Fairgrounds Teams Up with San Diego Food Bank to Distribute Food to 1,000 Families
The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is stepping up to feed a growing number of vulnerable families and seniors during the COVID-19 crisis with drive-thru food distribution sites.
The Del Mar Fairgrounds partnered with the San Diego Food Bank to host an Emergency Food Distribution event on April 3, helping more than a thousand families in need. Assembly member Todd Gloria and Del Mar Fairgrounds staff served alongside Food Bank staff and volunteers to package and distribute the food to guests in their vehicles on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The drive-thru food distribution event followed social distancing guidelines, as workers wore masks and gloves to distribute food package directly into vehicle trunks while guests remained in their vehicles. Each food package totaled approximately 25 pounds and included canned protein, canned fruits, canned vegetables, whole grain food items, shelf-stable foods, nonperishable foods, and fresh vegetables and fruits. In addition, families were provided toilet paper, paper towels and baby wipes.
Thankful guests could be seen waving at volunteers and honking horns in appreciation as cars weaved through the parking lot at the Fairgrounds.
The San Diego Food Bank feeds about 350,000 people each month, but since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, Food Bank CEO Jim Floros says that number has nearly doubled.
