Feeding San Diego Supports Schools Across the County With Food Assistance As Students Head Back to School

Published On: August 25th, 2022By Categories: News Releases2.1 min read

Schools span 14 school districts and include elementary, middle, and high schools, plus community colleges and universities

As kids, young adults, and adults head back to school this month, Feeding San Diego is supporting San Diego County schools with much-needed food assistance for students and families amidst high inflation. The county’s leading hunger-relief and food rescue nonprofit organization has several programs that aid students in need of nutritious meals. While California’s Universal Meals Program means that all K-12 public school students receive at least two free meals a day while in school, low-income families still need assistance with meals for evenings and weekends.

“While we are ecstatic that all kids will be offered meals while in school this year, inflation and residual effects of the pandemic are still negatively impacting families across the county,” said Dan Shea, CEO of Feeding San Diego. “It’s important to also note that food insecurity exists on college campuses and food assistance is needed to help those students achieve their personal and professional goals.”

The programs that support local youth are:

  • The School Pantry Program provides fresh produce and pantry staples up to twice a month via pickups at the school, making it convenient for families to access nutritious meals. Food is provided by Feeding San Diego and the pantries are run by school staff or parents at spaces on campus, such as parking lots or auditoriums.
  • The Backpack Program helps kids and families over the weekend by providing students with an easy-to-carry bag filled with healthy staple items and fresh produce. The weekly program helps bridge the gap between weekday school meals.
  • ​​​​​​​The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides after-school meals for youth under the age of 18 in partnership with local nonprofits and City of San Diego sites that provide programs for kids, like Boys & Girls Club locations and recreation centers.

The nonprofit also works with local community colleges and universities to provide food assistance at food pantries on campus. Sites have been established at California State University San Marcos, Cuyamaca College, Mesa College, MiraCosta College, Miramar College, San Diego State University, and University of California San Diego.

Donations to Feeding San Diego support local students in need of food assistance in addition to other people in need of food assistance. Volunteers are always needed at the non-profit’s Sorrento Valley headquarters to sort and pack food to be distributed at food pantries, which include the School Pantry and Backpack Program.