SAN DIEGO — Feeding San Diego is celebrating the season of giving with their Give Hope, Share Joy campaign. In this Zevely Zone, I share a collection of 'Kitchen Diaries' shot by the non-profit organization that shows the many faces of hunger.
At Feeding San Diego, everyday families are sharing stories about food insecurity from every corner of the county.
"Hi, I am Faith," said a senior food recipient.
"Hello, my name is Zachary," said a young boy.
"My name is Zoe," said a teenage girl.
Feeding San Diego wants you to see the new face of hunger. Inflation is ravaging families, so the non-profit started collecting 'Kitchen Diaries'. Intimate conversations that show how these days hunger may be living right next door.
"Fact is, gas has gone up almost two dollars a gallon," said a father named David.
"My name is Lisa, and I am married to an active-duty sailor," said a mother.
CBS 8 spoke went to Oceanside to meet Erika, who is a single mother of three. "Either you pay for your rent and your bills, or you pay for food and it's not a great situation at times," said Erika. "We go to the market and the prices for the meat and the milk it's just so crazy."
Once a month, Erika receives a box of food from Feeding San Diego. "Green beans, peanut butter. My girls love mac and cheese, we get tuna," said Erika while digging through the box. "That is squash." The box holds a substantial amount of food. "Yes, you'd be surprised this lasts us up to three weeks," said Erika.
Carissa Casares from Feeding San Diego wants the public to know if a person is hungry they have food. "For us food is hope. Food is a basic human right," said Carissa. "We serve seniors, we serve military families, we serve students in schools, and these are people who for one reason or another might need some no cost groceries."
Feeding the homeless is vital but it's also important to help everyday families. "With inflation, the dynamics have really shifted with people who need assistance. There are so many people who are still recovering from the pandemic," said Carissa.
"You guys are providing enough food to keep us going," said Joan and Allan who are two seniors battling cancer. "I am really appreciative of anything that anyone does for us at this point because it's helping so much," said Joan. "You don't know how much we benefit from the fruits and vegetables that you guys deliver I mean it's unbelievable."
Alphonso is a young pastor who needed a little extra help when his mother was dying from cancer. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was going to get emotional," said Alphonso. "Thank god that we always just had a plate of food of healthy food for her."
The Kitchen Diaries prove an unfortunate fact; hunger is reaching deep into middle America. "I feel better after I eat," said Zoe. "Thank you for helping the community," said food recipient Derek. "Keep doing what you're doing. We really appreciate it," said Lisa.
Feeding San Diego is ready, if the next face of hunger is yours. "I was treated with so much dignity, so much respect," said Alphonso. "This is for everyone , if you are going through any type of need don't hold back this is for you, this is for everyone."
As for Erika, she is a receptionist raising her family in a two bedroom apartment. She wanted to say, "Thank you for lifting us up when we really needed you guys." "Thank you," said her 8- and 16-year-old daughters.
CBS 8 is partnering with Feeding San Diego on several projects to help raise awareness about the urgent need in our community regarding food insecurities. If you'd like to volunteer, make a donation or need food assistance click here.
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