The holidays are the busiest season for Feeding San Diego and its community network of non-profits and faith-based organizations who help distribute nutritious meals to people experiencing hunger. Holiday meals go beyond food. They are about cherished cultural traditions, gathering with loved ones, and passing on what matters to the next generation. But too many families are going to struggle to put their holiday meal on the table this year.
When a family cannot afford to put that meal on the table, they lose a lot more than nutrition. Feeding San Diego and its countywide hunger-relief network provide nourishment to San Diegans who need resources. It could be an active-duty service member and their family who just got stationed in San Diego, a senior living in a small mountain town who has trouble getting to the grocery store an hour away, or working parents of small children who grapple with tough choices with the high cost of living.
Families Are Feeling the Pressure
According to the latest data from Feeding America, the national organization that Feeding San Diego is a partner food bank of, nearly 400,000 people in San Diego County are experiencing food insecurity – a startling increase of nearly 10% from the previous year. This includes just over 100,000 children.
Food insecurity rates are higher than they were pre-pandemic. Nearly a third of households in San Diego County are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living. The high cost of food and other essentials like housing and healthcare, employment and other factors – like the end of pandemic-era relief efforts – are among the top reasons why it is increasingly difficult to afford and access the food people need to thrive.
Proven Programs That Deliver
In partnership with a network of more than 350 local charities, schools, colleges, faith communities, healthcare providers and meal sites, Feeding San Diego collects food and financial donations, moves and distributes food to communities who need it, and advocates to end hunger. Through the Feeding San Diego network, last fiscal year more than 31 million meals were provided to children, families, seniors, college students, military families, and veterans. By identifying the communities most in need and providing food resources at trusted locations, Feeding San Diego’s programs lift people up when they find themselves in need.
Help Make the Holidays Brighter
All across the county, families are counting on Feeding San Diego and its partners to provide healthy choices for their holiday meals. Feeding San Diego, in turn, counts on the community’s generosity to keep the food moving to families who need it most. This holiday season, Feeding San Diego is anticipating more people needing to turn to food assistance because of cuts to CalFresh, California’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It is estimated that around 80,000 people living in San Diego County who currently receive benefits will no longer have that assistance in the coming months, coinciding with the holiday season. Every $1 donated to Feeding San Diego helps provide two meals to people experiencing hunger. You can help make the holidays brighter by making sure everyone has a place at the table.
To learn more or donate, visit www.feedingsandiego.org.
