It Takes a Community
September is Hunger Action Month. You may know someone struggling with food scarcity, even if you don’t realize it.
At Community Resource Center (CRC), we see food insecurity every day. One in four San Diegans doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from, according to San Diego Hunger Coalition. That includes an estimated 218,000 children and 182,000 older adults. These aren’t just statistics. They are our neighbors. Each month, more than 600 local households rely on CRC to put food on the table.
What Food Insecurity Means
Food insecurity means unreliable access to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life. For local households, this can show up as constant trade-offs to get through the week:
- Seniors skipping meals
- Families choosing cheaper, less nutritious food
- Parents eating less so kids can eat
With high grocery prices, rising costs and coming reductions to CalFresh benefits, more neighbors are turning to CRC’s client-choice pantry. In 2024, weekly food assistance to seniors rose 64% compared to the previous year.
How Food Rescue Works
CRC’s Food & Nutrition Center rescues thousands of pounds of surplus food each year, providing essential support to families, seniors and individuals experiencing homelessness. This work is made possible by the generosity of our food rescue and program partners, who donate food, personal care items and more to ensure no resource goes to waste. The process includes:
- Donations: Food that would otherwise go to waste is donated by local food rescue partners, including grocery stores and organizations dedicated to alleviating food insecurity.
- Collection: Items are picked up by our truck or donated directly to our pantry.
- Sorting: Volunteers sort and stock the food at our pantry.
- Distribution: Households in need select food at our pantry.
- Compost: Unusable food is composted.
This process keeps good food out of landfills and nourishes those in need.
How You Can Help
- Advocate: Learn more about Hunger Action Month and ways to get involved.
- Give: Support CRC by making a donation during our Sustaining Hope Campaign or donate non-perishable food and personal care items.
- Volunteer: Contact us about group volunteer opportunities at our pantry at volunteer@crcncc.org.
- Host a Drive or Fundraiser: Learn more about hosting a food or personal care items drive. You can also help by partnering with us for a give-back fundraiser. To learn more, please contact us at Development@crcncc.org.
- Share: Point someone to CRC’s services if they need support.
Together, we can turn excess into enough and make sure every neighbor has access to the resources they need to live with dignity.
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