Emergency Response at Feeding San Diego: How We Respond When Disaster Strikes

Emergency response is at the core of Feeding San Diego’s DNA. Our first food distribution was held on October 9, 2007, in the parking lot at San Diego Rescue Mission. Just a few weeks later, disastrous firestorms hit San Diego County and displaced hundreds of thousands of individuals. In the first week of the fire, Feeding San Diego had only two employees. By leveraging partnerships and coordinating with other agencies, Feeding San Diego secured and delivered 515,000 pounds of emergency supplies, including food, water, and other grocery items, to evacuees, firefighters, and volunteers. Now, many years later and with a much larger staff, Feeding San Diego still embraces the same agility and collaboration to respond to emergencies as they occur. So, how does emergency response work at Feeding San Diego?

Community members attend a food distribution in the driveway of a neighborhood affected by the 2024 floods

Strategic Planning for Emergency Response

We all know that disaster can strike at any time. To remain prepared, Feeding San Diego builds emergency response plans that can be activated as needed. Our plans vary depending on how critical and widespread the need is. As part of strategic planning, we consider responses for a range of emergencies, including floods, power outages, fires, pandemics, and widespread loss of potable drinking water.

Part of our plan includes reaching out to Feeding America depending on the emergency. They have a program where they provide ready-to-eat food to their member food banks involved in a disaster. We received a load of ready-to-eat food boxes from Feeding America during the massive flooding in 2024. In addition, Feeding San Diego consistently stocks ready-to-eat items so we can respond immediately when disaster strikes. We also keep bottled water and other hydrating beverages on hand at all times.

Coordinated Response

During emergency situations, Feeding San Diego coordinates with the city and county to respond. We work with various offices to identify areas of high need to help us focus our efforts. Our programs team handles much of that coordination.

“In past emergency situations, we have worked with the county by attending all Local Assistance Center (LAC) operations where Feeding San Diego provides resources on food assistance, including emergency CalFresh,” explained San Duke, Feeding San Diego’s Director of Programs. “During last year’s flooding emergency, I attended weekly emergency response calls with various organizations and county offices. These meetings brought together organizations with expertise in various fields to ensure all areas of an emergency were represented. Feeding San Diego was able to share what our current action plan was, who some of our key partners were, and how we can help further should a need arise. One example is working with The San Diego Housing Commission to connect us to hotels where displaced families were staying so we could provide supplemental groceries directly to those families in hotels.”

San Diego’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) also contacts Feeding San Diego in the event of an emergency through their Feeding Task Force for immediate meals or through Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), of which we are a member.

Volunteers load food into vehicles during one of the many large-scale food distribution held throughout the first few years of the COVID-19 pandemic

Pivoting during Emergencies

When emergencies like the 2024 floods or the recent fires in Los Angeles occur, Feeding San Diego mobilizes emergency plans to respond. Our sourcing team begins by sourcing food that will work best for those affected.

“Typically, in an emergency or disaster, people will not have access to cooking,” Patty O’Connor, Feeding San Diego’s Chief Operating Officer, explained. “That means they need ready-to-eat type foods, including pop-top cans of food that do not have to be heated, energy bars, cereal, shelf-stable milk, fruit cups, peanut butter, etc. We have to manage that inventory closely as ready-to-eat foods are much more expensive than foods prepared from scratch.”

Pallets of food sent to Los Angeles for fire recovery in January 2025

Since Feeding San Diego keeps stock on hand of ready-to-eat items on hand for programs for neighbors without kitchens, we can tap into those resources in an emergency and then quickly replenish those items through purchasing. Often, we rely on community support to help fund those efforts. During emergencies, our programs team works closely with the sourcing team to identify and share the types of food that will work best for the impacted community. They also help organize our network of partners to facilitate a response.

“Our existing partners make it possible for us to expand our reach without overburdening our staff in times of emergencies,” says Sam Duke. “In past emergencies, we have waived agency partner fees, increased available food, and tailored distributions to meet their immediate needs. During the flooding last year, for example, we focused on ready-to-eat, minimal-preparation food items since many families lost their ability to prepare food. Moving forward, we continue refining our emergency response strategies based on past learnings, ensuring we can quickly mobilize to support affected communities.”

A Network of Allies

What makes Feeding San Diego’s emergency response effective is our connections. Feeding San Diego has over 300 partners that help us distribute food every day of the year. In addition, we have close connections with food donors, local government officials, and partner food banks within the Feeding America network across the country. During emergencies, we also rely on the generous support of individuals. The financial support of donors and the resources provided by food drives make a substantial difference in helping us respond to crises like the flooding and fires of recent years. We are constantly inspired and incredibly grateful to everyone who donates and trusts our organization to provide critical support in the face of these events.

If you are interested in supporting emergency response efforts, consider becoming a monthly donor to provide sustaining support. This support allows us to keep ready-to-eat food on hand to quickly respond to emergencies as they arise.