Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank

Congratulations to our Employee of the Month, Belen Gonzalez! 👏 As the Food Bank’s Social & Multimedia Manager, Belen helps connect our community to the mission of the Food Bank through impactful storytelling, creative content, and digital engagement. Having been part of the Food Bank team for almost six years, Belen is deeply passionate about the work we do and the impact it has on families across San Diego County. She was nominated for exemplifying the Food Bank’s core values through her dedication to sharing impactful stories, collaborating across departments, and finding innovative ways to strengthen the organization’s digital presence and community connection. “I find the most rewarding part of my role to be telling stories that highlight the hope, dignity, and impact behind the Food Bank’s work,” Belen shares. From capturing moments at distributions to creating videos and sharing stories that inspire support throughout the community, Belen’s work helps bring awareness to food insecurity across San Diego County. A big round of applause to Belen! Thank you for all that you do. #EmployeeOfTheMonth #Kudos #FoodBank

What an incredible day of community coming together. From neighbors leaving bags of food by their mailboxes to letter carriers collecting donations across San Diego County, this year’s National Association of Letter Carriers’ Food Drive to "Stamp Out Hunger” was a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we work together for our community. In partnership with NALC Branch 70, we are anticipating more than 100,000 pounds of donated food, making this year’s drive an even greater success in helping support local families experiencing food insecurity across San Diego County. Thank you to the incredible letter carriers, volunteers, supporters, and every individual who donated. Your generosity will help provide food and hope to neighbors in need. As the need for food assistance continues to rise, partnerships and community-driven efforts like this make a lasting impact. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s drive possible. A special thank you to our Sponsors & Partners: San Diego Gas & Electric San Diego County Building & Construction Trades Council Family Housing Corp UFCW Local 135 John S. Lyons Memorial Foundation Teamsters Local Union No. 542 Community Resource Center Porchlight Community Services The Community Food Connection Santee Food Bank Palomar Faculty Federation Calvary Chapel La Mesa

May is CalFresh Awareness Month 🍏 CalFresh (SNAP) is one of the most effective tools to fight hunger, helping individuals and families across San Diego County access nutritious food and essential support. As food insecurity continues to impact our community, raising awareness and connecting neighbors to available resources is more important than ever. The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank stands ready to serve. Through food distributions, CalFresh outreach, and partnerships across the region, we remain committed to helping ensure no one is left behind. You can support our community by: • Sharing this post • Donating funds or nonperishable food • Volunteering your time If you have questions regarding CalFresh (SNAP), please contact our CalFresh Outreach Team at (858) 863-5177.

Every meal shared, every child supported, every family served, it’s all possible because a community comes together in different ways. Our 14th Annual Gala was an evening centered on compassion, generosity, and a shared commitment to ensuring our neighbors across San Diego County have access to nutritious food. Together, our community raised more than $1.5 million to help support critical hunger-relief programs across San Diego County. To everyone who attended, donated, volunteered, and believed in our mission: thank you. Because of you, we can continue serving hundreds of thousands of people each month and providing hope to families facing food insecurity. Together, we are building a stronger, healthier community for all.

Through our College Hunger-Relief Program, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is helping ensure college students have access to the nutritious food they need to succeed, both in and out of the classroom. Partnerships like the Associated Students, Inc. of CSUSM, Cougar Pantry, help us reach students facing food insecurity and remove one less barrier standing in the way of their education and future. We’re proud to support students as they focus on learning, growing, and thriving. Together, we’re creating healthier futures for the next generation.

Save the Date! Join us for the 34th annual Letter Carriers’ #StampOutHunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 9, the largest one-day food drive in the nation. It’s a simple way to make a big impact. Place a bag of non-perishable food by your mailbox and your letter carrier will do the rest. All donations will directly support the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, helping provide nutritious meals to neighbors facing food insecurity across San Diego County. Together, we can help ensure families in our community have access to the food they need. Stay tuned for more details on how to get involved! 💚

We’re proud to share that our CEO, Casey Castillo, was named CEO of the Year in the Nonprofit Category by the San Diego Business Journal. This well-deserved recognition reflects Casey’s leadership, vision, and deep commitment to serving our community, but it also represents the collective impact of our entire team working together every day to fight hunger across San Diego County. Congratulations, Casey! We’re grateful for your leadership and proud to be part of this work alongside you.

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank was proud to join over 200 advocates from across California in Sacramento for the California Hunger Action Coalition's (CHAC) annual Hunger Action Day — urging state legislators to protect and strengthen food assistance programs at a moment when federal cuts make state leadership more critical than ever. Senior Manager of Government Affairs and Advocacy, and Chair of CHAC, Mauricio Medina met with legislative staff and advocated for funding for two critical programs that the Food Bank administers: CalFood and Diaper Banking. Events like Hunger Action Day connect policymakers directly with advocates and community members with lived experience of hunger by giving them the chance to hear firsthand about the need in their communities and the real impact that bills and budget decisions have on their lives. Together with our partners across California, we remain committed to championing effective solutions that protect our communities from hunger. #HungerActionDay

A decade of partnership. A lasting impact. This Volunteer Appreciation Week, we’re celebrating Bill Howe Plumbing, Heating & Air, Restoration & Flood for their continued dedication, volunteering with us every single month and helping make a difference in the lives of our neighbors. Your consistency, compassion, and commitment do not go unnoticed. Thank you for being part of this work. 💚 Interested in volunteering with your organization? Learn more: https://lnkd.in/d4HHSvbU