Today we’d like to introduce you to Vince Hall.
Vince, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Being around food distribution is like coming full circle for me because my dad spent over 25 years in the California rice business. From our small town in western Fresno County we often enjoyed cantaloupes and other produce that weren’t shipped to market because they were the wrong size, not perfectly shaped, or just not quite the right color. Now I’ve been a San Diegan for over 30 years, working in government and nonprofit management roles, and I’m privileged to lead Feeding San Diego, where we bring healthy and delicious produce from all over California to 63,000 people per week facing hunger right here in our county. We also rescue food from 180 grocery stores every day, 190 Starbucks stores every night, and dozens of other sources. All of this food would be destined for the landfill were it not for Feeding San Diego’s innovative programs to stop food waste and start ending hunger.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We’re leading a revolution in hunger relief, and honestly, not everyone appreciates revolutions. The traditional approach has been to view food as a precious commodity to be stored and dispersed sparingly. But the reality is that there is enough food in San Diego County every day to feed everyone who lives here. It’s just that over one-third of that food is wasted. Our goal is to grow our nimble, decentralized distribution organization, intercepting food before it becomes waste, and bring it to families in need while it is still fresh, healthy, and delicious. We’re especially proud that over half of the food we distribute is produce, meaning that we’re doing more than feeding people, we’re helping them with their health and wellbeing. The logistics of our work are endlessly complicated, but we love it.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Founded in 2007, Feeding San Diego (FSD) is only ten years old, but we’re already the leading hunger-relief organization in the county, distributing healthy food with dignity to San Diego residents struggling with hunger. The non-profit organization, funded by philanthropic and community support, is devoted to feeding the hungry, advocacy and education. We’re committed to solving hunger in our communities, and educating the public on the issues of food insecurity, nutrition and poverty in innovative ways. We fight hunger locally by working hand-in-hand with local charities, churches, school districts, corporate partners and a network of volunteers to serve children, families, seniors, active-duty military families, and others in need each week.
With nearly half of San Diego residents – 1.6 million people – considered overweight or obese, the problem is often that in dealing with hunger, they’re eating the least-healthy foods. Chronic diseases and health issues linked to hunger are prevalent among those served by Feeding San Diego, including 32 percent of households containing a member with diabetes and 40 percent lacking health insurance. To reduce the risk and impact of these health factors for those we serve, FSD focuses on distributing healthy and fresh foods along with vital nutrition education.
We are a locally based nonprofit, but Feeding San Diego is also a member of Feeding America, the largest domestic hunger-relief network in the United States, which gives us access to extensive national sources of food donations.
Success. How do you, personally, define success? What’s your criteria, the markers you’re looking out for, etc?
I believe that many charities are doing powerful, impactful work on the problems in our community. But what most excites me about Feeding San Diego is that we have a vision and a plan to actually solve a critical problem. Given this reality, we judge our success on our outcomes, not just our outputs. We are measuring ourselves against our ultimate goal: ending hunger in our community. Nothing less can be a true victory.
Contact Info:
- Address: Feeding San Diego, 9455 Waples Street, Suite 135, San Diego CA 92121
- Website: www.feedingsandiego.org
- Phone: 858.452.3663
- Email: info@feedingsandiego.org
Image Credit:
Feeding San Diego
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