This Holiday Season, Give Hope and Share Joy with Feeding San Diego

Published On: November 19th, 2021By Categories: Campaigns3 min read

Give Hope, Share Joy portraits

Feeding San Diego invites the local community to get involved and give back to those facing hunger this holiday season. This week marks the start of our Give Hope, Share Joy fundraising campaign. Our mission is to raise critical funds for vital hunger relief initiatives and programs.

Funds raised will help sustain the large-scale drive-through Together Tour food distributions that have now distributed more than 2.2 million pounds of food since March of this year. This covers rising food and transportation costs, increase food supply to mobile pantries in rural areas of Eastern San Diego County.  These funds will also provide meals for children and families in partnership with school districts and other youth-based programs. 

Continued Challenges Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Food donation center

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the fallout has affected thousands of San Diegans.  Many have lost loved ones, are navigating a career change, or are struggling to cover their skyrocketing expenses. Thousands of low-income families, children, seniors, college students, military families, and veterans need the community’s help, now and for the foreseeable future.

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought hunger in America to the forefront of the public conscious. Much of the direct state and federal aid that was helping mitigate hardship for families has run out. There is still a meal gap in San Diego County,” says Dan Shea, CEO of Feeding San Diego. “No family should go hungry any day of the year. Especially not during the holidays, a time to spend with loved ones – often around the table. This holiday giving season, we hope San Diegans remember those who need a helping hand.”

Get Involved & Give Back

The following are ways for the community to get involved:

  • Double your impact on GivingTuesday. Thanks to a generous match from The David C. Copley Foundation and Steve & Ruth Netzley, every dollar you give on Tuesday, November 30, up to $75,000, will double to help feed local families. Further, during our Month of a Million Meals Telethon between the hours of 4 – 7:30 p.m., all donations will be matched, up to $25,000, thanks to the kindness of the Lockheed Martin Foundation.
  • Become a team for good. Local businesses and corporations are invited to engage employees and support a culture of philanthropy by participating in the Teams for Good program and volunteering at our Feeding San Diego headquarters in Sorrento Valley.
  • Save the Date for the 10th annual Month of a Million Meals Telethon taking place on GivingTuesday (Tuesday, November 30). Call in to donate and tune into ABC10 to see live interviews with local celebrities, notable San Diegans, and Feeding San Diego volunteers.
  • Become a Feed 365 member and join our community of monthly donors. A recurring gift of just $42 per month feeds a family in San Diego for a week!
  • Shop & Support: Local benefit campaigns are plentiful during the holidays, making it easy to give back. A few are listed below, and all are listed here.
    • On November 20 and 21, Jersey Mike’s Subs will donate 20% of all sales to Feeding America and its member food banks.
    •  Local Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores are holding a Zero Hunger-Zero Waste campaign to benefit Feeding San Diego. From November 20 to December 31, make a $5 or $10 donation at the register.

Thanks to Ralphs, Food 4 Less, and Kroger Co. for supporting Give Hope, Share Joy by Feeding San Diego, Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation, as well as supporting sponsors Chevron, Health Net, and Telos Capital Management.