In a normal month in a normal year, Feeding San Diego buys two truckloads of food to give away to the most vulnerable in our community.
That's in addition to reclaiming 27 million pounds of food from retailers and restaurants that might otherwise be headed for the landfill.
As you might have noticed, though, 2020 has been anything but normal. Feeding San Diego estimates it will put together more than 31.2 million meals this year -- a huge increase since "the good old days." With hundreds of thousands of San Diegans out of work since March, the need has been greater than ever.
Which is why, this year, Feeding San Diego has been buying enough food to fill 24 trucks every month to help feed hungry San Diegans.
And now, with winter on the way and a long path to travel before the pandemic ebbs and the economy grows, Feeding San Diego is asking locals to feed their souls this holiday season by contributing in whatever way they can.
FSD, which is calling 2020's holiday drive Give Hope, Share Joy, kicked things off Tuesday, with efforts underway to raise money throughout the community to help San Diegans with emergency food distributions, restocking rural mobile pantries and providing meals to the youngest, most-vulnerable residents of the area via partnerships with school districts and other youth programs.
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The pandemic has spiked need by at least 50 percent, officials said.
"The road ahead is long, but with the support of the community, we will continue to work tirelessly until we can fulfill our vision of a hunger-free and healthy San Diego," Feeding San Diego CEO Dan Shea said in a news release sent out Tuesday.
Feeding San Diego has organized a variety of ways to make it easy to help this holiday season, including the following:
- Barons Market (Dec. 1-31): All Barons Market locations in San Diego County will be collecting donations at the register in support of Feeding San Diego
- Jersey Mike’s (Nov. 21-22): All 50 Jersey Mike’s locations in San Diego County will be donating 20% of sales to Feeding San Diego
- Ralphs & Food 4 Less (Nov. 23 to Dec. 24): Both grocery store chains will be taking donations at the register
- Subaru Share the Love Event (Nov. 19 to Jan. 4): Subaru of El Cajon will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased when the purchaser selects Feeding San Diego as the designated charity
You can always just go here and donate as well.
