Local Fishermen, Chefs, and Non-Profits Unite to Provide Meals Through Fish to Families Program

The innovative program is currently feeding 250 households every week  

The Fish to Families program connects local fishermen, chefs, and people experiencing food insecurity to create an operational model where everyone benefits. Originally piloted in 2020, the Fish to Families program, spearheaded by San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group, is back in operation. Now funded by The Parker Foundation, the program allows Craft Catering to purchase fish from local fishermen and hire chefs to create healthy and delicious meals from the sustainable seafood for local hunger-relief non-profits. Feeding San Diego and its partner Third Avenue Charitable Organization (TACO) are currently benefiting from the program, as well as non-profits API Initiative, Olivewood Gardens, and Mundo Gardens.

“Instead of giving people who are part of hunger-relief programs cheap cereals and so on, we can give them something they haven’t had before. Give them fish,” said Pete Halmay, president of San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group. “People are eating fish that they normally don’t get to eat and the fishermen feel good about providing it.”

Every week, Chef Marcus Twilegar, chef/owner of Craft Catering, picks up fish from local fishermen and breaks it down. He then prepares cold meals that the non-profits will receive to distribute via hunger-relief programs. Depending on the week, the fish might be ahi tuna, mako shark, rockfish, or opah. Twilegar is also working with local farmers, including a local farm in National City called Agua Dolce, to source the vegetables for the meals, which include 6 oz. vegetables, 6 oz. grains, and a minimum of 4.5 oz. fish.

“As a local organization, we want to source locally, but it’s not always possible given the cost. We see more local sourcing in our future and are very pleased to be a part of the Fish to Families program,” said Patty O’Connor, chief operating officer of Feeding San Diego. “The ingenuity of the San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group in creating this program is inspiring.”

Currently, the program has funding for about 15 more weeks. The San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group is actively looking for additional funding to be able to keep the program running. While the initial goal of the program was to keep chefs and fishermen employed during the pandemic, the goal has evolved now post-pandemic to continue to support local fishermen whose catch should stay local to create a more sustainable food system. The program is also integral so that no fish is wasted.