A few days ago, I met with Scody Hage (J. Scofield Hage), President & CEO of the San Diego Food Bank, to talk about our 11th year of partnership with the Run for the Hungry that takes place every Thanksgiving. Our discussion brought to mind all the ways that JFS deals with the issue of hunger. We have programs that provide food directly, like Foodmobile, our congregate meal sites for older adults, and the Hand Up Youth Food Pantry*, but the reality is that almost every program in the agency addresses and deals with alleviating hunger in some way.

An older adult might come to us to enroll in our On the Go transportation program, only for our program staff to discover from their interactions that the client doesn’t have enough food. An individual might come in for counseling when the therapist discovers they haven’t had a good meal in days. When these situations arise—as they do, often—we make sure that person or family receives supplies from the food pantry for a few meals—immediately. As our case managers will tell you, it’s often difficult to make progress solving other issues until the basic need of food is met.

We also think it’s important to have a case manager present at our food distributions. They talk to the individuals receiving food packages to discover if there are other ways JFS can help them.

This is because at JFS, we evaluate a person’s entire situation. It’s only after we meet a client’s immediate needs that we can begin working on other aspects of their life. Often, many programs within JFS will work together to create a lasting plan to get a client back on their feet. That’s just how we operate—whole person, whole solution.

There’s a term that we have been using a lot more lately—food insecurity. It means experiencing periods where you are uncertain if you will have enough food to meet the needs of your family due to insufficient money or resources. And you don’t have to be homeless to be food insecure: even those working full-time jobs can have difficulty putting food on the table. On average, in California, a person would need to make $26.02 an hour to afford a 2-bedroom unit. (Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2012). Minimum wage is $8 an hour.

In San Diego County, more than 460,000 people are food insecure. That’s unacceptable. No one should go hungry. We’ll continue to do our best to meet people’s needs and give them their lives back, and thank you for your support in helping us carry out this mission.

*Since January 1, 2012:

• The Hand Up Youth Food Pantry served 3,341 people, including 428 military families. It distributed 62,098 pounds of non-perishables, 2,898 pounds of frozen meat and 15,756 pounds of fresh produce.
• Hand Up hosted 37 food drives, yielding 9,494 pounds in donated food.
• Foodmobile distributed 16,818 meals to homebound seniors and disabled homebound adults.
• Our Senior Nutrition Program is on track to serve over 66,000 meals this fiscal year.

It’s getting colder and Pumpkin Spice lattes are back at Starbuck’s—fall is definitely around the corner. I figured now is a good time to remind you of our annual United Run for the Hungry 5K/10K on Thanksgiving morning. This event plays an important role in providing food for thousands of hungry families in our community. And it is a great, meaningful way to kick-off the holiday.

When you think of San Diego’s hungry, you probably think of those living on the streets or in shelters. But did you ever consider that your neighbor may be hungry? San Diego’s hungry are all around us. The vast majority are in households with an employed adult. Many are children and senior citizens living on fixed incomes below poverty level.

United Run for the Hungry benefits the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and our very own Foodmobile, which delivers hot, kosher meals to homebound older adults and younger homebound disabled adults.

With 3,900 participants last year, United Run for the Hungry continues to grow because of its great mix of ingredients: an awesome course starting at Petco Park and traveling through the Gaslamp and East Village, fun entertainment, tasty refreshments, and the cause. Be a part of the action on Thanksgiving and show San Diego’s hungry you care. Round up your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and classmates and register as a team. Many come in costume. It is a fun and festive event! Teams of 20 or more who turn in their entries by Friday, October 28 will have their team name printed on the back of their event shirts. Have a four-legged friend who loves to run? Dogs are welcome too!

For more information, visit www.unitedrunforthehungry.org or register now by clicking here.

2010 United Run for the Hungry participants

I bundled up and braved a chilly Thanksgiving morning to check out our 9th Annual Run for the Hungry 5K and 10K, which benefits the San Diego Food Bank and Foodmobile, a home-delivered meal program of JFS. Despite the colder weather, we had 3,840 runners and walkers participate, including a few four-legged friends! Several groups came dressed in costume, including a lively bunch of Indians and turkeys (see below). A huge thank you to all of our sponsors, volunteers, and participants, as well as the merchants and residents of downtown San Diego. This year’s event had a great turnout and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to start Thanksgiving weekend!

Click here to see the rest of our Run for the Hungry photos.

Thank You to our 2010 Run for the Hungry sponsors:

Last week our Foodmobile program was featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune. One of our longest running programs, it is also one of the most impactful.  Hot kosher meals are delivered by specially trained volunteers and paid drivers. Not only do volunteers deliver food, but they provide a friendly visit and conduct a personal and environmental welfare check. If any concerns are noticed, they notify our care management program so that a professional social worker can check out the situation. It’s a great way to keep the elderly in their own homes as long as possible.

Ever tried grocery shopping or cooking with poor eyesight, or bad health? It’s tough. Sometimes nearly impossible. Combine this with an absence of transportation and it’s easy to see why so many elderly members of our community stop eating regular meals altogether. In fact, I just learned that 50% of the elderly who are admitted to a hospital suffer from malnutrition. It’s hard to believe that in the United States today some people need to worry about having enough to eat. Many of our Foodmobile clients have no other food in their homes except what we deliver. Many would have no other visitors other than our volunteers.

For our clients who struggle financially, Foodmobile eliminates a choice many older adults have to make: whether to pay for food, rent, or their medicine. We operate on a sliding scale fee, so our clients only pay what they can afford. This way, no one is turned away.

What a great program to be featured in the Union-Tribune. I hope you take the time to read the article. Click here to see it online>>