activities · 15
what they do
direct service · 15
- Annual food distribution reporting Food Distribution Value ReportingDistributed over 37.4 million pounds of food to the community between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, as part of ongoing food distribution efforts.
- Cumulative meal distribution Food Distribution Value ReportingHas distributed 419,526,419 meals cumulatively to date through its food access programs.
- Financial transparency and reporting Public Financial Disclosure & Audit ComplianceMakes financial documents publicly available, including annual reports, audited financials, and Form 990s.
- Food Distribution Program Food Distribution Network ManagementDistributes over 37.4 million pounds of food annually to individuals facing hunger in San Diego County through a network of more than 300 community partner organizations, providing access to nutritious food via free food distributions.
- Food Rescue Initiative Fresh Produce Rescue & DistributionRescues edible, high-quality food from over 780 donor locations and 48 farms, conducting more than 900 weekly pickups to prevent food waste; rescued over 31 million pounds of food in the 2024–2025 fiscal year, diverting approximately 28,900 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions from landfills.
- Food distribution volume and impact tracking Food Distribution Value ReportingDistributed over 37.4 million pounds of food between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, and has cumulatively provided over 419 million meals to date.
- Food rescue program Fresh Produce Rescue & DistributionRescues edible, high-quality food from local producers, donor locations, and farms to prevent waste; conducted over 900 weekly pickups and rescued more than 31 million pounds of food during 2024–2025, diverting approximately 28,900 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions.
- Free food distribution through partner network Food Distribution Network ManagementDistributes nutritious food to individuals in need across San Diego County through a network of over 300 community organizations, providing more than 31 million meals annually.
- Free food distribution through partner network Food Distribution Network ManagementDistributes nutritious food to individuals in need through a network of over 300 local community organizations, providing more than 31 million meals annually in San Diego County.
- Large-scale food rescue operations Fresh Produce Rescue & DistributionRescues edible, high-quality food from over 780 donor locations and 48 farms, conducting over 900 weekly pickups and rescuing more than 31 million pounds of food annually, preventing it from going to landfills and reducing environmental impact.
- Public Financial Transparency Public Financial Disclosure & Audit ComplianceMakes financial operations transparent by publicly sharing annual reports, audited financial statements, and IRS Form 990s.
- Public financial transparency Public Financial Disclosure & Audit ComplianceMakes financial documents publicly available, including annual reports, audited financials, and IRS Form 990s.
- Seed to Feed Initiative Fresh Produce Rescue & DistributionPurchases fresh produce directly from local San Diego growers through the Seed to Feed Initiative to distribute to families in need, supporting regional agriculture and food access.
- Seed to Feed Initiative Fresh Produce Rescue & DistributionSupports local agriculture and food access by purchasing fresh produce directly from 48 local San Diego County growers for distribution to families in need.
- Support for local agriculture via produce purchasing Fresh Produce Rescue & DistributionOperates the Seed to Feed Initiative, purchasing fresh produce directly from local San Diego growers to distribute to families in need.
strategies · 22
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Collective Action Theory of Change (Butterfly Effect Model) butterfly_effect_modelOperates on a theory of change inspired by the butterfly effect, emphasizing that small, coordinated contributions from individuals and partners can generate large-scale community impact in ending hunger.
- Collective action theory of change butterfly_effect_modelOperates under a butterfly effect-inspired theory of change, emphasizing that small individual and organizational contributions collectively generate large-scale community impact in reducing hunger.
- Collective action theory of change (Butterfly Effect) butterfly_effect_modelOperates on a theory of change inspired by the butterfly effect, emphasizing that small, individual contributions and collective community action can generate large-scale, systemic impact on hunger and food insecurity.
- Community-Based Distribution Network community_partnership_distributionIncreases access to nutritious food by partnering with local community organizations, agencies, and specialty markets, leveraging their on-the-ground presence to distribute food in a culturally responsive and geographically effective manner.
- Community-Supported Nonprofit Funding Model community-supported nonprofit modelRelies on philanthropy and community support to fund operations, functioning as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to sustain food rescue, purchasing, and distribution activities.
- Community-based distribution network community_partnership_distributionExpands food access by partnering with local community organizations, agencies, and specialty markets to distribute food in culturally responsive and geographically appropriate ways, leveraging existing community infrastructure.
- Community-based distribution network community_partnership_distributionIncreases food access and community engagement by partnering with local organizations, including churches, agencies, and specialty markets, to serve as culturally responsive distribution hubs embedded within underserved neighborhoods.
- Community-supported nonprofit funding model community-supported nonprofit modelRelies on philanthropy and community support to fund operations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, enabling sustained food distribution and rescue efforts.
- Community-supported nonprofit funding model community-supported nonprofit modelRelies on philanthropy and community support to fund operations, enabling sustained food distribution and program expansion as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Cost-Efficient Food Acquisition via Bulk Purchasing bulk_purchasingLeverages membership in the Feeding America network to use collective buying power for bulk purchasing of food at significantly reduced costs, improving supply stability and affordability.
- Cost-efficient food acquisition through bulk purchasing bulk_purchasingLowers food procurement costs by leveraging membership in the Feeding America network to buy food in bulk, increasing the volume of food available for distribution.
- Cost-efficient food acquisition via bulk purchasing bulk_purchasingLowers operational costs and increases food supply by leveraging membership in the Feeding America network to purchase food in bulk at reduced prices.
- Environmental Sustainability through Food Waste Reduction sustainable_food_distributionReduces greenhouse gas emissions by diverting surplus food from landfills through rescue and redistribution, aligning hunger relief with climate action.
- Environmental sustainability through food waste reduction sustainable_food_distributionReduces greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact by diverting surplus food from landfills through rescue and redistribution.
- Environmentally sustainable food distribution sustainable_food_distributionReduces greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact by diverting rescued food from landfills, aligning hunger relief with climate sustainability goals.
- Food Rescue and Redistribution as Core Mechanism food_rescue_and_redistributionUses food rescue as a primary strategy to reduce food waste and increase access to nutritious food by rapidly redistributing surplus edible food from donors, farms, and packing sheds through a network of community partners.
- Food rescue and redistribution as primary intervention food_rescue_and_redistributionUses food rescue as a core strategy to reduce food waste and increase access to nutritious meals by rapidly redistributing surplus edible food from donors, farms, and retailers through a network of community partners.
- Food rescue and redistribution as primary intervention food_rescue_and_redistributionUses food rescue as a core strategy to reduce food waste and increase access to nutritious food by rapidly redistributing surplus edible food from donors, farms, and packing sheds through a network of community partners.
- Local Food Sourcing and Agricultural Support local_food_sourcingStrengthens regional food security by purchasing fresh produce directly from San Diego County farmers, supporting local agriculture while providing high-quality food to families in need.
- Support for local food systems local_food_sourcingStrengthens regional food security by purchasing fresh produce directly from San Diego County farmers and integrating local sourcing into distribution, supporting local agriculture while serving food-insecure populations.
- Support for local food systems through direct sourcing local_food_sourcingStrengthens regional food security and supports local agriculture by purchasing fresh produce directly from San Diego County farmers for distribution to food-insecure populations.
- Volunteer Governance and Community Leadership governance_and_leadershipEngages a board of community leaders who provide strategic direction, governance, and fiduciary oversight on a volunteer basis, ensuring community-aligned leadership in advancing the mission.
named programs · 6
what they call their work
CalFresh Outreach
Helps eligible individuals and families apply for CalFresh (SNAP) benefits to improve long-term food security
Feeding San Diego Marketplace
On-site grocery shopping experience at the distribution center where neighbors can access no-cost groceries
Food Rescue
Rescues surplus food from farms, grocery stores, and food manufacturers to distribute to food-insecure individuals; 90% of distributed food is rescued
Mobile & Produce Pantry Distributions
Hosts mobile and produce pantry food distributions throughout San Diego County to increase access to fresh food
Mobile and Produce Pantry Distributions
Hosts mobile and produce pantry events throughout San Diego County to provide direct access to fresh, nutritious food
Seed to Feed Initiative
Partners with local San Diego farms to source fresh produce directly, supporting local agriculture and providing nutritious food to communities in need
relationships · 11
who they work with
- 300+ local community organizations Partner — Distribution partners through which Feeding San Diego provides meals to individuals facing hunger.
- 48 farms and packing sheds Partner — Agricultural partners throughout California that provide fresh produce for food rescue and distribution.
- 780+ food donors Partner — Network of food donor locations across San Diego County that supply surplus food for redistribution.
- Common People Co. Partner — Web design partner responsible for the organization's website.
- Fallbrook Food Pantry Partner — Partner agency that distributes food to individuals in need, such as Alan, a nursing student and client.
- Feeding America Network — Member of the Feeding America national food bank network.
- Feeding America Network — Member of the Feeding America network, accessing product donations and resources.
- Feeding America Network — Member of the Feeding America network, which supports food-insecure households including those with chronic health conditions.
- Feeding America Network — Only Feeding America partner food bank in San Diego County.
- Starbucks Partner — Partner in the FoodShare Program, rescuing surplus food from Starbucks locations for distribution.
- local community and agency partners Partner — Collaborates with local community and agency partners to host free food distributions.