Feeding San Diego named 2026 Non-Profit of the Year by San Diego Business Chamber. San Diego County's only Feeding America partner food bank recognized for rescuing surplus food as affordability challenges drive rising demand Feeding San Diego, the leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization in San Diego County, has been named the 2026 Nonprofit of the Year by San Diego Business Chamber, formerly known as the San Diego North Chamber of Commerce. This award is part of the Chamber's 2026 Leadership Awards, held annually. The announcement was made during the organization's annual Celebration of Business event, held at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, on June 24. "As a proud member of the San Diego Business Chamber, we're honored to be recognized for the work we do for our community," said Feeding San Diego CEO Bob Kamensky. "As a nonprofit organization, our mission requires the support of the greater San Diego community - businesses, government, private donors, volunteers, and other non-profits. By raising awareness within the business community, we can develop collaborative partnerships - whether financial or through volunteerism - that help us better serve San Diegans facing food insecurity. Given these turbulent times related to social services relief, these partnerships become that much more important." Founded by philanthropist Gwendolyn Sontheim in 2007, Feeding San Diego is the only Feeding America partner food bank in the region. The nonprofit works with a vast network of food donors to rescue surplus food and get it to people facing hunger. Through this sustainable model, Feeding San Diego serves more than 31 million meals annually to children, families, seniors, college students, military families, and veterans in partnership with a network of more than 350 local charities, schools, colleges, faith communities, health care providers, and meal sites. Last year, 90% of the food distributed by Feeding San Diego was rescued, redirecting high-quality food rather than letting it go to waste. By rescuing food, the organization provides critical support to the county in meeting local, regional, and national sustainability goals. 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. "Feeding San Diego exemplifies what it means to serve with purpose. Their unwavering commitment to addressing food insecurity, strengthening our communities, and improving lives across San Diego County makes them truly deserving of this recognition," said San Diego Business Chamber CEO Chris Thorne. "Congratulations to Bob Kamensky and the entire Feeding San Diego team on being named the San Diego Business Chamber's 2026 Non-Profit of the Year." Following its large-scale pandemic response from 2020 to 2023, Feeding San Diego has continued to expand its programs as community needs have risen. According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap, food insecurity in San Diego County now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, with low-income residents facing rising costs for essentials such as housing, groceries, and healthcare. In the past fiscal year, the nonprofit distributed 36 million pounds of food through 350 partner organizations across the county. The organization has prioritized older adults, rural communities, and families, expanding its School Pantry Program to 76 K-12 schools, with a goal of reaching 100 by 2030. To support children during the summer months, Feeding San Diego increased the number of seasonal distribution sites by 38%. It also coordinates home-delivered meals for seniors and children in rural East and Southeastern San Diego County. Additionally, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently selected Feeding San Diego to distribute food at county facilities in 16 zip codes that are experiencing significant impacts from CalFresh benefit changes; planning for this effort is underway.

Feeding San Diego launches new Seed to Feed Initiative to bolster Local Food system through its hunger relief programs. The Prebys Foundation-funded program will allow the nonprofit to continue to purchase local produce to maintain nutritious food access after a similar USDA program ended Feeding San Diego, the county's leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization, has officially launched its new Seed to Feed Initiative, a locally funded program designed to continue purchasing fresh food from local farmers after the federal Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) was discontinued. Seed to Feed is made possible by $1.5 million in funding from the Prebys Foundation, announced in November 2025. The initiative is a major investment in the local food system and in the nutrition security of San Diegans experiencing food insecurity. This approach expands access to nutritious food for people facing food insecurity while providing reliable financial support to local farmers and food producers. "The farms we partner with were devastated by the LFPA program's cancellation, and so were we," said Patty O'Connor, chief operations officer at Feeding San Diego. "Seed to Feed produce costs over ten times more than other sources, but investing in our local food system strengthens our economy, environment, and community. We're truly grateful to the Conrad Prebys Foundation for reviving this program and allowing us to continue purchasing from local growers to help end hunger in San Diego County." Starting this week, Feeding San Diego will make weekly purchases from Hukama Produce, Dickinson Family Farms, and Foodshed Cooperative, and will distribute about 48,000 pounds of fresh, locally grown produce monthly through its hunger relief programs, namely the School Pantry Program and the Mobile Pantry Program. The School Pantry Program provides nutritious food directly on K-12 school campuses throughout the county, while the Mobile Pantry Program offers pop-up food distributions in rural areas that are food deserts. The produce will also go out to other Feeding San Diego partners operating food distributions. Overall, 2,254 households will receive this produce from Feeding San Diego each month. "As a small farmer, opportunities like the Seed to Feed Initiative allow us to keep growing food for our communities while strengthening local agriculture and improving access to fresh, healthy produce," said Norma Murrillo of Behneman Farms, who also serves as the president of Foodshed's board of directors. The LFPA program was a national program from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provided funds from the American Rescue Plan and Commodity Credit Corporation for state, tribal, and territorial governments to purchase foods produced within the state or 400 miles of the delivery destination. It was cancelled in the spring of 2025.

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.