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So much of our lives are centered around food. Beyond the ideal 3 meals per day and 2 snacks, food is an experience, best shared with those you love. It’s why I always make it a point for us to have dinner together as a family…and why I’ll often spend more than necessary on a fantastic, foodie experience with friends. In a country with incredible affluence, it’s harder to comprehend the fact that 1 in 7 Americans do not have consistent access to food, compelling them to seek assistance from organizations like Feeding America.
To get an inside look at what hunger looks like in my community, I spoke with the Executive Director of Feeding America San Diego.
What sparked your interest in hunger relief?
I started volunteering in 1987 and quickly became hooked. There was something so satisfying about the simplicity of connecting people with the food they needed. It was amazing to see the relief in our clients’ faces when they received the food and it really clicked for me that our services are really just neighbors helping neighbors in tough times.
What does hunger look like in our local community?
Here in San Diego, the struggle with hunger continues to be a problem. 1 in 6 San Diegans, including 1 in 4 children, don’t know where there next meal is coming from. Feeding America San Diego serves more than 480,000 individuals each year.
What are some common misconceptions about hunger?
When most people think of hunger, they think of the homeless and the unemployed but the face of hunger is changing. We learned from our recent Hunger in America study that the people we serve have jobs, homes, bills and families to support. Our clients face tough choices to make ends meet.
What is a typical day like working at the food bank?
Some days I’m out in the community meeting with partners and others I’m digging into data with our operations department to maximize efficiencies. With only 33 full-time staff members, our staff accomplishes so much in any given day to make it possible for us to distribute 21 million meals each year. We continually strive to understand our clients to best meet their needs, build collaborative relationships in our community and innovate in every area of our organization. Each day we receive, route and distribute food to multiple locations around San Diego County. With the help of over 10,000 volunteers annually, we sort, clean, bag and box food before it goes out to our network of 200 distribution partners and through our direct-to-client programs like School Pantry and Mobile Pantry.
Can you talk briefly about how a food bank works (where the food comes from, the volunteers who help sort the food etc.)
Feeding America San Diego relies on community support from individuals, corporations, local farmers, packers, manufacturers, and grocery stores to fund and supply our hunger-relief initiatives. Through our membership with Feeding America national, we also have access to a steady supply of contributed food. Locally, product is sourced through key partnerships, donors and food drives. These combined sources allow us to turn every dollar donated into six meals. Over 10,000 volunteers annually help sort, clean, bag and box food to prepare it for distribution. The food is then distributed to soup kitchens, pantries, shelters and schools through hunger-relief programs, providing 21 million meals to children, families and seniors each year.
Can you tell me about a client who inspired you?
One instance I’ll never forget is when a father and son picked up food at one of our mobile pantries. Months later, we received a hand-written letter with a donation from the father saying how honored he was to donate to Feeding America San Diego, the organization that helped his family in one of the most difficult stages of their life. This amazing success story inspires me to continue my work and gives me hope that we can end hunger here in San Diego.
What can the public do to be involved with helping to fight hunger?
Right now, one quick and easy way is to vote for Feeding America San Diego in Walmart’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign online. We also have plenty of other ways for people to get involved including volunteering at our distribution center, donating or advocating to raise awareness of hunger. Visit feedingamericasd.org to learn more.
Are you excited about the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign? How could the grant help your food bank?
We’re grateful for this opportunity! The campaign launched during a critical time in our nation when food banks are facing a growing need for donations due to historically high rates of food insecurity. With this grant, we would have the chance to continue to grow our programs, distribute more nutritious food to those in need and offer valuable resources to our amazing partner agencies. We would ask the public for their vote!
Here are just a few at-a-glance facts about hunger right here in Southern California.
- 451,710 people are food insecure in San Diego County, which is approximately 15% of the total population.
- Nearly half (163,780) of those who wonder where their next meal will come from are children
- Despite federal nutrition programs which offer free or reduced-price school lunches, only 64% of those children are eligible for them in San Diego County. These children rely on charity to bridge the hunger gap.
The most weighing thing on my mind, particularly during this time of year as I’m reminded of our nation’s hunger epidemic, is what I can do to make a visible difference.
Here are some tangible ways to help fight hunger in your community:
Donate Funds
The average cost of a meal in San Diego County is just $2.96, so your monetary contribution, however great or small, will still be used to make a difference. You can donate online, set up a regular monthly giving schedule, or give through one of the food banks’s campaigns/promotions.
Donate Food
Feeding American San Diego accepts donations of non-perishable food items in their original packaging Monday-Friday from 9 am to 3 pm. You might also consider organizing a food and fund drive to raise awareness about hunger.
Donate Time
Every year, Feeding American San Diego sees more than 9,000 volunteers pass through their doors. From sorting, cleaning, bagging and boxing food to administrative work, every person who wants to volunteer can use the time they have to make a difference.
Become an Advocate
Organizations like Feeding America rely heavily on partnerships that assist with the financial and distribution facets to ensure meals are being delivered to those in need. You can help ensure programs like these continue by telling Congress to protect nationwide anti-hunger programs via phone or email and telling your Assembly members and State Senators to support policy solutions that increase access to nutritious food for Californians. be sure to subscribe to Feeding America San Diego Advocacy Action Alerts for up-to-date information on issues.
Two weeks ago, the Walmart Foundation launched a nationwide campaign to help alleviate the hunger faced by families and children in our country. In partnership with Feeding America, Fight Hunger. Spark Change. will provide $3.7 million in grants to participating food banks and partner agencies to alleviate hunger and provide food assistance to those in need.
Walmart encourages you to be involved by voting for the food bank you’d like to receive part of their donation. Through October 5th, visit Walmart.com/FightHunger daily to vote and the 50 winning food banks will each receive a $60,000 grant.
Images: Feeding American San Diego/Rockin’ Mama
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