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USO San Diego expands food programs to support military families impacted by COVID-19

SAN DIEGO – Thanks in part to a $100,000 grant, USO San Diego has expanded several food and nutrition programs to support military families countywide who have been impacted by the pandemic.

These programs include “grab and go” bags of nonperishable items, a Thanksgiving meal kit giveaway, mobile farmers markets, virtual food nutrition workshops and healthy breakfast options for military children participating in distance learning.

The grant was provided by The San Diego Foundation COVID-19 Community Response Fund – in large part due to funding support from San Diego Gas & Electric. To date, SDG&E has donated $2.5 million to the fund and plans to contribute an additional $500,000 in early 2021.

With the grant, military families can be confident that the resources they depend upon will remain readily available during these challenging times.

“Even without factoring in the impacts of the pandemic, military families face many stressors related to deployment and make great sacrifices to serve our country,” Eugene “Mitch” Mitchell, SDG&E’s vice president of state governmental and external affairs. “Food insecurity is the last thing they should have to fear, and we are happy to help address this situation.”

San Diego’s active-duty population is considered essential personnel. With deployment cycles continuing amid the pandemic, service members are experiencing additional isolation and quarantines pre and post deployments, extending that separation period from their families. To compound matters, many military spouses, who worked to supplement their family’s income may have faced job loss, further straining family finances.

“Immediately following the stay-at-home order in our county, USO San Diego recognized the importance of sustaining our food distributions,” Ashley Camac, executive director of USO San Diego, said. “We wanted our military families to be confident the resources they depended upon would remain accessible. The support of the San Diego Foundation and SDG&E makes the continuation and expansion of those much-needed programs possible.”

Since the pandemic, San Diego USO has served over 200,000 military members and their families. For more details on the following resources, visit http://sandiego.uso.org.

• Mobile Farmers Market/Food Distributions: held on the first and third Friday of every month in various county locations.

• Groceries on the Go: offered daily at the Liberty Station location: 2790 Truxtun Road, Suite 110 non-perishable food items are bagged and ready for those military families in need.

• Thanksgiving Meal Kit Giveaway Nov. 23 provided over 2,500 meal kits to local families from here to U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

• Military Kids Club – Breakfast Program: provides military families with family activity, USO upcoming resources and nonperishable healthy food options to kids.

To support the local military and their families through a donation of time, money or expertise, visit http://sandiego.uso.org or call 619-235-6503.

Submitted by San Diego USO.

 

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