Feeding San Diego awards $25,000 to nine community partners serving seniors

Published On: August 6th, 2019By Categories: Miscellaneous2.6 min read

Feeding San Diego awarded $25,000 in grant funds this month to nine community partners serving seniors in San Diego County. This is part of Feeding San Diego’s Feeding Seniors initiative, which provides healthy meals to nearly 5,000 food-insecure seniors through strategic partnerships every week.

Focused on improving the impact and reach of services offered to vulnerable seniors in our community, Feeding San Diego selected nine community partners to receive grant awards. These organizations include Special Delivery, Alpha Project, Community Resource Center, Mountain Health and Community Services, Hope Through Housing, First Congregational Church of Ramona, Bread of Life, Ruth Anointed World Ministries, and City Heights Community Development Corporation.

According to projections from the California Department of Finance, the state’s senior population is growing faster than any other age group and is forecasted to reach 13.5 million by 2060 (from 5.5 million in 2016). This rapid growth of the senior community is adding significant stress to the existing network of senior services and facilities. In addition, Feeding America’s recent annual report series on the state of senior hunger states that 5.5 million individuals, or 1 in 12 seniors, were food insecure in 2017. In fact, the current number of seniors who are food insecure is more than double what it was in 2001. Moreover, older adults and seniors face a harsh and unfair choice every month: purchasing food versus paying rent, healthcare and other utilities.

The details of community partner approved grants are as follows:

  1. Special Delivery received a grant of $6,500 towards staff funding.
  2. Alpha Project received a grant of $4,200 for the purchase of a freezer.
  3. Community Resource Center received a grant of $3,431 to be used towards the purchase of equipment such as Fitbit trackers, water bottles, ramp, and tote bags.
  4. Mountain Health and Community Services received a grant of $2,966 for the purchase of a cooler.
  5. Hope Through Housing received a grant of $1,900 for the purchase of shelving, chest freezers and wheeled coolers.
  6. First Congregational Church of Ramona received a grant of $1,600 for dry goods to support a senior mobile home.
  7. Bread of Life received a grant of $1,600 for the purchase of a freezer.
  8. Ruth Anointed World Ministries received a grant of $1,548 for the purchase of an iceless cooler.
  9. City Heights Community Development Corporation received a grant of $1,255 towards the purchase of iPads.

Over the past two weeks, Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego presented checks to:

  • Erik Tilkemeier, Director of Economic and Urban Development, City Heights Community Development Corporation, on July 22.

 

  • John Van Cleef, Executive Director of Community Resource Center, on July 25.

 

  • Bob McElroy, CEO of Alpha Project Alpha Project, on July 29.

 

  • CNN Hero, Ruth Henricks, the Executive Director of Special Delivery San Diego, on August 2.

“We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to award these funds to nine deserving organizations and support their missions to better the lives of seniors in San Diego County,” shared Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego.