Each month, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank provides food to an average of 400,000 people across San Diego County through a network of 450 nonprofit partners, reaching neighborhoods across the region, including deep rural communities. In East San Diego County’s backcountry, those efforts are often strengthened by neighbors who help ensure food reaches families who need it most.
And in the summer months, when school meals disappear and grocery bills rise, that need only grows.
In Campo, Loramy, a mom of seven, has quietly become a lifeline for families around her. She is someone who understands firsthand what it means to need a little extra support. Loramy first heard about the Food Bank’s local distributions through a neighbor a few years ago. She initially showed up to access food for her own family, but quickly saw a bigger need.
“We started thinking about the people who couldn’t get there,” she says. “The sick, the shut-in, the disabled, families without transportation, or parents who were working and couldn’t make it.”
Today, she’s part of a small network of four women who volunteer to regularly pick up food from Food Bank-supported distributions and help deliver it across rural East County — from Campo to Potrero, Boulevard to Lake Morena — reaching families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access it.
“We started picking up not only for our own families, but for others too,” she says.
In these parts of the region, even accessing food distributions can be a challenge. Many families live miles from the nearest grocery store, rely heavily on cars to get around, and face rising gas prices that make everyday trips difficult.
“It’s not easy for people,” she says. “Most people are really trying to do their best, but they just need assistance.”
But during the summer, those challenges intensify, and the Food Bank’s role becomes even more critical.
“When school’s out, kids aren’t getting breakfast or lunch at school, and even after-school snacks go away,” she says. “During the summer, all of that is cut off.”
For families already stretched thin, that gap can be overwhelming. With five children still at home, several of them athletes, Loramy sees that need in her own kitchen.
“They’re like a bottomless pit,” she says with a laugh. The food she picks up, including fresh produce, pantry staples, and other essentials, helps stretch meals not only for her own family, but for dozens of others she supports.
Through that volunteer work, she’s seen just how much families are navigating, including people living in tents or trailers without utilities, parents with multiple young children, and neighbors who depend on every bit of support they receive. But what stands out just as much is the dignity.
“I’ll come by with food, and people only take what they need,” she says. “Then they’ll say, ‘I’ve got a friend who could really use this — can you take some to them?’”
Across the community, that spirit carries through. Families share recipes, swap ideas, and find creative ways to make the most of the food they receive via a Facebook group.
“It’s so cool,” Loramy says. “You get to see different ideas for how to use what you get. It brings us together, even if it’s just online.”
For her own family, the support matters too, especially when it comes to fresh food.
“All of the produce really helps me offer my kids different options,” she says.
When asked what she wants donors to know, especially during the summer months, Loramy doesn’t hesitate.
“It doesn’t go to waste,” she says. “It’s a necessity. It’s a lifeline for some people. And I don’t think people realize how many children are in need… especially out here.”
For families like those Loramy supports, access to food isn’t extra. It’s essential.