Our Founder

Meet John Meehan

John Meehan, the son of an Irish immigrant, grew up in one of the poorest districts of New Jersey. As a child, John can remember eating ketchup sandwiches because the cupboards were so bare at home. John took the wrong turn in life and started going to jail and became addicted to heroin.

In 1976, John had a spiritual experience while he was in a California prison and took a vow to quit heroin and help people in need. When release, John enrolled as a student at San Fransisco State University. After three years of studying poetry, John caught bronchitis, missed his classes, lost his financial aid and became homeless.

While homeless, John enlisted the help of Carl Munger, the principal of Urban High School, to start a soup kitchen called "the Haight Ashbury Food Program". Two years later, the pair founded a shelter for homeless families called "Hamilton Family Center".

After 15 years serving as the Executive Director of the Haight Ashbury Food Program, John resigned and began planning to open a free pantry program for hungry seniors. In January 1999, Brother Jack Graham, from the University of San Fransisco, and John partnered to start the Seniors' Emergency Grocery Bag Program. Today, the program provides over 800 hungry seniors with a bag of groceries each week.

John has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the prestigious Bank of America Local Hero Award in 2005.