EFDN+ Sustaining and Strengthening the Community
By Appaswamy “Vino” Pajanor
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish is located in Lakeside and is one of the 14 Emergency Food Distribution Network Plus (EFDN+) sites in San Diego. Michelle and her husband Mike have been volunteering their time and talent to run the EFDN+ Program in Lakeside since it began in 2020, just two weeks into the pandemic. Michelle and Mike helped recruit a core group of volunteers who come weekly to make sure the food distribution runs smoothly; everyone receives food, and the participants feel welcomed.
“The majority of them are families of large groups that come here. You know, four, five, six, seven, eight in a family. Some of them are looking forward to being able to feed their family that night or that week. Some I have ran into can make something out of nothing,” Michelle said.
This summer, they are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and are still working each week to ensure that their food distribution location runs smoothly and that everyone who needs food gets assistance, like the Vega family.
The father, the sole breadwinner, shared his struggles:
“As a one-income family, it is not always easy, and it’s a struggle every day the sacrifices my wife has to make to make sure every dollar I bring in stretches.”
As they were being interviewed, they held hands, showing that they are a team who works every day to provide for their family’s needs. They have been married for 20 years, and the love they share is evident in their posture, the words they speak, and the sincerity felt for each other’s support in their roles in the family.
“I think after COVID, everything changed a lot. Prices went up really high, everything is so expensive everywhere. I used to go to different stores to look for better prices or bargains, local stores maybe even further from my house just to find better prices.”
“As much as we think we are doing okay or we think we have enough in these hard time it really isn’t enough. You know what we used to make really doesn’t stretch as much as it used to,” they said.
The family talked about the food they usually get, which includes rice, canned foods, bread, fruits, and vegetables. They were also excited to speak about the extras at their distribution site, such as lunch boxes and backpacks for the kids, which help with other necessities for the family.
The EFDN+ Program has expanded from being the largest food redistribution organization for the San Diego Food Bank to receiving fresh food rescue, which allows the EFDN+ Program to provide perishable food to participants through the San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego. Our team works daily to pick up fresh food rescue all over San Diego and deliver it promptly to the different distribution sites to be given to the most vulnerable.
“I see this distribution program as a blessing. Every single day that my wife says I’m gonna go to Michelle and Mike’s food pantry, it puts a smile on my face because it’s a little bit of pressure that has been taken off my shoulders,” he said.
The EFDN+ team and everyone at Catholic Charities perform outreach to inform individuals and families of the food available in their communities. This grassroots program has spread throughout San Diego and Imperial County through word of mouth, social media posts, and the news.
“I have a small circle of other friends that are one income families and I always encourage them to check out… whether it’s at my parish or other parishes around the city to make sure that they reach out to their food pantries. Catholic Charities is a blessing for working families, people that have homes, that don’t have homes, big kids, little kids. Catholic Charities truly goes above and beyond for families in San Diego, and I think that we are happy to have them in any way, shape, or form,” the father stated.
Our team is dedicated to assisting families like the Vegas. They deeply appreciate the support they are receiving, and we, along with our volunteers and parishes, are pleased to help our fellow neighbors.