Second Harvest Food Bank, with its bustling Irvine distribution facility and new use of an Irvine farm, distributes food to its 330 countywide partners and programs that serve an average of 351,000 people in need each month.
“We have pivoted to a focus on nutrition,” says CEO Claudia Bonilla Keller. “We are doubling down on nutritional security.”
The result is the purchase of eggs, milk and lean protein to supplement the food grown at the farm and received through donations and other means.
The expansion of on-site cold storage has been key. The farm, made available in August 2021, sits on 40 acres near the distribution center.
“Since we opened, we are coming close to 3 million pounds of local produce that includes cabbage, broccoli, squash, zucchini, green beans and watermelon,” Bonilla Keller says.
The food bank will commemorate its 40th anniversary in 2023 amid its busiest times ever.
Learn more at feedoc.org.
