In a normal year, the San Diego Food Bank serves about 10% of San Diego residents who are in need of food supplies. Before Covid, the Food Bank served about 300,000 people a month. Since Covid, the level of families who are food insecure and in need has increased dramatically, and the Food Bank now serves about 600,000 people monthly through its various partnerships with community groups.
When the Rotary Club of Del Mar asked what the Food Bank needed besides money, food bank officials responded with a request for peanut butter. Peanut butter is typically only sold in prepackaged jars and is considered too expensive for the Food Bank to purchase. Yet peanut butter is a good source of nutrition and very popular with area families.
Under the leadership of Rotary’s co-presidents, Suzy and Karl Wagner, and spearheaded by member Scott MacDonald, the Club mounted a campaign to raise funds and procure peanut butter for the Food Bank. As a result, one pallet of 18 oz jars of peanut butter or 1,620 jars was acquired by the Club and delivered to the Food Bank August 17.