The San Diego Food Bank was honored to host United States Senator Adam Schiff at our Miramar warehouse earlier this month. During his visit, Senator Schiff met with San Diego Food Bank CEO Casey Castillo, to discuss the state of hunger in San Diego County, then toured the Food Bank’s warehouse, where he learned firsthand about our programs, distribution network, and partnerships that make it possible for us to reach over 400,000 San Diegans every month. Senator Schiff also joined volunteers in bagging fresh produce and packing Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) bags headed to a distribution site.
After the tour, Senator Schiff and Casey were joined by Ellee Igoe from Foodshed Cooperative for a media Q&A. Together, they highlighted the impact of recent federal cuts to the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program and EFAP. These cuts have real consequences: LFPA previously enabled the Food Bank to deliver 933 boxes of locally sourced produce each week to families through our Mobile Pantry and Neighborhood Distribution Programs, and EFAP recipients are now receiving fewer USDA-provided items in their food bags — just 11, compared to 15 earlier this year.
As federal investments in safety net programs decline while demand for food assistance continues to rise, his visit comes at a critical time. Working in partnership with policymakers is essential in the fight against hunger, and we look forward to partnering with him — and all our elected leaders — to identify sustainable, long-term hunger-relief solutions.
