A Guide to San Diego Food Nonprofits

2-1-1 San Diego‍

Connect to learn about health, nutrition, and other services.

Backyard Produce Project‍

Volunteers pick excess produce in residential yards in Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Rancho Peñasquitos to share with other residents in need.

Berry Good Food Foundation‍

Food education and school garden initiatives to promote nutrition and food security in the San Diego and Baja California border region.

Brightside Produce‍

In partnership with SDSU students, Bright Side Produce delivers fresh produce to underserved communities.

Brother Benno’s Center‍

Meals and other services provided for people in need.

Chef Angels

Innovative culinary-outreach programming serving San Diego County youth.

Coastal Roots Farm

Community farm and education center cultivating connected communities through sustainable agriculture, food justice, and ancient Jewish wisdom.

Community Christian Service Agency

Food distribution and other services for people in San Diego County.

Community Food Connection

Food distribution for residents of Poway, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, and surrounding communities.

Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP): Farm to Institution Center‍

The two fold mission of the Farm to Institution Center is: to improve community health by improving access and consumption of healthy foods, and to support farmers in creation of a vibrant, diverse, and growing local agricultural scene. We work to create a healthy and sustainable local food system, focusing primarily on the connection between local farm and institution as a pathway of good food into the community.

Community Resource Center 

Food and nutrition services in Encinitas. Clients choose their own grocery items. Assistance with benefits application, plus other services.

ECOLIFE Conservation

Provides aquaponic systems in underserved communities to allow access to organic, healthy foods. Provides STEM education and sustainable alternatives to conventional agriculture.

Fallbrook Food Pantry

Partners with local farmers and supermarkets to provide fresh produce to local residents in need. Any food waste is donated to farmers for animal food.

Father Joe’s Villages 

Meals, day center, healthcare, housing, and employment services for people experiencing homelessness.

Feeding San Diego

Working with major grocery chains and farmers, this organization rescues food that would otherwise go to the landfill and distributes it to pick-up locations for residents throughout the county.

Friendly Feast

Friendly Feast produces events that celebrate local chefs and raise funds for organizations that offer services to people facing food and housing insecurity.

The Gerson Institute‍

The Gerson Institute is a nonprofit organization located in San Diego, California, dedicated to providing education and training in an alternative, non-toxic treatment for cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases.

Helping Hand Worldwide 

Volunteers provide a mobile food bank and other help to military members on Camp Pendleton and to people in need in Orange County.

I Love to Glean

This group partners with others to recover and distribute food in South San Diego County.

Inika Food2Soil‍

Offering research and consulting to help communities, government and business to transform waste into resources for the circular economy.

Interfaith Community Services‍

Caseworkers provide beneficiaries with nutrition services, housing assistance, and more through 75 programs.

International Rescue Committee 

Providing services and food to refugees, asylees, people fleeing trafficking and other trauma. Programs include financial coaching, health services, job preparation, legal rights counseling and more.

Jewish Family Services of San Diego (Hand Up Youth Food Pantry)

Many programs, including home-delivered meals, positive parenting tips, safe parking, case management.

Kitchens for Good 

Offering state-certified apprenticeships for people interested in baking, culinary, and hospitality careers, Kitchens for Good aims to break the cycles of food waste, poverty, and hunger.

Leah’s Pantry

Leah’s Pantry and its partners provide community nutrition services using trauma-informed, resilience-focused principles, believing nourishing meals can heal people and help repair broken food systems in low-income neighborhoods.

Loaves and Fishes

Provides food and toiletries to the working poor, unemployed, and unhoused in Ocean Beach and surrounding areas.

‍Mama’s Kitchen 

Nutrition education and medically tailored meals to improve the lives of men, women, and children at risk of malnutrition due to critical illness.

Meals on Wheels‍

Meals on Wheels cares for the health, safety, and well-being of San Diego’s seniors by delivering nutritious meals to their homes seven days a week.

Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center‍

Olivewood Gardens’ Cooking for Salud! program empowers families to take control of their health through the foods they eat and prepare at home.

The Permaculture Lab

Training in permaculture and regenerative living to guide San Diego county residents into an abundant “green” future.

Produce Good 

Harvesting food from orchards, farmers’ markets, backyards, and grocers, then delivering it to shelters, pantries, and other organizations that feed people in San Diego County.

Project New Village

Improving fresh food access in Southeast San Diego, to build social equity and healthy neighborhoods.

San Diego Coffee Training Institute‍

Impress friends with your espresso skills or expand your business’s barista offerings. The institute offers a certificate to help you “up your game” and maybe land a job in the field.

San Diego Food System Alliance‍

A collaborative of food producers, businesses, fishing enterprises, nonprofits, government entities, and community members committed to improving the region’s food environment through advocacy, events, and more.

San Diego Food Bank‍

The Jacobs & Cushman Food Bank is the large hunger relief organization in the county.

San Diego Hunger Coalition‍

Leads a coordinated effort to reduce hunger in San Diego county, supported by research, education and advocacy.

San Diego Rescue Mission: Partners for Hunger Relief  

Partnering entities collect and distribute millions of pounds of food that would otherwise be wasted.

San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project

Through education and advocacy, this group works to connect local farmers with local eaters to grow a vibrant local food economy that supports everyone.

Santee Food Bank 

Neighbors helping neighbors, helping ensure no one in the community goes hungry.

Second Chance

Working to break the cycle of incarceration and poverty, this group and its partners offer safe, sober living, early intervention programs, job skills and placement, plus a community garden and cooking classes through Second Chance Youth Garden.

Senior Gleaners of San Diego County‍

Seniors pick up unsold groceries from businesses, plus homegrown produce from local residents to give to food distributors across San Diego County.

Special Delivery San Diego 

Provides meal delivery to medically homebound people living with HIV/AIDS  or chronic illnesses in Central San Diego. Their food pantry is open to the public, and they hold a weekly diabetes education class.

Taking Control of Your Diabetes 

Educational materials, classes, recipes and stories to inspire diabetics to take an active role in managing their disease.

Triton Food Pantry‍

The Triton Food Pantry provides a discreet service to UCSD students in need of food and builds a network of food resources and awareness about food insecurity.

UCSD Center for Community Health 

Advancing health equity and sustainable, impactful community programs.

Urban Angels 

Volunteers provide food services at Connections Housing, operated by PATH in San Diego, and at the Salvation Army,

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*Updated Nov. 26, 2024. This listing is subject to change. Please contact organizations for most recent information. To update existing information or to add an organization to this list, please email the editor info@ediblesandiego.com.