40 years
Celebrating
Proudly Serving Our Communities
OUR PASSION
CALL Primrose is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation providing free grocery assistance to low income families and individuals in San Mateo County.
Founded in 1983 as an information and referral hotline for those in need within our community, CALL soon became a drop in location in downtown Burlingame for those seeking emergency assistance.
Our mission is to compassionately address the issues of hunger and food insecurity within our community by providing free, healthy groceries to those in need.
In 2025, CALL Primrose served more than 110,000 bags of groceries to over 78,000 individuals in need.
CALL Serves Individuals, Families, Seniors and those who are In Transition/Unhoused.
Anyone in need of grocery assistance is welcome!
ABOUT US
What began in 1983 as an information and referral service is now a drop-in food pantry, providing grocery assistance to low income families and individuals.
Over the past 40 years, thousands of people in need have come to CALL for assistance.
Funds and food donations are received from private foundations, businesses and service organizations, and through various Peninsula city and county grants.
Additional support comes from schools congregations and individuals within our community.
CALL’s administrative costs are kept very low, to ensure that the financial support we receive will go a long way in helping others.
CALL is able to assist those in need, due to the efforts of our roster of dedicated volunteers, without whom, we could not help so many in our community.
If you would like to volunteer, please let us know.
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
CALL PRIMROSE is a Non-profit 501(c)3 corporation serving those in need regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age or disability. We will not discriminate against staff members, volunteers, board members, officers or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis [“protected class”] including, but not limited to: race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability; citizenship status; uniform servicemember status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.
In California, the following also are a protected class: race; religious creed; color; national origin; ancestry; physical disability; mental disability; medical condition, including genetic characteristics; genetic information; marital status; sex; pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions; perceived pregnancy; actual or perceived gender; gender identity or expression; sexual orientation; service in the military forces of the State of California or of the United States; military and veteran status; lawful conduct occurring during nonworking hours away from organization premises; and age [40 or over]. Included in the definition of each protected category is the perception of membership in a protected category and an individual’s association with an actual or perceived member of a protected category.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“We believe that each and every human being has the ability to make the world a more beautiful place.”
President of the Board
Cherie Wolfe Hammer
Cherie Wolfe Hammer joined the Board in 2019 as Secretary and became President in 2024. Cherie is a CFRE-certified nonprofit development and marketing professional, with an MBA from UC Berkeley Haas Business School. Coming to honor her late mother, a CALL charter founding member, she is passionate about making a difference in our community with compassion and grace. An avid equestrian, Cherie is mom to two twenty-something children and a house full of animals including backyard chickens and a big hound dog.
Secretary of the Board
Madalyn Friedman
Madalyn Friedman joined the Board in 2015. She was Board President from 2021-2023 and is currently serving as Secretary. She started as a volunteer serving clients one-on-one due to her belief that no one can be their best when their basic needs for food and shelter aren’t met. Throughout her tenure Madalyn has headed the Marketing Committee, leveraging her professional career in consumer marketing and strategy. Madalyn, who lives in Burlingame, is also a committed climate activist.
Treasurer of the Board
Linda White
Linda came to the Board in 2023 after volunteering and seeing the compassion and care that is provided for clients. Currently Board Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair, she has extensive background in financial services and is a retired CEO of a local credit union where she worked for 37 years. Linda lives in Daly City with her husband Larry and two adored dogs, Buster and Bruno.
Board Member
Patti Black
Patti Black has served as a CALL Board Member for 16 years. Past positions on the Board include President, Secretary, VP Personnel, and she is currently Chair of the Human Resources and Board Development Committee. Patti has a passion for solving hunger in the world and is involved in many causes to address hunger. She owns and is Managing Partner of Advanced Software Talent, a Bay Area IT contract staffing and project management company. Patti is a member of Burlingame United Methodist Church, one of the original founding partners of CALL Primrose.
Board Member
Fred Gomes
Fred joined the CALL Primrose Board in 2025. He serves on the Board’s Finance Committee. Fred has almost 40 years of senior level management and financial institution experience. He was a Partner with two CPA firms and is a retired CPA. Fred has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Chico State University along with a Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis. During his working career he was activity involved with the American Heart Association and other various non-profit organizations. He lives in Pacifica with his wife and has three grown children along with two grandchildren. Fred loves to play all sports, especially baseball.
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Board Member
Suzanne Juptner
Suzanne Juptner joined the CALL Primrose board in early 2026, driven by a commitment to address the urgent and ongoing challenge of food insecurity. She has served on several local non-profit boards where she gained a deeper insight into the need for accessible food and hunger relief among members of our community. Suzanne has over three decades of senior leadership experience across the FinTech and Telecom industries, holding key marketing, finance and operations roles at several Fortune 500 companies, bringing extensive business management experience to her board roles. An intrepid traveler, Suzanne enjoys immersing herself in new countries, cuisines and cultures.
Board Member
Nancy Miller
Nancy Miller is currently the Chair of the Strategy Committee, having previously served for many years as Treasurer. She began her involvement with CALL in 2008, volunteering both with food distribution and accounting/fiscal services. Nancy is a Managing Director at Bessemer Trust, providing wealth planning and investment advisory services to clients in the Bay Area. Prior to this role, she worked in various finance, banking, and investment capacities. Nancy lives in Burlingame with her husband and two children and is an active member of her community in support of CALL and related efforts.
Board Member
Leslie Marden Ragsdale
Leslie joined the Board in February 2026 and serves on the Board Development/Human Resources and Marketing/Outreach Committees. Leslie has been volunteering in the Burlingame and Hillsborough schools and community since 2001 in a variety of capacities, including PTA, fundraising, soccer registration and community theater. She currently serves on the Hillsborough Town Council, serving the Town and representing Hillsborough on a variety of local boards. Leslie got to know CALL Primrose when her four now-adult children participated in activities and preschool at the United Methodist Church. She strongly supports the mission of feeding neighbors with compassion.
Executive Director
George Wailes
George joined the Board in the fall of 2023. He is a business trial attorney, representing individuals and businesses in trade secrets, corporate, real estate, trust, ERISA, and other business disputes. George is active with the California Lawyers Association, San Mateo County Bar Association, and the Legal Aid Society of California. He serves as a presider for the San Mateo County Mock Trial program. George is a referee for Hillsborough AYSO after having served on its board in various positions. He also has served on numerous other non-profit organization boards.
Board Member
Larry Wright Jr.
Larry joined the Board when the organization was a joint outreach and referral service of the Burlingame Presbyterian and United Methodist churches. At that time, he was appointed to represent the Methodist Church by their leadership because of his interest in CALL's mission and his position on the church finance team. Larry was Board President in 2014 when CALL Primrose became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization independent of the two churches. During his tenure, Larry has served as Treasurer and Vice President.
Executive Director
Terri Boesch
Terri Boesch, the organization’s Executive Director, has served in this role since 2014. Prior to Joining CALL Primrose Terri worked in the financial services industry, both as a Sr. VP with Citigroup and as a Partner with Alan Coster Associates. She also served as an Arbitrator for FINRA, the regulating agency for the Financial Services industry. Terri has volunteered for many community organizations, including the Hillsborough Schools Foundation, PARCA, CASA and the Hillsborough Beautification Foundation, and has chaired numerous committees and events within the community.
OUR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY
CALL Primrose is a 501(c)(3) California public benefit corporation, Tax ID# 47-2131340. We are committed to integrity and transparency in all our business and fiscal operations. View our most recent IRS 990 tax filings below. For more information, contact us.
HOW WE USE YOUR DONATIONS
Your donations help CALL provide more than 90,000 bags of groceries each year to those in our community in need. Monetary donations help support the purchase of fresh produce and dairy as well as other grocery items as needed, and make it possible for us to keep our doors open and to remain a reliable source to those who need us.
HOW TO GET HERE
We'd love to
see you.
No Appointment Necessary.
Mon - Fri: 9:30am - 2:45pm
CALL Primrose
139 Primrose Road
Burlingame, CA
BUS
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Sam Trans
Routes 292, 390, 391
TRAIN
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Caltrain
Burlingame Station
BART
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Millbrae BART Station then bus 397 to El Camino Real at Howard
AUTO
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Northbound - Peninsula Avenue
Southbound - Broadway/Burlingame