Food Stamps

Healthy food for families in need.

School Breakfast

Helping kids start the school day right

Summer Lunch

Healthy lunches when school is out

Farmers Markets

Support for local growers

Welcome to the San Diego Hunger Coalition

The San Diego Hunger Coalition (SDHC) believes all people deserve the food they need to live with dignity. We fight to eliminate hunger by working collaboratively with those concerned about hunger.

Our priorities are to increase participation in federal food programs and engage the community in advocating for innovative policy and system change at the local, state, and federal level.

As hunger is on the rise locally, we need to focus our efforts where they have the biggest impact: increasing participation in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called Food Stamps).

Unfortunately, in San Diego County, only about 35% of those eligible participate in this program. Furthermore, only 25% of our children that eat a free school lunch during the school year take advantage of the free summer lunch program.

Food Stamps

SDHC began Food Stamp Outreach in 2005. In partnership with the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA), local food pantries other organizations, the Food Stamp Taskforce was launched.

In leading this Taskforce, we help identify barriers to access, educate community outreach partners about Food Stamp policy and procedures, and provide HHSA with feedback and best practices for increasing eligible enrollment in this important program.

Since our outreach started, Food Stamp participation numbers have started to climb, and this is having a powerful effect for families facing hunger.

Summer Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

SDHC identifies gaps where programs do not exist to meet community needs and evaluates how existing programs can be improved.
SDHC is building its capacity in order to do the outreach and follow-up necessary to fill these gaps and to implement changes that can improve existing programs.

Advocacy

SDHC is a proud member of the California Hunger Action Coalition (CHAC)—a membership organization of anti-hunger advocates throughout the state.

Guided by a belief that access to adequate, nutritious and safe food is a fundamental human right, we work with CHAC and others to identify key issues and best practices as well as to support legislation and proposed policy changes through visits with elected officials and others who affect policy.