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| PRESS RELEASES |
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| San Diego Food Bank Announces Significant Gains Further Stabilizing Organization’s Future
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| California State Contracts Awarded to San Diego Food Bank
Major Food Supply Support from VONS to Provide 1.5 to 2 Million Pounds per Year
New Executive Officers Slate Announced for 2008
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San Diego, Calif. - Friday, October 5, 2007 – The San Diego Food Bank (SDFB), a critical resource for alleviating hunger throughout the San Diego County, today announced a roster of significant news updates in a press conference held at its headquarters.
New developments included news on the impending transfer of contracts awarded by the state directly to the SDFB that provide necessary food and resources for needy seniors, mothers and their children; a new source of major food supply from VONS; and important updates on the progress of the organization’s leadership in stabilizing the organization.
The SDFB announced two significant achievements in regard to their efforts to boost food supply: (1) two major government food contracts with the State of California – the Emergency Food Assistance Program and Commodity Supplemental Food Program and (2) a new food supply agreement from VONS.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a Federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food and nutrition assistance at no cost, has been officially awarded to SDFB as an independent organization in agreement with the California Department of Social Services, Neighborhood House Association and SDFB.
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) works to improve the health of low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women, new mothers up to one year postpartum, infants, children up to age 6 and elderly people at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA commodity foods.
Combined, these two programs account for 6.8 million pounds of food that support San Diego’s hungry each year. Both agreements are expected to be in place by Nov. 1, 2007. With over 130 distribution sites, these programs serve 43,000 individuals each month. Both contracts are for three-year terms. *See Transfer of Government Contracts to SDFB document below.
Jackson continued to announce more positive developments at the conference. In a new partnership with VONS, the SDFB will now be receiving food weekly. Every Thursday, VONS will be delivering a truckload of non-perishable food items to SDFB, which the food bank will then distribute among its 260 charities and distributors. The partnership increases SDFB’s food supply by an estimated 1.5 to 2 million pounds of food each year. In addition to food supply support, VONS and SDFB also have joint plans for various fundraisers and food drives to be held throughout the upcoming months.
The press conference ended with the announcement of the new slate of executive officers for the SDFB Board of Directors. The board will continue to be led by Chairman Mitch Mitchell, Regional Vice President of External Affairs, San Diego Gas & Electric, with Stephen Cushman, President, Cush Enterprises as SDFB Board President.
“We are working diligently on course as reflected by our achievements shared today,” said Mitchell. “I am confident that the new leadership under the direction of Steve Cushman and the executive slate will continue this positive momentum to guide the organization to a more stable and positive future.”
The new slate of executive officers is led by Steve Cushman as president, who brings unmatched leadership experience and knowledge to the position. His fellow executive officers include:
- Larry Cleary, Vice President and General Manager, Construction Equipment for Qualcomm Incorporated as SDFB Board Secretary / Treasurer
- Mitch Berner, President, Public Solutions and
- Marlyn Denter, Director of Public Affairs, VONS as SDFB Board Co-Vice Chairs
- Richard Friedlen, President and CEO, SYSCO Food Services and
- Jennifer Perkins, Director of Marketing, Eat Drink Sleep as SDFB Board Members at Large
“The staff is elated by all of our recent achievements and we are all extremely grateful and impressed by the level of commitment demonstrated by each board member,” said Jackson. “They truly appreciate the significant role they play in the future of the organization and with the 260 charities that count on the San Diego Food Bank for food and resources.”
In San Diego County, more than 813,000 individuals will experience some form of food insecurity this year. As the central repository and distribution point for 30 years, SDFB is a critical component to the welfare of a large population of San Diegans.
“It’s encouraging to see the hard work of the staff, volunteers and board come to fruition,” continued Jackson. “These accomplishments show our progress in the right direction, but in order to accomplish all the goals we set out for the food bank, we know we have much more work to do; this is just the beginning.”
About San Diego Food Bank
Established in 1977, the San Diego Food Bank is a critical component to the welfare of San Diego County, providing food to people in need, advocating for the hungry and educating the public about hunger-related issues. Through a combination of government programs and partnerships with more than 260 San Diego County non-profit charities, SDFB acts as a central repository and distribution point for government and donated food. Funded by foundations, grants, USDA, corporations, sponsors and individual donors, SDFB distributes more than 10 million pounds of food annually to individuals, families and a network of non-profit organizations that work to alleviate hunger throughout the county. For more information, please visit www.sandiegofoodbank.org.
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