Despite the announcement earlier this year that the Magnolia Project food pantry would close on March 2, a solution has been found, and it will remain open, a relief to many.

The boutique-style food pantry that opened in 2023 has drawn many families and individuals over the three years since it started operations. Regina and James Gamboa opened Magnolia Project after working with the homeless for 15 years. During COVID, the Gamboas’ work increased when the San Diego Food Bank asked them to create a super pantry.

Over the years, the Gamboas have been working on food insecurity. They have learned that food is not the same for everybody — there are dietary and religious restrictions, and cultural factors that determine how and what people eat.

Eventually, the couple decided to open their own pantry and started looking for a location. They found it in Imperial Beach, and after spending $30,000 of their own money for upgrades, they created a place that is inviting and unique. Magnolia Project offerings are arranged attractively and placed in baskets, wooden boxes, and armoires, and clients can shop while feeling a sense of dignity. Regina is a retired nurse, and her focus was nutrition, so she has made sure all the vegetables have nutrition signs.

Shopping at the pantry is done by appointment only. Magnolia Project serves 7,000 families, and 60 a day. “We are at capacity,” Regina said.

Currently, the pantry is open from 12 to 4 p.m., but the couple would like to serve working families who can’t go to the pantry during those hours. The plan is to possibly be open later one night a week. Magnolia Project operates in collaboration with the San Diego Food Bank and Feeding America.

The pantry also rescues food from Costco, ALDI, Sprouts, Vons, Smart & Final, Specialty Produce, and partners with CVS and Aetna.

Early this year, the Gamboas announced they were closing, to the dismay of the community. They made that decision because their daughter, Leah, 23, was not doing well. Leah has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and chronic lung failure. Despite the difficulties, Regina feels she is lucky. “She is the biggest blessing in my entire world. I learned the most about life from her,” she said. When her daughter was in the hospital last fall, Regina said she asked God to heal her daughter, and if he did, she would walk away from the pantry. When her daughter got better, Regina felt she had to keep her promise, but her husband had another idea. Even though Regina is the face of Magnolia, “The pantry was my husband’s dream,” she revealed. James told her, “This is not your pantry, it’s our pantry.” The couple then decided that Regina would step aside and focus on their daughter and her elderly father. A current volunteer, Elisa, will become the project manager and run the pantry with James. After presenting the idea to the board, the Gamboas received the approval, and the volunteers were notified on March 4. During the change, the pantry will be closed for two weeks to reorganize and transition to the new leadership.

The Gamboas never expected their pantry to become so successful. “We never expected to grow this much,” recalled Regina.

Regina’s hand in the pantry will now focus on the window. She loves to decorate, and her energy will be on a new window display that will be unveiled when the pantry reopens.

Regina has made a point with her many volunteers to get to know their clients by name. Before the pantry got too big, she said basic information on each client was kept on index cards, then later stored in a computer. At Magnolia Project, volunteers welcome clients by name and know specific information like whether the family owns a dog or has children. “We want people to feel welcome, we give them a hug. It’s important to know somebody’s name, it gives them identity, and we want them to feel they are welcome,” said Regina.

“Magnolia has a healing effect on people; it’s a place where you can come to cry, and we understand…single moms, dads, it’s a place of connections. Life is real, and sometimes people don’t feel understood.”

Appointments for the pantry, one per month per household, can be made online on the website or by calling the hotline at (619) 777-6723 or logging on to www.magnoliaproject.com.

VOL. 42, NO. 10 – Mar. 5, 2026