Feeding San Diego combats hunger by rescuing surplus food from local stores & farms, providing 29 million meals.

SAN DIEGO — Feeding San Diego, a local nonprofit organization, is working to combat hunger in San Diego County through an innovative food rescue program. Volunteers like Jay Shaw, a retired biotech professional, are collecting surplus food from local grocery stores to provide meals for those facing food insecurity.

“We are up early with Feeding San Diego, and today’s mission is a race against time,” said CBS 8’s Jeff Zevely. 

Feeding San Diego has provided 29 million meals to hungry families, with 92% of that food rescued before going to waste. The organization works with 760 food donors, including local grocery stores like Trader Joe’s in Poway.

“Giving back to the community is something that’s important for us,” said Frank Bennett, store manager at Trader Joe’s in Poway.


The rescued food includes a variety of items, from fresh produce to packaged goods. “We’ve got rice, chicken, fish sticks, tater tots and for dessert Mango Cream Bars. There’s a lot of good stuff in here,” said CBS 8’s Jeff Zevely. “They call it a food rescue, and those words are fitting because if it’s not rescued, it goes straight to the landfill.”

Feeding San Diego’s efforts have a significant impact on both hunger and the environment. The organization has rescued 31 million pounds of food through the efforts of volunteers like Shaw and Dan Lachenbruch, a retired firefighter who introduced Shaw to the cause.


What would Jay say to someone watching this and thinking they could rescue food? “I would say they absolutely could and they should reach out to Feeding San Diego and figure out how they can support this,” Shaw encouraged.

For Shaw, the volunteer work is its own reward. “I don’t get a cent,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to take anything.”

According to Feeding America’s research, nearly 400,000 people in San Diego County face food insecurity. Through its food rescue program and network of community partners, Feeding San Diego aims to connect every person facing hunger with healthy, nutritious food.

If you’d like to volunteer for Feeding San Diego or learn more about the non-profit organization, click here. 

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