On Saturday, October 3, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank hosted three events as part of San Diego Climate Week, a weeklong series of locally hosted events that spotlight regional climate solutions and advance climate justice. About 50 people joined us for a community panel on local food systems, a behind-the-scenes tour of our Miramar warehouse, and a hands-on volunteer shift. For many, it was their first time at the Food Bank.
Food is where climate and hunger meet. How food is grown, transported, and recovered shapes our environment, and it also shapes whether neighbors can put healthy meals on the table. Approximately one in four San Diego County residents experiences nutrition insecurity, according to the San Diego Hunger Coalition, and we serve approximately 400,000 San Diegans each month. Providing nutritious food is the heart of our mission. Helping our community understand the challenges and opportunities in our local food system is another important part of our work.
San Diego Climate Week at a Glance
- What: Three events hosted by the San Diego Food Bank: a local food panel, a warehouse tour, and a volunteer shift
- When: Saturday, October 3, 2026
- Where: San Diego Food Bank, Miramar
- Panelists: Matt Kissel of Foodshed Cooperative, Jill Galante of Helping Empower Community Refugees, and Amy Eilts and Michael Catalano of the San Diego Food Bank
- Attendance: About 50 community members
The Panel: Local Food, Local Solutions
Building on the momentum of our local sourcing partnerships, we brought together community leaders for “Local Food, Local Solutions: A Local Food Panel with Community Leaders.” The conversation explored the environmental benefits of local food systems and the partnerships, infrastructure, and community relationships it takes to make locally produced food accessible to neighbors across San Diego County.
Strengthening Networks of Local Farmers
Matt Kissel, General Manager of Foodshed Cooperative, described how the cooperative builds capacity among local farmers. That work includes technical assistance, help finding new market channels, and programs that promote community health through partnerships with health care groups and school nutrition education.
Building Trust to Improve Food Access for Newcomer Families
Jill Galante, a volunteer with Helping Empower Community Refugees, shared what she has learned working alongside families who are refugees or recent immigrants settling in San Diego County. Jill emphasized that meaningful connection takes time, trust, and community relationships, and she described the barriers families can face when trying to access healthy food. Sourcing food from the Food Bank, she explained, allows her organization to spend more of its energy meeting neighbors’ needs directly.
Meeting the Needs of a Large, Diverse County
Amy Eilts, Senior Director of Programs at the San Diego Food Bank, gave an overview of hunger in San Diego County, the programs we use to reach neighbors, and the practical challenges of serving a region this large and varied. She also highlighted innovative partnerships, including fresh fruit and vegetable distributions with tribal partners, as examples of solutions that are already working and can grow.
Sourcing Food That Fits Every Table and Keeping Waste Out of Landfills
Michael Catalano, Director of Food Sourcing at the San Diego Food Bank, walked through our sourcing strategy. Nutritious food matters, Michael explained, and so does variety, because neighbors across the county have different cultural and dietary needs. He also described how we work with local ranchers to divert food that isn’t fit for people to eat away from the landfill, and how our compost machine turns the remaining food that can’t be salvaged into compost.
Together, the panelists made a clear case: Local food supply chains depend on relationships built and maintained across sectors. When farmers, community organizations, food banks, and neighbors work together, the benefits of a strong regional food system reach every corner of San Diego County.
Behind the Scenes: Touring Our Miramar Warehouse
After the panel, guests took a behind-the-scenes tour of our Miramar warehouse, where they saw the green initiatives that help us reduce waste every day. Stops included our in-house composting and recycling center and an overview of our partnerships with local animal ranchers.
Guests also learned how food recovery works through our Fresh Rescue Program, how donated food is sorted, and how our warehouse is designed for energy efficiency. Along the way, they heard how collaborations with farms, businesses, and community organizations help us provide fresh, nutritious food throughout the county. Last year, those partnerships helped us distribute nearly 51 million pounds of food, the equivalent of more than 42.4 million meals.
Hands-On Hunger Relief: A Volunteer Shift
The day wrapped up with a staff-led volunteer shift in our Miramar warehouse, where guests helped move food quickly and safely to our community. Volunteers sorted and bagged fresh fruits and vegetables, packed food boxes for older adults through our Senior Food Program, and sorted donated food into household-sized packages ready for distribution.
Growing San Diego’s Local Food System Together
Thank you to our panelists, partners, and every guest who spent their Saturday with us. A stronger, more sustainable food system for San Diego County is one we build together, and there are plenty of ways to stay involved.
You can see our operations firsthand on a Food Bank tour, sign up for an upcoming volunteer shift on your own or with your team, or learn more about the green initiatives that reduce waste across our operations. Every donation helps us source the fresh, nutritious, and culturally relevant food our neighbors need.