The San Diego Food Bank is helping to feed hundreds of thousands of San Diegans right now and organizers are preparing for that kind of demand to last for quite some time.
The San Diego Food Bank still needs volunteers, as well.
Before COVID-19, they had almost 30,000 volunteer visits each year, but had to cut shifts to about half for social distancing. However, they still need volunteers because the demand is so high.
The stay-at-home order was issued in the middle of March, and 67% more food was distributed than normal in just the month of March alone.
Before the pandemic, San Diego Food Bank fed about 350,000 people a month. This month, however, the organization fed about 200,000 more people than they normally do.
They're planning for long-term effects from this COVID-19 pandemic as well.
“The economic downturn and the hangover from all of this; that could last for years, so we’re really trying to project what we’re going to need to do over the next couple of years to make sure we’re helping people who are food insecure,” explained James Floros, President & CEO of The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.
Local
In the coming weeks, it’s taking a more grassroots approach and going back to the basics.
That means pumping more food into the neighborhood distribution sites and the 500 local non-profits it partners with.
An updated list on those distribution sites can be found here.
