, St. Anthony's scavengers are bound to struggle. But — while breaking ground on a site for a full-service grocery store won't happen until next year at the earliest — the neighborhood has benefitted from improvements to its charity dining rooms and corner store options as of late.

The 2013 food security assessment noted that "nonprofit Tenderloin food providers are experiencing increasing demand for services between 5 and 10 percent, while at the same time, the agencies report greater challenges when it comes to obtaining grant funding and individual donations." However, two of the neighborhood's largest nonprofit food providers have successfully expanded their operations since then.

After four years of planning, construction and fundraising to reach its goal of $22.5 million, St. Anthony's unveiled its new, state-of-the-art dining room last October. The organization estimates that it serves 3,000 meals each day, or 40 percent of the free meals served in San Francisco.

Here's a video from St. Anthony's introducing some elements of the kitchen and philosophy:

Earlier this month, the neighborhood's radically inclusive Glide Memorial Church completed a $500,000 remodel of its own aging kitchen infrastructure with the help of P.F. Chang’s founder Paul Fleming, who is working with the food service program for at least one more year to help increase efficiency.

One Tenderloin meal provider is struggling to stay afloat, however. With the loss of a grant that accounted for much of the program's budget, St. Francis Living Room launched an Indiegogo campaign earlier this summer with the goal of raising $50,000 to save the program's daily breakfast program for homeless and low-income seniors. Program Director Greg Moore told us that if the goal isn't met, the nonprofit will be forced to close its doors by summer's end. The campaign, which was extended to the end of July, is nearing its final hours and has raised nearly $29,000 in donations — 57 percent of its goal.

Looking beyond the neighborhood's dining rooms, the Tenderloin Healthy Corner Store Coalition has been working tirelessly to convince the neighborhood's many corner stores to not only sell but emphasize fresh produce offerings. This summer, Daldas Grocery at 200 Eddy St., Amigo's Market at 500 Ellis St. and Mid City Market & Deli at 868 Geary St. joined Radman’s Produce Market at 201 Turk St. as remodeled corner stores that feature fresh, seasonal produce aisles front and center.

Mid City Market & Deli's new produce aisle. (Photo: Tenderloin Healthy Corner Store Coalition / Facebook)

Regardless of these steps toward making nutritious food accessible and affordable to all residents, $4 still doesn't go far. To see firsthand what a $4 lunch in the Tenderloin looks like, register for St. Anthony's Tenderloin Lunch Experience from noon to 1pm this Thursday, July 30th.