Thousands of children and adults in San Diego County live without regular access to nutritious food every day while according to the EPA, the second most effective strategy in the effort to reduce food waste is to feed hungry people. In Rethinking Hunger: Why Feeding Those in Need Must Focus on Nourishment by Joy Manning, the second in a series of thought leadership stories published by Edible Communities, a spotlight on hunger across North America reveals that “produce prescriptions improve overall wellbeing.”
For the health and wellness of ourselves, community, and environment, we’ve gathered a list of hard-working San Diego nonprofit organizations making a difference to close the hunger and nutrition gaps across our region with food assistance. Share this list as a resource for anyone who may need help, and keep it handy to reference when you’re looking for community organizations that need our continuous support.
There are lots of ways of helping all year round so let’s rise to the challenge.
2-1-1 San Diego
211sandiego.org/resources/food-assistance
Connects locals to programs that help them stay healthy and well-nourished.
Backyard Produce Project
Shares backyard produce with families in need.
Bread of Life
Serves warm evening meals, sack lunches, food boxes, and other services.
Brother Benno’s
Services strive to ensure that no one goes hungry and help guests attain self-sufficiency.
Community Christian Service Agency
Provides emergency services, including food for families and meals for the homeless.
Community Resource Center
Food distribution center, meal prep and nutrition classes, and annual holiday events.
Fallbrook Food Pantry
Providing food to low income and disadvantaged families since 1991.
Father Joe’s Villages: Franklin Antonio Public Lunch Program
my.neighbor.org/community-lunch-line
Lunch programs provide an average of 1 million meals each year.
Feeding San Diego
A community leader in providing access to food and nutritious meals.
Helping Hand Worldwide
Relieves daily hunger and improves health and quality through food distribution programs and advocacy.
I Love to Glean
Food recovery and distribution of otherwise wasted food to agencies serving those in need.
Interfaith Community Services
Nutrition programs include emergency food assistance and hot morning meals for homeless and low-income community members.
International Rescue Committee: New Roots
rescue.org/united-states/san-diego-ca
Helps refugees reestablish their ties to the land, celebrate their heritage, and nourish themselves and their neighbors.
Jewish Family Service of San Diego (Hand Up Food Pantry)
Home-delivered meals, a food pantry, and teen leadership development.
Kitchens for Good
Innovative programs in workforce training, healthy food production, and social enterprise.
Leah’s Pantry
Catalyzes healthy food choices Food Smarts curricula, Eatfresh.org online tools, and training for staff.
Loaves & Fishes
Provides bags of food and toiletries to the working poor, unemployed, and homeless in the Ocean Beach and surrounding areas.
Mama’s Kitchen
Provides nutrition services to individuals vulnerable to hunger due to HIV, cancer, or other critical illnesses.
Meals on Wheels
Delivers nutritious meals to seniors seven days a week.
Outside the Bowl
Works with community partners to serve hot, nutritious meals.
Produce Good
Reclaims and repurposes waste and promotes the health and well-being of all.
Project New Village
Strengthens communities through the development of beautiful, beneficial, and bountiful neighborhood food options.
San Diego Food Bank
The largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County.
San Diego Hunger Coalition
Leads coordinated action to end hunger, supported by research, education, and advocacy.
San Diego Rescue Mission: Partners for Hunger Relief
sdrescue.org/our-programs/partners-for-hunger-relief
Collects and distributes millions of pounds of nutritious food that would otherwise be wasted.
Santee Food Bank
Neighbors helping neighbors committed to ensuring that no one in the community goes hungry.
Serra Mesa Food Pantry
serramesa.org/smcc/food-pantry
Providing food and basic necessities to those experiencing illness, unemployment, or other crises.
Senior Gleaners of San Diego County
Volunteers over the age of 55 glean excess food and deliver the surplus to nonprofit food agencies.
So Others May Eat
Provides food and advocacy for the homeless and disabled in the coastal communities.
Special Delivery SD
Meals for medically homebound people living with critical illnesses.
The Community Food Connection
thecommunityfoodconnection.com
Serves over 800 local families every month.
The Gleaning Field Foundation
Serves homeless, poor, and low income families and individuals.
Triton Food Pantry
basicneeds.ucsd.edu/triton-food-pantry
Provides a discreet service to UCSD students in need of food and builds a network of resources and awareness about food insecurity.
Urban Angels
Nourishes and provides food for the homeless of San Diego.
UrbanLife
Provides thousands of meals, and job skills and training to youth.
Have we missed any? Email [email protected] with updates.
Want to do more? Find the complete guide to San Diego County food-based nonprofit organizations at ediblesandiego.com.
