Jacob’s & Cushman San Diego Food Bank: Hunger Matters

November 6, 2015

11.3% of the world’s population is hungry- that’s roughly 805 million people who go undernourished on a daily basis. Hunger in San Diego is a problem that many of us do not see, yet it affects people all around us. Of San Diego County’s 3.1 million residents, 475,773 people live in poverty- that’s 15.2% of our population. And unfortunately 138,334 are children. These individuals face “food insecurity” which means that little to no food is available at home, and often they do not know how they will get their next meal.

The face of hunger in San Diego has changed. We see people affected by hunger every day and most of us are unaware of it- the cashier at the gas station, the mom picking her son up from school, the senior citizen at the post office, the neighbor getting his mail.

The world produces enough food to feed all 7 billion people, but those who go hungry do not have money to purchase it. Jacob’s & Cushman San Diego Food Bank has been advocating for these hungry people since it was established in 1977. It acts on the belief that nobody should ever go hungry and is the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego. Last year, the Food Bank distributed 22 million pounds of food, and served on average 370,000 people per month in San Diego County.

Jacob’s & Cushman San Diego Food Bank relies significantly on donations and volunteers. While food donations provide a great proportion of the Food Bank’s food supply, monetary donations enable the Food Bank to purchase additional food. For every $1 donation, the Food Bank can provide 5 meals to the community. Also, every year more than 28,000 volunteers help out at the Food Bank to take a stand against hunger.