By Rachel Lee Taylor | Development Manager
Formed during the 2007 firestorms in San Diego, Feeding San Diego has always considered services provided during disaster scenarios as a primary point in our mission. Feeding San Diego is creating a robust disaster preparedness and resiliency plan that thoughtfully takes into account the needs of our community and the most efficient use of our resources. Thank you for your help in tackling this essential, but complex, initiative!
As part of the national Feeding America network, we have access to disaster-planning resources and expertise from food banks across the country. As part of a grant received from Allstate in partnership with Feeding America, Feeding San Diego participated in a mentorship program with disaster preparedness expert, Mary Louise Resch of Harvest Hope Food Bank in South Carolina. Mary has over 30 years of nonprofit and governmental administration and management experience. She specializes in disaster response programs, having led Harvest Hope Food Bank’s team through three major disasters in three years.
Mary Louise held working meetings with each department at Feeding San Diego throughout the week of May 7 and offered invaluable insight into our preparation plan, providing structure and resources for the plan that involves every area of our organization. Feeding San Diego’s Disaster Preparedness Team, which includes a representative from each department, is leading development of the disaster plan. Over the course of FY19, all elements of the plan will be complete. As plan components progress, each department representative is assessing its department’s most critical activity and the resources needed, to ensure that Feeding San Diego’s operations can continue successfully in a disaster.
To date, Feeding San Diego’s disaster-relief program has:
- Provided relief services to the north San Diego areas affected by the Lilac fires through additional Mobile Pantry distributions and extra food delivered to the Vista and Oceanside distributions for those sheltering in the area
- The Feeding San Diego Calfresh (known nationally as SNAP) team provided extra support in getting the word out about disaster and replacement food assistance to partners, including:
o North County Health Services
o Fallbrook Food Pantry
o Agency mobile marketplace (North)
o Vista Mobile Pantry
o Oceanside Mobile Pantry
o Summit Church
o CalSafe Backpack Program Oceanside and Escondido
o California State University San Marcos
Feeding San Diego’s operational goal during a disaster is to ensure ensuring the continuous performance of critical services leading up to, during and immediately following a disruptive event. Through our mentorship with Mary Louise and extensive research by our Disaster Team, we have discovered that ensuring that our distribution warehouse has all the proper wiring and hookups to support a generator and additional power supplies is our first priority. Our operations team is working with electrical specialists to investigate backup power options and to make sure our Sorrento Valley location is prepared for future installations.
We appreciate your help as Feeding San Diego strengthens its strategic plans to remain an unshakable resource for everyone in need in our area, during times of normal operations as well as emergencies.
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