Campaign To Address Hunger for Children and Their Families During Summer Months

Annual campaign to support the one in four children who now face hunger due to COVID-19

San Diego CA— Feeding San Diego launched its annual Fuel for Summer (feedingsandiego.org/fuelforsummer) campaign, presented by Ford Motor Company Fund (fordfund.org) and San Diego County Ford Dealers, to ensure that children across San Diego County can access the nutrition they need to grow and thrive over the summer months. With one in four children now facing hunger due to COVID-19, the need is more significant than ever before.
“Feeding San Diego estimates a 50 percent increase in hunger across San Diego County due to the COVID-19 crisis. Sadly, children are the most vulnerable,” said Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego. “With support from the community, our Fuel for Summer campaign can help provide vital nutrition for children and their families at a time when so many things are uncertain.”
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Feeding San Diego is providing meals to children and their families through 11 youth meal sites that provide 25,000 meals weekly and an additional 15 meal sites with 3,500 food boxes weekly in partnership with local school districts, including San Diego Unified School District, Cajon Valley Union School District, and Escondido Union High School District. Further, the organization continues to operate seven school pantries and provide hundreds of community distributions throughout the county. The Fuel for Summer campaign will help raise critical funds to support these programs over the summer months and beyond.
San Diegans can support the Fuel for Summer campaign by making a gift to Feeding San Diego at feedingsandiego.org, or by supporting a benefit event or partner campaign:

• Fuel for Summer Day of Giving: Tune in and donate during a Day of Giving, hosted by NBC7 and Telemundo, on Friday, June 12. Ford Motor Company Fund is generously matching gifts up to $25,000.
• Food from the Bar: San Diego’s legal community is helping to provide meals to children and their families. Law firms, in-house counsel, and legal departments can register to compete to raise funds through June 15.
• SWITCHFOOT BRO-AM: Hosted by Drew Shirley and Chris Cote, the 16th annual event will be live streamed on Saturday, June 27, at 5:00 PM and will include surf highlights and live music by SWITCHFOOT, NEEDTOBREATHE, Judah and the Lion, and Colony House. Tickets are available at switchfoot.com.
• Pitch-in with the Padres: Join Fuel for Summer supporting sponsor, The Padres Foundation, in its Pitch in with the Padres campaign that encourages fans to help match an initial gift of $10,000, with the goal of raising 100,000 meals for children and their families facing hunger.
• Jersey Mike’s: On August 3 and 4, Jersey Mike’s will donate 20 percent of sales to Feeding San Diego, including online and instore purchases at 48 locations in San Diego County.

“At Jersey Mike’s, we are very passionate about giving back. These are such unprecedented times, and it hurts to know that one in four kids in our community now faces hunger,” said Cathy Brown, Jersey Mike’s Area Director and Franchise Owner. “We want to be there for kids all across San Diego County and let them know that we care for them. We look forward to not only helping financially with our giving but also to raise awareness that there is such a great need, right here in our community.”
Feeding San Diego was also the beneficiary of Feed the Need Drive-in Concerts at Petco Park on June 7. The landmark music events were the first of their kind since March’s shelter-in-place orders.
Additional partners and events will continue to be announced throughout the duration of the campaign.