PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate Release
Fiske Family Foundation Donates $10,000 to the North County Food Bank to Deliver 50,000 Meals to People Impacted by COVID-19.
Donation Intended to Support Food Distribution to Children, Families, and Seniors Facing Historic Levels of Food Insecurity
San Diego, CA – April 21, 2020 – Today, the Fiske Family Foundation announced it has donated $10,000 to the North County Food Bank, a chapter of the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, to support the immediate and unforeseen food needs of families and individuals in the community. The donation will provide 50,000 meals to families impacted by public health orders caused by the novel coronavirus, known as COVID – 19. The North County Food Bank and Fiske Family Foundation have created a partnership to provide food relief to families in the community, many of whom, are facing job loss and food insecurity at historic levels.
“The $10,000 from our generous new partner, Fiske Family Foundation, will greatly help in our work to provide and distribute food to our community and those impacted by the pandemic,” said Jim Floros, CEO of Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. “In just the first two weeks after the State of Emergency was announced, we conducted 175 food distribution activities and distributed nearly 600,000 more pounds of nutritious food to seniors, children, families, and many people who have never faced food insecurity. We continue to need financial contributions to purchase millions of pounds of food, and we need volunteers to keep our supply chain working.”
The North County Food Bank along with the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank usually distribute more than six million pounds of food, including fresh produce, annually to the North County region. But recently, it has seen a significant spike countywide in the demand for food and the two food banks combined served roughly 600,000 people in the month of March. The Food Bank’s 200 food distribution sites throughout San Diego County are continuing to operate for children, families, and seniors to receive food assistance during this crisis.
“Supporting our local food bank is more important than ever. Across the country, demand for basic needs surges as new unemployment claims surpass 22 million Americans,” said John Fiske, Founder, Fiske Family Foundation. “My wife Courtney and I believe providing food is the most immediate need in our community, especially given the hardship of job loss, while bills continue to come in. In these uncertain times, we hope to help those through this difficult time and ask that others join us in this effort.”
With at least 42 states issuing stay-at-home orders, California is among one of the first states to issue its public health order on March 19. Since then, the U.S. has seen an unprecedented number of people losing their jobs, and more than 22 million people filing for unemployment. States continue to monitor and evaluate their current stay-at-home orders with many, including California, heavily weighing their options on lifting the order. The Department of Labor notes as many as 2.8 million, or 16.3% of the state’s workforce of about 17.2 million have applied for unemployment benefits in the past four weeks. That’s almost 1 in 6 workers. As a result, many families in the community have lost the ability to earn income and have come to rely on the North County Food Bank to ensure food is available for their families at historic levels.
The funds made possible by the Fiske Family Foundation may include continued purchases of food by the Food Bank to maintain its operations during these unprecedented times. The intention of the gift is to help the North County Food Bank directly impact families facing food insecurity.
If you are in need of food assistance, please call 2-1-1 from your phone, and a 2-1-1 operator will provide you with the location of your nearest food distribution site. You can also call the Food Bank’s toll-free number: 1-866-350-FOOD (3663).
About the North County Food Bank: The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and our North County Food Bank chapter comprise the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County. Last year, the Food Bank distributed 32 million pounds of food, and the Food Bank serves, on average, 350,000 people per month in San Diego County. Through our North County Food Bank chapter and by partnering with more than 500 nonprofits with feeding programs, the Food Bank provides nutritious food to individuals and families in need in communities throughout San Diego County. For more information visit our website.
About Fiske Family Foundation: John and Courtney Fiske share a passion for public education and recreation as great equalizers of opportunity for all regardless of background. For John and Courtney, supporting public education and public recreation means supporting healthy communities, including vulnerable and disadvantaged members of those communities. Where public education and recreation have come under attack in recent years due to budget cuts, special interests diverting necessary funds, and over-politicized processes, John and Courtney believe able community members should step up to help when possible. John and Courtney Fiske founded the Fiske Family Foundation to focus concentrating on public education and recreation opportunities for all. John is a PUSD alum, having grown up in Rancho Penasquitos, and they reside in San Diego with their family. Since March 20, 2020, the Fiske Family Foundation has donated $60,000 to aid children and their families with nutritional and educational needs in the wake of COVID- 19 public health orders.
Media Contacts:
Chris Carter, Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank/North County Food Bank, Vice PResident of Communications, Marketing & Public Affairs, ccarter@sandiegofoodbank.org, direct: (858) 863-5131, cell: (619) 857-2314
Kelli Luneborg-Stern, Fiske Family Foundation, kelli@trifectapublicstrategies.com, (214) 616 -1703