Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

🔥 Beat the Summer Heat and Volunteer Indoors! 🔥

We’ve got a cool indoor opportunity for you at our Distribution Center in Irvine!

Join us in processing nutritious food for our Partner Network and the communities we serve. 🌟 As a volunteer, you’ll get to:

🥕 Sort and Inspect Produce
📦 Package and Organize Foods
🧼 Clean Crates and Sort Boxes

Volunteers aged 13 and up are welcome, but make sure to bring along an adult chaperone (21+).

Ready to make a difference? Sign up for a shift and lend a helping hand this summer! 🌟👇

Register here: https://shfboc.vomo.org/org/shfboc

Thank you to Henry L. Guenther Foundation for the very impactful gift and for sharing in our mission to provide dignified, equitable and consistent access to nutritious food to Orange County.

This donation directly supports Harvest Solutions Farm, a partnership with UC South Coast Research & Cooperative Extension of Orange County and Solutions for Urban Agriculture.

UC Agriculture & Natural Resources

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our incredible Associates Board officers!

🌟 Mike McGee - Associates Board Chair
🌟 Brian Corbin - Associates Board Vice Chair
🌟 Michael Koll - Associates Board Give/Get Challenge Chair
🌟 Janice Song Fisher - Associates Board Social Chair

The Associates Board members embody the SHFB values of integrity and accountability, people first, compassion, purpose driven, and stewardship.

Associates Board members are professionals who have been advancing in their careers for at least 10 years and are in positions where they can influence the people and companies in their network to get involved in supporting the SHFB mission.

Interested in joining our Associates Board? Contact us at [email protected].

A huge thank you to the Pacific Life Foundation for the extraordinary gift and for sharing our vision of an Orange County with food and nutritional security for all.

Starting Thursday, August 15, 2024, Second Harvest is launching the Food For Thought community tours. The community is invited to tour the impressive Food Bank and Distribution Center.

These tours are led by CEO Claudia Bonilla Keller, and offer a unique opportunity to see how our team provides nutritious food to over 400,000 people on average each month.

Tours will take place on the third Thursday of each month from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.

Register for one of our upcoming Food For Thought community tours by visiting this link: https://feedoc.org/tours.

Deadline to register for the Thursday, August 15 Food For Thought community tour is Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

We are proud of our team and our facility and look forward to showing you behind the scenes at Second Harvest!

Earlier this week, Second Harvest hosted elected officials and staff from Orange County cities for a Civic Engagement Event. Our city leaders are vital partners in our work to end food insecurity in every OC community. Thank you to those who attended and took the time to learn about and support the Food Bank!

We’re Hiring!

Second Harvest is a mission-driven organization with a vision of an Orange County with food and nutritional security for all. Since 1983, we have been serving individuals experiencing food insecurity in our county. In 2023, the Orange County Register recognized us as a Top Workplace.

We are currently looking for dedicated individuals seeking to work alongside our upbeat and collaborative team.

By joining our team, you can make a meaningful impact on the Orange County community.

Available positions include: Volunteer Engagement Manager, Partner Compliance & Capacity Specialist, Program Supervisor, Accounts Receivable Coordinator, Data Analyst: Research & Impact, Facilities Sanitation Associate, Class A Driver, and Grants Associate.

Apply at the following link: https://feedoc.org/careers/.

Careers - Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

This year’s 2024 Food From The Bar results are out!

Congratulations to our overall Pro Bono Publico Award winner, Judicate West.

Thank you to all of this year’s participants and sponsors. Overall, we collectively raised $88,722.05 to help provide nutritious food for the Orange County community. We are so grateful to everyone who contributed and made this year’s friendly competition a success. Together, .

Congratulations to all award winners!

Rockstar Rainmaker
- Rutan & Tucker (large)
- Judicate West (medium)
- Houser LLP (small)

Rockstar “Rangler”
- Melissa Gorin, Judicate West

Rockstar Rookie
- Aitken Aitken Cohn

Raising the Bar
- Var Fox, Judicate West

Rockstar Voluntarius
- Edwards Lifesciences

Thank you, Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, for a much appreciated donation.

This donation can help us purchase the equivalent of one truckload of canned corn!

Edwards Lifesciences Foundation also recently came to volunteer with us in our Distribution Center where the team helped sort apples!

Your support helps us fuel focus, productivity and well-being so everyone in our community can thrive. Thank you for your support!

Edwards Lifesciences

We have several employees who have been working at the Food Bank for over 25 years! When asked what has kept her here, Second Harvest's Accounts Payable, Thuy Nguyen, said:

"Our vision, mission and values keep me here. I come to work everyday knowing that I am making a difference in the lives of our neighbors in Orange County."

We're grateful to have a team of people who truly care about the health of our community and are passionate about the work we do. Look out for more features about our team members who have been with us for over 25 years!

1 in 10 individuals and 1 in 8 children is food insecure in Orange County.

Thank you, Stater Bros. Charities, for a considerable donation!

Your donation is helping us provide consistent access to nutritious food to individuals right here in our community.

It’s easier to lend a hand when we can see that someone needs help. Unfortunately, food and nutritional insecurity are invisible issues. One in 10 people in Orange County faces food insecurity, so it’s likely someone you know has struggled with the ability to put food on the table. The health of our community begins with access to not just food—but nutritious food—for everyone.

Help us ensure that everyone has access to the food they need. Donate: https://feedoc.org/donate/

Thank you to the staff of Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento for helping harvest bell peppers last week at Harvest Solutions Farm, our farm partnership with The University of California UC South Coast Research & Cooperative Extension of Orange County and Solutions for Urban Agriculture. Those bell peppers will be going out this week to our neighbors in need.

We appreciate the support and partnership of our elected officials in bringing the community together as we work to end food insecurity in Orange County.

Thank you, State Farm Companies Foundation, for a much appreciated donation!

This donation allows us to purchase the equivalent of one truckload of white rice. That's 42,000 pounds of rice!

Your support is helping us work toward our vision of an Orange County with food and nutritional security for all.

Harvest Solutions Farm needs you this July!

Come volunteer with us at Harvest Solutions Farm, our farm partnership with UC South Coast Research & Cooperative Extension of Orange County and Solutions for Urban Agriculture!

Soak up some sunshine while you plant and harvest produce that will feed families right here in Orange County. Not only is it an excellent way for families (including children 7 years old+ with an adult chaperone) to cultivate happiness while giving back, but teenage volunteers can earn service hours for school.

Volunteers are crucial to the functioning of Harvest Solutions Farm and enable us to keep operating costs down.

Sign up today to lend a hand this month https://feedoc.org/get-involved/

On June 27, Second Harvest was honored as "Nonprofit of the Year" by the Greater Irvine Chamber at their "Celebrate Irvine" event. Thank you to the Chamber for this incredible honor and for the work you do uniting the Irvine community. We appreciate your recognition and partnership!

Staying hydrated is essential, especially in the summer heat! Yellow squash and watermelon are two hydrating produce items that we proudly grow at Harvest Solutions Farm, our farm partnership with UC South Coast Research & Cooperative Extension of Orange County and Solutions for Urban Agriculture. In addition to their hydration properties, they are nutritious!

Harvest Solutions Farm needs you this summer! Volunteers play a crucial role in harvesting nutritious food for our community. Sign up today to lend a hand!

Volunteer at Harvest Solutions Farm: feedoc.org/get-involved/

The unfortunate reality is that one in 8 children in Orange County is food insecure. We need your help more than ever to ensure our local children are nourished, especially in the critical summer months, when school is out.

Second Harvest is providing free meals to children throughout Orange County - 18 years of age and younger. We believe that by providing fresh, healthy food, we can help children grow and thrive.

Find the full list of summer meal locations here: https://feedoc.org/need-food/ -meals

Did you know you can "shop" for Second Harvest from the comfort of your own home? Skip the grocery store in the summer heat and start a Virtual Food Drive today! It's easy, convenient, and helps provide healthy food for those in need in Orange County. With just a few clicks, you can purchase nutritious fresh produce and protein for our Orange County neighbors. Get started here: https://feedoc.org/get-involved/ -drive

This month we're spotlighting our IT Director, David Gendreau, who is celebrating his 40 years of employment at Second Harvest!

David has been with the Food Bank almost since our organization's very beginning!

When asked what has kept him here for this long, David said: "Teamwork! Everyone at the Food Bank, staff and volunteers, from the time I joined and to the present, make a big difference in our mission whether they are here for just one year or longer."

Thanks, David for your dedication and commitment to serving our mission!

More people, more power, more potential to end hunger together 💪 A recent grant from Walmart Foundation & Feeding America helped us purchase a refrigerated van for one our partners (pictured), add a new coordinator to our staff and purchase a commercial refrigerator and freezer for one of our partners. This grant also allowed us to supply gas cards for volunteer drivers for pick-ups and enabled our partners to hire new staff through covering staff salary and benefits. This support helps us bring more food from our retail partners to our community.

Providing dignified, equitable and consistent access to nutritious food is our mission. This grant from Walmart Foundation and Feeding America is helping us bring more food, more often, to our community.

This past weekend, Second Harvest was recognized by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris as the 73rd Assembly District's 2024 Nonprofit of the Year. Our CEO, Claudia Bonilla Keller, as well as Board Members Kathy Bronstein and John Ralls were on hand to accept the award from the Assemblywoman. We are honored to receive this recognition, and appreciate the support and partnership of our elected officials as we work together to end food insecurity.

Stop by The Crack Shack in Costa Mesa on Saturday, June 22 from 1-5pm for a Summer kick-off party hosted by T**a T**a Brewing Company!

A portion of proceeds from the event will be donated to Second Harvest.

Learn more about the event here: https://bit.ly/3RuLX66

is an important milestone in American history. Originated June 19th, 1865, this date marks the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. Today, we pause and celebrate our Black neighbors and embrace the spirit of unity, equality, and empowerment.

Thank you to Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris for organizing and bringing out over 100 volunteers to Harvest Solutions Farm this past weekend! We appreciate the support and partnership of our elected officials as we work to end food insecurity.

Feeding America recently released the new annual Map the Meal Gap study for 2022. The study shows that food insecurity has significantly increased in Orange County since last year's 2021 study.

1 in 10 individuals is food insecure, compared to 1 in 12 individuals from last year's study.

1 in 8 children is food insecure, compared to 1 in 11 children from last year's study.

The significant rise of these numbers further proves how important our work is here in Orange County. Help us work toward our vision of an Orange County with food and nutritional security for all, donate today: https://feedoc.org/donate/.

On Tuesday, Second Harvest was among the newest honorees to be recognized on the City of Irvine's Wall of Recognition. Established in 2006 and located in Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, the Wall of Recognition honors the individuals, groups, organizations, and businesses who have made significant contributions to the community. Second Harvest is proud to be located in the City of Irvine and appreciates the City's support and partnership. Thank you for the honor!

City of Irvine City Hall

Last month,150 associates from Pendry and Montage’s Food and Beverage teams participated in their Hearts of Montage volunteer event at our Distribution Center and Harvest Solutions Farm, our farm partnership with the UC South Coast Research & Cooperative Extension of Orange County and Solutions for Urban Agriculture.

Because of the team's hard work and generosity, 17,000 pounds of cabbage was harvested and 1,176 pounds of apples and pears were sorted!

Thank you, Hearts of Montage, for volunteering with us!



Montage Hotels & Resorts | Pendry Hotels & Resorts

Have you heard about our new volunteer shifts? We’ve recently added a late Thursday afternoon shift from 4-6pm and a Saturday morning shift from 9-11am in our Distribution Center!

Visit the link below to check the shift calendar and sign up today!
https://feedoc.org/get-involved/

Second Harvest Food Bank and the OC Hunger Alliance were on the road last week in Washington, D.C. to meet with our Congressional leaders following the Food Research and Action Center’s National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference.

Advocates from across California and across the country came together to connect with legislators about issues that affect not only our food banks, but our neighbors facing food insecurity as well.

Thank you to the offices of our Orange County elected officials that met with us to discuss our Farm Bill and Child Nutrition priorities for 2024.




Rep. Lou Correa Rep. Michelle Steel U.S. Representative Young Kim Rep. Linda Sánchez Representative Mike Levin