Feeding San Diego's Pairings with a Purpose at Callie unites community, raising over $500,000 to support the non-profit's School Pantry Program. The event, now in its third year, raised funds to help provide one million meals for students and families experiencing food insecurity On February 26, 2026, Feeding San Diego and the restaurant Callie again partnered to welcome 145 guests to the Pairings with a Purpose Dinner Party. The event raised the most funds since its inception, just over $500,000, to support the non-profit's School Pantry Program. The evening included live and silent auctions, a raffle, and a paddle raise. "We are beyond grateful that Callie continues to host this fundraiser and for our donors who showed up so significantly to support this year, getting us to over one million meals in one evening," said Ali Colbran, senior director of development at Feeding San Diego. "The School Pantry Program is vital in communities around the county, and we are so grateful for such an event that brings both awareness and funds to provide hunger relief for kids and families." This is the third year in a row that the event has been held at Callie, the stunning East Village restaurant helmed by Chef Travis Swikard, himself a San Diego native. Travis and his wife Mia, along with the entire Callie staff, were on hand to support this incredible evening, creating a private dining experience for 145 donors. In addition to an exquisite seated three-course meal featuring the restaurant's most revered dishes like Aleppo chicken, Mediterranean octopus, and handmade gnocchi, guests also enjoyed wine pairings with each course, hand-selected by Callie's sommelier Skye Munroe, as well as specialty cocktails, tastings from Elijah Craig, and take-home treats from Magnolia Kitchen & Bakery. This year, there was a surprise for the Callie team. Through the success of hosting Pairings with a Purpose over the past three years, along with their continued year-round commitment through special menu collaborations and ongoing generosity, they have helped raise enough to fully open and sustain a new school pantry for one year. At the event, it was announced that Burbank Elementary in Logan Heights, just a mile and a half from the restaurant, would be taken off the waitlist and sponsored by Callie. At that school, 95% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The new pantry will serve 100 households every month. "I believe in the power of giving, and through hosting the Pairings with a Purpose Dinner Party each year, I can show my team the importance of supporting programs that positively impact our community," said Chef Travis Swikard, owner of Callie. "I am moved that our efforts mean we are able to sponsor Burbank Elementary to ensure students and their families receive the food they need. We look forward to continuing to foster our partnership with Feeding San Diego to bring awareness to this important mission." Following a pandemic-driven reset of the program, Feeding San Diego has been focused on rebuilding and expanding its School Pantry Program since 2022. It is a proven, longstanding hunger-relief program that provides nutritious food to students and their families on school campuses at no cost. For schools to qualify, at least 50% of students must qualify for free or reduced-price meals. In recent years, the program has expanded to 75 K-12 campuses across the county, but more than 50 schools remain on a waitlist to join. This year's Pairings with a Purpose Diner Party committee included Raquel Rogers, Hilary Loretta, Kacey DeBeer, and Mireille Barnard, and the evening was emceed by Troy Johnson, TV host, co-founder of the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival, and co-owner/chief creative officer of San Diego Magazine. Three Plate of Hope sponsors helped make the evening possible: Cal-Mil, Signature Aviation, and TrueCare.

San Diego's leading food relief organizations join forces to protect food access amid historic cuts to food assistance. Download photos/video of the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank here. Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego each receive $1.5M in emergency funding from Prebys Foundation to strengthen region's food security network SAN DIEGO, CA - As historic federal cuts threaten access to food assistance for hundreds of thousands of San Diegans, the Prebys Foundation - in partnership with Feeding San Diego and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank - today announced $3M in emergency funding to protect and strengthen the region's food security network. "When our community safety nets start to fray, as they are now, we must act quickly, and strategically," said Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant. "Preventing hunger among our fellow San Diegans should be non-negotiable, along with sustaining a robust local network of food suppliers and farmers who can keep our neighbors from falling into hunger and malnutrition." With hundreds of thousands of residents at risk of losing food assistance, this investment provides immediate relief to organizations on the frontlines of hunger relief. Each $1.5 million grant will help expand emergency food distribution, support local farms, and ensure equitable access to nutritious food as federal resources diminish. "Our community is very rural, and there are many of us relying on this food," said Deborah Gonzales, Volunteer Site Lead at Feeding San Diego's Mobile Pantry in Boulevard. "This is a community where kids really do go to bed hungry. Food distribution day is my favorite day and has made the struggle a lot less. The fresh produce in particular is amazing and something we would not otherwise have access to." "The San Diego Food Bank serves an average of 400,000 people each month across the county," said San Diego Food Bank CEO Casey Castillo. "When public food benefits shrink, our community feels it immediately. We're anticipating a 60% increase in the monthly meal gap - over seven million missed meals - at a time when federal food supplies are declining. This moment demands that we come together to ensure no one in San Diego goes hungry." "Feeding San Diego rescues and redistributes over 32 million pounds of food annually," said Robert Kamensky, CEO of Feeding San Diego. "This emergency funding enables us to secure fresh, locally grown produce that would otherwise be out of reach and deliver it to families who need it most. It's not only a lifeline for our community - it's an investment in regional farms and the local food economy. Ensuring access to nutritious food is an essential social service that we can provide thanks to the support of the Prebys Foundation." San Diego County is projected to lose more than $300 million annually in government funding, including an estimated $200 million in new costs or cuts to CalFresh, California's version of SNAP. The loss of federal food benefits not only deepens food insecurity, it also removes $260 million from the local economy, jeopardizing both access to food and the livelihoods of small farmers. "When people buy or donate locally, it keeps the whole system alive," said Ellee Igoe, Director of Operations, Foodshed Cooperative. "This support means we can keep growing healthy food right here in San Diego County and make sure it reaches the people who need it most. It's not just about farms - it's about neighbors feeding neighbors." The emergency investment will help offset these losses by providing immediate operational support to strengthen San Diego's food-relief infrastructure and sustain Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) partnerships which connect local growers to community food programs. The grants are part of United for San Diego, a joint philanthropic initiative by Prebys Foundation, Price Philanthropies, and San Diego Foundation, created to support local communities impacted by cuts to federal programs that provide housing, food, and healthcare. "This is about coming together when our neighbors need us the most," added Oliphant. "Through United for San Diego, we're standing with partners who know how to mobilize in moments of crisis - strengthening food access today and building the foundation for a more resilient, equitable food system for the future." United for San Diego also calls on individual donors, companies, and philanthropic partners to join in this coordinated response by donating to the San Diego Unity Fund, helping ensure critical resources remain available for all San Diegans as federal disruptions persist. San Diegans can donate at SDFoundation.org/unity. Established in 2007, Feeding San Diego is the leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization in San Diego County and the only Feeding America partner food bank in the region. The nonprofitFeeding San Diego provides more than 31 million meals every year to children, families, seniors, college students, military families, veterans, people facing homelessness, and other underserved populations. They distribute meals in partnership with more than 350 local charities, schools, faith communities, meal sites, and food pantries throughout the region. Last year, 90% percent of the food distributed by Feeding San Diego was rescued, allowing high-quality food to be redirected instead of going to waste. By diverting more than 32.6 million pounds of food from the landfill each year and using it to feed people facing hunger, Feeding San Diego helps avert 28,986 metric tons of CO2 from being emitted, protecting people and the planet. Learn more at feedingsandiego.org. About the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank: Founded in 1977, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County. Serving as the region's food safety net, the organization provides food to people in need, advocates for the hungry and educates the public about hunger-related issues. Through a network of direct service programs and more than 450 nonprofit partners, the Food Bank serves an average of 400,000 people every month. In fiscal year 2025, the organization distributed over 52 million pounds of food - equivalent to more than 43.3 million meals. Learn more at sandiegofoodbank.org and follow Prebysfdn @sdfoodbank.

Rotisserie Affair Catering has chosen Feeding San Diego as its partner for Del Mar Wine + Food Festival.