Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego (CCDSD) celebrates its centennial year in 2020! CCDSD is an agency that has long served the basic needs of San Diego’s most vulnerable people, and each year continues to expand its reach. Over the next year, the agency plans to open 20 new food distribution locations in parishes throughout the Diocese of San Diego in hopes of bringing food to the people who need it most.
Our Executive Director Vino Pajanor likes to say, “Instead of bringing the people to the mountain, Catholic Charities will bring the mountain to the people!” Parishes and community centers are places of gathering and can provide the perfect opportunity to put our faith and mission in action: welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, and give a drink to those who are thirsty. Catholic Charities is excited to partner with faith and other community centers who commit to hosting a food distribution site once a month. We currently have two locations doing the once-a-month food distribution, and we are gradually starting up other locations. Now we need someone to be the mountain for the people in your community.
Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego is looking for Community Food Distribution Volunteers including being drivers to play an integral role for our distribution by providing logistics and transporting of food commodities to and from storage facilities, grocery stores, and food banks to community distribution sites. Volunteers are needed on an on-going basis and would need to commit to volunteering once a month or once a week, as your schedule allows. Volunteer drivers must have their own vehicle, a truck or large SUV, and a valid CA driver’s license.
Become a part of our outreach and join the effort to make a difference in someone’s day. This effort is a partnership between volunteers and a coalition of organizations coming together to help our brothers and sisters in San Diego. All food commodities are sourced locally by Catholic Charities. The parishes generously donate space, we encourage the parish community to provide volunteers to operate the distribution, and extend a spirit of hospitality to their neighbors in need. For a month, the total volunteer commitment is approximately 4 hours as this is the amount of time it takes to setup, distribute and dismantle the popup operations of the once-a-month food distribution.
Your effort will make a difference! During the past year, Catholic Charities provided 27,282 instances of emergency food assistance in San Diego and Imperial counties. Catholic Charities’ vision for food distribution at parishes throughout the Diocese will continue to bring much needed resources closer to individuals and families, engage communities, and create partnerships to promote action on behalf of our neighbors who are in-need. We are excited to bring food to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in San Diego.
If you would like to get involved, please sign up here: CCDSD Community Service Opportunities.