What does 5,000 pounds of food look like? For the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank’s community partner Love Does, it looks like a refrigerated truck rolling through San Diego neighborhoods three days a week, delivering meals, dignity, and connection.
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in San Diego, Love Does operates around the globe with a simple mission: to love their neighbors. That mission extends locally through its food program, which distributes groceries three days a week to nearly 500 San Diegans. Unlike a traditional pantry, Love Does brings food directly to where people live, using a refrigerated truck as a mobile pantry.
“We don’t have one central site where people come to us,” explains Nate, a program manager with Love Does. “We pack our truck full of Food Bank food and take it out into the community — to churches, schools, senior homes, and apartment complexes. We set up wherever the need is.”
That mobility means Love Does reaches families who might otherwise struggle to access services. Each week, the team goes door-to-door to about 80 households in addition to hosting larger distributions with community partners.
The partnership with the Food Bank makes those deliveries possible. Through our Food to Nonprofits Program, Love Does shops by appointment at our Food Center in Miramar to self-select items that best suit the unique needs of those they serve, from produce and bread to dairy products, meats, and grains.
“We rarely leave the Food Bank with less than 3,500 pounds of food,” says Marcus, another Love Does program manager. “Most days we’re maxed out at 5,000 pounds, which is as much as our truck can carry.”
Behind every pound of food are stories of connection. Nate recalls meeting David, a father from Haiti who came up to their truck during a distribution. He didn’t speak English, so he called his brother to translate. After learning about his family’s need, Love Does stopped by his home, expecting to drop off a single bag of groceries. Instead, they found a lively backyard full of neighborhood children. Parents in the neighborhood had come together, leaving their kids in one trusted place while they went to work.
“We realized right away the food needed to stretch much further,” Nate says. “Thankfully, we had extra that day, and now we return each week to help make sure all those kids have food for lunch and breakfast a few days a week.”
Among the many families served is Melanie’s, a 10-year-old in Mira Mesa who has formed a special bond with the team. Week after week, she welcomes the Love Does truck, then sends the team off with a wave and a heartfelt reminder to drive safe. At her school’s back-to-school night, she spotted their truck from across the parking lot, grabbed her friends, and proudly introduced them: “These are the guys who bring food to my house every week.”
For Nate and Marcus, these relationships are what make the work meaningful. “Food is critical,” Marcus explains, “but it’s also a way to build trust. It opens the door for us to care for families in other ways, such as providing diapers (also from the Food Bank), or even bringing a fan to help a family with a newborn get through a heat wave.”
While the need in San Diego continues to grow, the Food Bank’s partnership with Love Does helps families know they are not forgotten.
“The Food Bank’s tagline, ‘Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope,’ really resonates with us,” Nate reflects. “Yes, we’re filling bellies. But we’re also reminding people they matter, that they’re seen and valued.”
Partnerships like this are only possible because of the generosity of our supporters. When you give to the Food Bank, you make sure trucks are filled, families are nourished, and neighbors across San Diego know they are not alone.