Feeding San Diego Announces Investment from Caterpillar Foundation to Help Fight Hunger in San Diego County
Feeding San Diego Announces Investment from Caterpillar Foundation to Help Fight Hunger in San Diego County
San Diego, CA — October 11, 2019 — Today, Feeding San Diego announces a $48,396 grant from the Caterpillar Foundation to provide food to the one in eight people who face hunger in San Diego County, including one in six children. A member of the Feeding America network, Feeding San Diego is one of 30 food banks selected to receive this grant, which helps support local hunger relief efforts.
Caterpillar Foundation has generously supported Feeding San Diego since 2014 through annual grants totaling $193,245, including the grant received this year. “People who face hunger do not have regular access to enough food for a healthy, active life. Feeding San Diego is thankful to the Caterpillar Foundation for its commitment to help support families in need in our community,” said Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego.
The grant funding will be allocated to Feeding San Diego’s Mobile Pantry program and used to serve predominantly rural areas lacking access to affordable groceries, often referred to as food deserts. Mobile Pantry is a year-round program that will distribute over one million meals this fiscal year to food insecure families through farmers market style distributions at 16 sites: Alpine, Boulevard, Campo, Descanso, Guatay, Jacumba, Potrero, Bonsall, Fallbrook, Julian, Pauma, San Marcos, Vista, Borrego Springs, Shelter Valley and Oceanside.
“The Caterpillar Foundation supports programs that alleviate poverty in communities in which we live and work. We are proud to partner with Feeding San Diego to support individuals in San Diego County who may not know where their next meal will come from,” said Kathryn Karol, Caterpillar vice president and chairman of the Caterpillar Foundation Board of Directors. “When people’s basic human needs are met, they are able to more effectively pursue economic and educational opportunities. And when they can do so, an entire community can benefit.”
Since 2015, Caterpillar Foundation has provided $3.9 million in county-level grants to Feeding America food banks. Caterpillar Foundation’s grants also helped food banks provide 10.5 million pounds of food in counties where Caterpillar employees live and work. This donation will help provide 193,584 meals to local children and families in need. Feeding San Diego provides more than 26 million meals every year to those facing hunger and 97% of all food distributed is high-quality rescued food that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill.
ABOUT FEEDING SAN DIEGO
Feeding San Diego (FSD) is a non-profit organization on a mission to end hunger and reduce food waste. Established in 2007, FSD is the leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization in San Diego County and the only Feeding America affiliate in the region. Currently, one in eight San Diegans, including one in six children, face hunger each day. FSD provides 500,000 meals every week to children, adults and seniors 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. To learn more about Feeding San Diego and its hunger-relief initiatives, visit feedingsandiego.org.
ABOUT CATERPILLAR FOUNDATION
Founded in 1952, Caterpillar’s philanthropic organization, the Caterpillar Foundation, has contributed more than $740 million to help make sustainable progress possible around the world by providing program support in the areas of basic needs, education and environmental sustainability. To learn more about the global impact of the Caterpillar Foundation, visit togetherstronger.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.
