The San Diego Foundation and the county of San Diego have awarded $5,563,500 in grants to 43 community-based organizations to help local residents experiencing food insecurity, it was announced Wednesday.
The funding will support “localized, sustainable food production and distribution throughout the region,” a foundation statement read.
“Our partnership with the county of San Diego invests in long-term solutions that benefit community health and our environment while empowering community choice and food sovereignty in low-income communities and communities with limited access to healthy foods,” Foundation President and CEO Mark Stuart said.
“These grants recognize the depth and breadth of impact of our food system — whether it’s addressing food insecurity, improving nutrition or supporting local agriculture in our region.”
Funding for the program comes through a partnership with the county. In 2021, the county Board of Supervisors approved using federal American Rescue Plan Act funding for the program’s development.
In total, the San Diego Foundation received 131 grant applications submitted by nonprofit organizations, schools and government and tribal agencies, totaling $21 million in requests.
“The county’s safety-net services reach one in every three San Diegans, helping ensure our community members have access to nutritious food, services and education,” said Elizabeth Hernandez, the county’s director of Public Health Services. “The incredible work of the organizations selected for this grant will help amplify the county’s food security efforts to equitably reach communities of color and low-income San Diegans.”
The 43 projects selected “represent a wide breadth of nonprofit organizations in San Diego County, from grassroots, volunteer-led efforts to established countywide institutions,” according to the foundation. Targeted groups include food-insecure seniors, students, tribal communities, unsheltered, and refugee and immigrant residents of San Diego County.
More information on the grants and grantees can be found at sdfoundation.org.
City News Service contributed to this article.
