Event to help families affected by Coronavirus and to accept food donations

San Diego CA— Saddleback San Diego Church a Christian church that meets in Carmel Valley, will host a pop-up food bank offering free canned and nonperishable food items for families living in Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Encinitas and Carlsbad who have been affected by COVID-19.
The pop-up food bank will be distributing free food items between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday, April 6 and Monday, April 20, at the Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch, a regional retail center at 13490 Pacific Highlands Ranch Parkway, San Diego. The location of the Saddleback food bank will be a grassy area in the eastern area of the shopping center, near the Breakfast Republic restaurant.
Church officials will staff the pop-up food bank not only to provide free items to families seeking assistance as a result of financial losses due to COVID-19, but also will accept donations of food items from the public. Donations will be accepted starting at 9:45 a.m. and will continue until 1 p.m. on April 6 and 20, the same two Mondays in April, at the same retail center location.
Donated items can include spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, canned meat, canned soup, canned vegetables, cereal, pasta, rice, powered milk and infant formula, toothpaste and toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner, hand sanitizer and wipes, bar soap, mouthwash, cough drops and supplements, such as Emergen-C. Additional donations requested include children’s toys, stuffed animals and fidget spinners for children.
Since 2016, the church has been meeting Sunday mornings at Canyon Crest Academy, a high school at 5951 Village Center Loop Road, San Diego, which is across the street from the Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch retail center.
Phil Sanchez serves as campus pastor at Saddleback San Diego. “Saddleback is committed to a culture of service and support of families in all communities, especially during this time of the coronavirus pandemic,” he said. “As we collaborate as a caring church family to provide this free food bank, we also invite everyone to donate items to help us build and sustain healthy and well-nourished lives. Hunger and food insecurity exists around every corner in San Diego. Join us as we serve as the hands and feet of Jesus as a light to families who are discouraged and need hope and encouragement at this unprecedented time of uncertainty, stress and discouragement for many.”
For more information, contact Marsha Tom, Saddleback Church campus coordinator, (858) 519-1754, or e-mail at MarshaT@saddleback.com, or visit www.saddleback.com/sandiego.
Saddleback San Diego is part of Saddleback Church, headquartered in Lake Forest, Calif. and founded in a living room in 1980 by Rick and Kay Warren. With more than 40,000 members, Saddleback Church is one church that meets at many locations, including 14 different campuses throughout Southern California, four international campuses in Hong Kong, Berlin, Buenos Aires in Argentina and Manila in the Philippines and more than 8,000 home small groups, along with an online campus where thousands of people from across the global join weekly to watch live. The church offers more than 200 community ministries and support groups for parents, families, children, couples, prisoners, addicts, and people living with HIV, depression and other illnesses.