Assemblymember Maienschein and Feeding San Diego Announce $500,000 CalRecycle Grant Award
Assemblymember Maienschein and Feeding San Diego Announce $500,000 CalRecycle Grant Award
SAN DIEGO – Today – Assemblymember Brian Maienschein and CEO of Feeding San Diego, Vince Hall, announced the award of a $500k CalRecycle grant to Feeding San Diego. Maienschein’s bill, AB 1933, which passed in 2018, ensures money appropriated from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund can be used to administer grants to increase and strengthen the State’s organic and solid waste recycling infrastructure. Specifically, AB 1933 verifies that any additional funding appropriated by the legislature to improve waste diversion and recycling includes food rescue, waste prevention, and organic waste recycling.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires the State Air Resource Board to reduce the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit to 1990 levels by the year 2020 and ensure that statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40 percent below the 1990 level by 2030.
“Reducing methane emissions by keeping edible food out of our landfills is an important step to help California combat climate change” said Assemblymember Maienschein. “In addition, Feeding San Diego will be able to divert and redistribute an additional 5 million pounds of food to vulnerable populations in San Diego.”
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery has awarded $11 million in grants to 36 local projects that prevent waste, reduce pollution, and combat climate change by getting good food to Californians who need it. “Edible food disposal is a humanitarian tragedy and a tremendous waste of California’s resources,” said CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline.
Feeding San Diego is on a mission to end hunger while reducing food waste. Through CalRecycle’s $500,000 grant Feeding San Diego will be able to expand existing food rescue and redistribution programs and divert food from our local landfills through the purchase of four modified vans and additional onsite cold storage capacity for partner agencies.
“Every day San Diego throws away more than enough food to solve hunger” said Feeding San Diego CEO Vince Hall. “This grant will play a significant role in helping Feeding San Diego capture more nutritious food before it goes to waste and get it to people in need.”
ABOUT ASSEMBLY MEMBER BRIAN MAIENSCHEIN
Assemblymember Brian Maienschein, of San Diego, represents the 77th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of 4S Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Carmel Valley, Clairemont, Del Dios, Del Sur, Del Mar Heights, Fairbanks Ranch, Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Santa Fe, Sabre Springs, San Carlos, Santa Luz, San Pasqual Valley, Scripps Ranch, Sorrento Valley, and Tierrasanta.
ABOUT FEEDING SAN DIEGO
Feeding San Diego (FSD) is a non-profit organization on a mission to end hunger while reducing food waste. Established in 2007, Feeding San Diego provides more than 26 million meals each year to people facing hunger in the community in partnership with a network of 245 local charities, schools, faith communities, and food pantries. Through an efficient model focused on reducing our impact on the environment, every dollar donated helps provide four nutritious meals to people facing hunger. Feeding San Diego is the only Feeding America affiliate in the region. To learn more about Feeding San Diego and its hunger-relief initiatives, visit feedingsandiego.org.
