San Diego food banks granted $3 million to counter federal funding cuts

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego each received $1.5 million in emergency funding from the Prebys Foundation on Thursday to counter federal funding cuts.

San Diego County is projected to lose an estimated $200 million in funding for CalFresh, California’s version of SNAP, the federal food assistance program previously known as food stamps.

“When our community safety nets start to fray, as they are now, we must act quickly, and
strategically,” said Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant. “Preventing hunger among our
fellow San Diegans should be non-negotiable, along with sustaining a robust local network of
food suppliers and farmers who can keep our neighbors from falling into hunger and
malnutrition.”

Each $1.5 million grant will help expand emergency food distribution, support local farms, and “ensure equitable access to nutritious food as federal resources diminish,” according to the foundation.

“The San Diego Food Bank serves an average of 400,000 people each month across the
county,” said Food Bank CEO Casey Castillo. “We’re anticipating a 60% increase in the monthly meal gap — over seven million missed meals — at a time when federal food supplies are declining.”

The grants are part of United for San Diego, a joint philanthropic initiative by the Prebys Foundation, Price Philanthropies, and the San Diego Foundation, created to support local communities impacted by cuts to federal programs that provide housing, food, and healthcare.

San Diegans can donate at SDFoundation.org/unity.