Volunteers are at the heart of our mission at the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, donating nearly 84,000 combined hours to support our operations and hunger relief programs last year alone!In appreciation of their hard work, the San Diego Food Bank hosted our annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon & Awards Ceremony to honor our top volunteers and their dedication to the Food Bank’s vital mission.
The work of our volunteers is a critical component in maintaining our daily operations and programs, as the need for food assistance remains high in San Diego County. Because of our committed volunteers, the San Diego Food Bank continues to feed nearly 400,000 individuals and families each month, restoring hope to San Diego families in need.The San Diego Food Bank has a variety of volunteer opportunities including cleaning and packaging fresh produce for immediate distribution, inspecting, sorting, boxing, and labeling food donations, assembling food packages and assisting on-site at food distributions. Each volunteer activity is set with intention to support one of our specific hunger-relief programs.One of our most popular volunteer activities supports our Senior Food Program which serves 15,500 seniors each month. Thanks to our volunteers, this past year, nearly 190,000 40-pound boxes were packed in our Miramar warehouse and distributed countywide.
Our volunteers also dedicate their time to packing kid-friendly foods for our Food 4 Kids Backpack Program which partners with over 60 schools. Last school year, our volunteers packed food into 102,000 backpacks, which served 3,000 students in the program!
Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the nonperishable food items donated at local food drives? Last year, volunteers inspected and sorted more than 2.7 million pounds of food drive donations at both our Miramar and Vista warehouses, which went out to local families in need through various distribution sites.Another program that benefits from the diligent work of our volunteers is our Emergency Food Assistance Program. Last year, our volunteers packed 64,000 bags of shelf-stable foods for a variety of nonprofits that operate Emergency Food Assistance sites.
Of course, one of our most frequent volunteer activities includes inspecting and sorting fresh produce. From apples to potatoes to onions, last year our volunteers inspected and bagged a whopping 15 million pounds of fresh produce!None of these incredible statistics would be possible without the help of over 33,000 volunteer visits to the San Diego Food Bank and our North County Food Bank chapter each year. Thank you to all of our volunteers.
Whether you have donated your time once or hundreds of times, your generous contribution to the Food Bank and our critical hunger relief programs is greatly appreciated. Together, we are fighting hunger in San Diego County and providing hope to local families in need.
Are you interested in volunteering at the San Diego Food Bank? The San Diego Food Bank and our North County Food Bank chapter have a variety of volunteer opportunities available. To sign up for a volunteer shift, visit our website.
Congratulations to our 2023 Volunteer Award Winners!
Biggest Heart Award
Cynthea Stalewski
Alan Vanden
Debbie Demartino
Early Bird Award
Ken Simmons
Susan Burgess
Richard Cappiello
Perpetual Smile Award
David Ferguson
Alexis Moisan
The Band-Aid Award
John Buzzard
Laura Hunerberg
Rodel Agpaoa
On-the-Spot Award
Larry Schloss
Sue Hutchens
Richard Wick
Top Hours Award
Christopher Succetti
Event Service Award
Martha Tuma
Youth Volunteer Award
Andrew Chau
Sophia Song
Family Volunteer Award
The Bowman Family
Group Volunteer Award
Alta Vista Insurance Agency
Bill Howe Plumbing
The Padres Volunteer Team
Eternal Service Award
Bob ODerio
Volunteer of the Year Award
Karen Williams