Grant funds support food assistance for at-risk community members in East County and low-income seniors

San Diego CA— Feeding San Diego is pleased to announce it is a recipient of two grants from The San Diego Foundation to help alleviate hunger for San Diegans in need. Feeding San Diego was awarded $150,000 from The San Diego Foundation to support its Mobile Pantry program and Feeding Seniors initiative.
Feeding San Diego serves vulnerable populations, including low-income seniors, in communities across San Diego County, including Bonsall, Descanso, Jacumba, and many others. Usually held as farmer’s markets, each food distribution now operates with a drive-through or walk-through model due to the COVID-19 crisis.
“COVID-19 has magnified inequities and food insecurity across San Diego County, particularly among rural and traditionally-underserved families,” says Mark Stuart, President & CEO of The San Diego Foundation. “Organizations such as Feeding San Diego are vital to our community health and are working diligently to ensure all San Diegans have equitable access to food during and after the pandemic.”
As the largest program of its kind in the county, the Feeding San Diego Mobile Pantry program provides food assistance to people living in predominantly rural, underserved areas that have a high incidence of poverty and a lack of accessible grocery stores. During the pandemic, Feeding San Diego has increased the amount of food supplied to these locations by 15 to 20 percent. In addition, the organization’s Feeding Seniors initiative helps support low-income seniors throughout the county at mobile pantry sites, dedicated senior distributions, and collaborations with agency partners.
“The public health and economic crisis has created unprecedented levels of hunger, which has significantly impacted seniors and people living paycheck to paycheck,” says Gavon Morris, Chief Philanthropy Officer of Feeding San Diego. “We are grateful for the support from The San Diego Foundation to help us continue providing a crucial lifeline to those in need throughout San Diego County.”
Since March, Feeding San Diego has provided emergency services to San Diegans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, while continuing to host hundreds of its regular food distributions countywide. For more information on its COVID-19 response, please visit feedingsandiego.org/coronavirus.