The San Diego Food Bank and our North County Food Bank chapter held our annual Food Drive Recognition Ceremony last month. Now in its fourth year, this year’s ceremony was a drive-thru event to adhere to the current COVID-19 safety guidelines. The ceremony recognized businesses, organizations, and community groups that hosted food drives throughout the county last year providing much-needed food for families impacted by the pandemic. Collectively, last year’s food drives raised more than two million pounds of food.
The Food Bank received more than two million pounds of shelf-stable food items last year through community food drives – James Floros, CEO
Donations of physical food items allow the Food Bank to keep food purchasing costs low and to keep allocated funds in other vital services and programs. When the pandemic hit the San Diego region, physical food donations plummeted due to the stay-at-home order. The Food Bank purchases about $1 million worth of food on the wholesale food market in a typical year. Due to the increase in demand for food assistance, just in the past 11-month period, the Food Bank has purchased $11 million worth of food, and the Food Bank sees no end to the demand anytime soon. The Food Bank is now preparing to enter Phase 4 of its COVID-19 Response.
With the challenges of 2020, the 2021 Food Drive Recognition Ceremony is truly a special event worthy of celebrating and recognizing our honorees as true heroes in the community. Honorees were welcomed by cheering Food Bank staff, received a plaque to commemorate their contribution to fighting hunger in San Diego, and had a photo opportunity with our CEO, James Floros. The 48 honorees included food drives from all corners of San Diego County, from the City of Vista to local neighborhood food drives like the Talmadge Food Drive.
Thank you to the following honorees that stepped up to fight hunger in San Diego County:
Business Partner Award
2021 Awardees:
MaryBeth Brown-Kennett
Greystar Development & Construction
The Houston TeamSchool Partner Award
2021 Awardees:
High Tech High North County
Marvin Elementary School
Mission Estancia Elementary SchoolInnovative Partner Award
2021 Awardees:
City of Vista
Punk Rock Food Drive
San Diego Air CooledNeighborhood Food Drive Award
2021 Awardees:
Bay Park Food Drive
Heart to Hands Food Drive
Talmadge Food DriveTop Newcomer Award
2021 Awardees:
ASML
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
St. Patrick’s Catholic ChurchVirtual Food Drive Award
2021 Awardees:
Cooley LLP
Fish & Richardson
Heron Therapeutics
Mirati Therapeutics Inc.
SDCCU Holiday BowlHarvesting Hope Food Drive Award
2021 Awardees:
Stater Bros. Markets
KUSIStuff the Bus Food Drive Award
2021 Awardees:
Albertsons Vons
Girl Scouts San Diego
Metropolitan Transit System
North County Transit DistrictScouting for Food Award
2021 Awardee:
Boy Scouts of America San Diego-Imperial CouncilNeighbors Helping Neighbors Award
2021 Awardees:
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ideal Plumbing and HeatingSummer Food Drive Award
2021 Awardees:
Albertsons Vons
San Diego Gas & Electric
KFMB-TV
103.7 KSON
KYXY 96.5
ALY 94.9
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Wells Fargo
Holiday Food Drive Award
2021 Awardees:
Albertsons Vons
Bank of America
First 5 San Diego
San Diego County Toyota Dealers
Sycuan
Wawanesa Insurance
FOX 5 San Diego
iHeart Media San Diego
COX Media
The San Diego Union-Tribune
The Food Bank has almost doubled its service population since mid-March. Before the pandemic, the Food Bank was serving 350,000 people, almost a year later and the Food Bank now is feeding nearly 600,000 people per month. To host a food drive CLICK HERE and to learn more about our Virtual Food Drives, CLICK HERE.