News Bites: December 2024

Setting the Holiday Table

Holiday meals are symbolic of so many things. Love. Family. Togetherness. As the year winds down, it’s clear that no matter how challenging things may be, there is so much joy that can come from gathering with your loved ones and enjoying a meal together. There are many people right here in San Diego County who are living with hunger this year, and Feeding San Diego is here to provide nutritious meals at no cost to anyone in need. Since mid-November, our organization has been hosting holiday food distributions throughout the county, in addition to the hundreds of food distributions that are held regularly. Seeing volunteers hand out turkeys and traditional holiday foods to our neighbors, we are reminded of the significant role food plays in our daily lives. Read more about the impact of this year’s holiday food distributions.

Listening To Our Neighbors

With inflation, the cost of food has gone really high, so we’re definitely trying to find other resources to cope with the high prices in food. I feel very grateful [for this food distribution], especially now in the holidays where a lot of expenses come with this time. There's been a lot of financial setbacks. We try not to let it affect our family and our kids, but, trying to find these resources to help us so that the kids don't really feel it. It's been quite a bit of a struggle this year. Hopefully, after the holidays, it will get better. We want to make it special for them so that they don't feel like anything's different. I feel like there's a lot of families that do require these resources, and sometimes we may be a little timid because it's kind of hard going out there and asking.

GivingTuesday Gratitude & Year End Appeal

We are grateful for the outpouring of support shown this GivingTuesday! Between our annual telethon with ABC 10News and online giving, we raised funds to provide 852,184 meals to our neighbors in need. While GivingTuesday propelled us into our holiday giving goals, we're still 700,000 meals short of our year-end goal. Whether it's $5 or $500, every dollar counts. If you give before the end of the year, your donation will double (up to $100,000) thanks to an anonymous donor. Thank you for making our mission possible.

Shop & Dine Out for a Cause

Did you know you can support Feeding San Diego when you shop and dine out this holiday season? We make it simple to support our mission with numerous partnerships that allow you to give back. This year’s opportunities include rounding up at the register at Crate & Barrel, giving back with your order at The Fish Market Restaurants and Regents Pizzeria , and more. Check out all the ways to give back through the end of the year.

Maximizing Your End of Year Gifts

We are so grateful for your generosity all year long and hope this newsletter will help you see the impact of your involvement with our organization. It truly takes all of us to address the problems of hunger and food waste and create a consistent positive impact in our communities. If you’re looking to make an end-of-year gift before 2024 ends, there are many ways to maximize your gifts as the calendar year comes to a close. Learn more about end-of-year giving opportunities.

Quick Bites

• Every month we offer a tour of our facilities for people looking to learn more about our organization and how they can get involved. Join us for our next tour on Thursday, January 9 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Register here.
• Historically, January is a slower month when it comes to the number of people who volunteer. Consider this your reminder that we need volunteers all year long! Learn more about different volunteer opportunities with our organization.
• Until the end of the year, you can double your impact on families and individuals facing hunger in San Diego County. An anonymous donor will match every dollar you give up to $100,000, making your support go twice as far. Every $1 given before January 1 doubles to help provide four meals to the community!