Rafiki Coalition Community Market

Rafiki Coalition has officially opened the doors to Rafiki Community Market. Located within Umoja Health Access Point, this market provides a safe, inviting space, offering free, healthy, and culturally relevant foods to the residents of San Francisco’s 94124 zip code. This is more than a grocery store; it’s a hub for healthy eating and food security, empowering our community members to choose the food that best suits their lifestyles. This market will be more than a distribution site; it will be a model of dignity-centered food access. 

But why now? This initiative is a direct response to the ongoing battle with food security within the Bayview-Hunters Point area. With over 16% of the Bayview-Hunters Point population living below the poverty line, many families in this area worry about how to put food on the table. This makes it even more of a barrier because Bayview is a well-known food desert. A food desert is an area, usually within a city, where it is difficult to secure affordable, quality, fresh food. With food access being blocked from different angles, Bayview has very few options for groceries.

In September 2025, The Lucky Supermarket, Bayview’s only major grocery store, announced its closure, meaning a major loss of resources for the area. Supervisor Shamann Walton said it best: “Bayview families should not have to leave their neighborhoods for groceries, medications, and other basic necessities.”

To add to the growing list of barriers faced in the path to food access, in October, due to the government shutdown, no new funding had been approved for recipients of CalFresh and WIC for the month of November. As of today, it is unknown when CalFresh benefits will resume, but needless to say, the community is feeling the brunt of the lack of funds for groceries.

What does that mean for this community? After November 1st, two things will become the new normal for Bayview residents: 1. The last local grocery store will be permanently closed, and 2. CalFresh benefits will not refresh for the month of November. Trips to the grocery store will be even more hectic due to the lack of funds and having to travel a long distance to the nearest grocery store. This is bringing even more obstacles for food security than before.

However, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Wednesday, October 29th, that approximately 112,000 San Francisco residents who were expected to lose their November CalFresh benefits due to the government shutdown will be covered through an $18 million public-private partnership. The city’s Human Services Agency will mail letters to recipients of CalFresh, with instructions to access pre-paid gift cards to cover full benefits for November. While this city response addresses the immediate loss of CalFresh benefits, Rafiki Coalition provides a direct, long-term solution to food insecurity for the Bayview community.

Rafiki Coalition’s response to this food desert is teaming up with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank to provide the community with food security in the form of a dignified shopping experience. Community members can participate in the right to pick and choose what grocery items work best for them and their family. This free-of-charge market ensures participants browse the shop with reusable bags, like a grocery store; instead, their order is free.

To access the market, residents must register in advance. After signing up, participants will receive a confirmation and access card from the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Once scheduled, they can visit the market at 5000 Third Street on Monday from 1:30-3:30pm; check-in and shop free for the items that meet their cultural and dietary needs. Note: Drop-ins are not currently accepted. Learn more and register here:  

https://rafikicoalition.org/community-food-market/ 

In December 2025, the community market will be temporarily relocated from Umoja HAP (5000 Third Street) to Rafiki Coalition (601 Cesar Chavez Street).  

 

Voices from the Community

As Rafiki Coalition continues to expand the services they provide, Rafiki Community Market stands as a beacon of what’s possible when the needs of the community are met with compassion and a coordinated response. Rafiki Coalition and its partnership with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank are bringing the community one step closer to food security. 

When participants walk into Rafiki Community Market, they can choose from a variety of healthy groceries, including fresh produce, protein, and grains, that are provided by the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. While there, participants also have the opportunity tocheck out the services being provided at the Umoja Health Access Point site. There, participants will be able to connect with an Umoja HAP team member and take advantage of the services provided right in-house.

“With our Umoja Health Access Point and community health services together with the Rafiki Community Market, we see this as a key opportunity to promote ‘Whole Person Health’,” said Rafiki Coalition’s Executive Director Shanell Williams. “Because to really be healthy, is not just one domain, it’s making sure that folks have all those different pieces, including access to whole healthy food.” That philosophy is what dreamed up UmojaHealth Access Point. Seeing that Bayview was in dire need of accessible resources, Umoja HAP was created to bring holistic, accessible care directly to the community. “Community Markets are rooted in long standing community solutions and designed to meet the needs of participants with dignity and provide both access to healthy food and vital supportive services to improve their wellbeing, social mobility and ability to thrive,” said SFMFB representative. “We are proud to partner with Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness and celebrate the opening of the Rafiki Community Market in the Umoja Health Access Point.” 

Food insecurity is, unfortunately, a common issue faced by Americans today, but as we go further into it, systemic racism plays a huge part. The folks of Bayview know this song all too well: the choice between food or other necessities. But with this new market, that choice will go right out the window. Rafiki Community Market is a new type of shopping for many food banks. Wanting to remove the stigma surrounding receiving free groceries, this pantry model mirrors a grocery store to put dignity back into choosing. The most important thing is the right to choose what works best for their families and leave what doesn’t. 

 

Beyond the Market: Umoja Health Access Point

The Rafiki Community Market is located within the building of their new program: Umoja Health Access Point. Umoja HAP is the first one-stop wellness hub that was created with Black San Franciscans in mind. The goal behind Umoja HAP is to provide access to services provided by local organizations. These services go beyond food access: 

• Mental Health Services  
  • Individual and Group counseling to support emotional wellbeing   
  • Provided by Glide   
  • Tuesday and Thursdays 1-5pm  
• Job Development Services   
  • In person resume assistance and interview prep   
  • Provided by PRC   
  • Tuesdays 1-3pm  
• Youth Services   
  • Support Groups and Youth Tailored events aged 12-24  
  • Provided by 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic   
  • Wednesday 1-5pm   
• FREE STI/HIV/HCV Testing   
  • Provided by UCSF: Alliance Health Project   
  • Friday’s 10:30-1:30   

Umoja HAP is a place poised to address the health disparities affecting the Black community by providing them with accessible answers to their problems. It is a testament to Rafiki’s commitment to addressing the systemic inequities plaguing Black San Franciscans.