Backpacks for Kids, a consistent, high-impact food access point for the community in coastal North County San Diego, was recently awarded $25,000 from the Solana Beach Fund at San Diego Foundation. This grant will directly strengthen the infrastructure behind its weekly food distribution, increase the volume of food that can be recovered and provided, and ensure that families across the community continue to have consistent access to fresh, healthy food, according to a news release.

Each Sunday Backpacks distributes over 1,000 pounds of fresh food to roughly 200 families through a free farmers market, and also partners with TIAS (Take Inspired Action Siempre) to provide additional groceries and pantry staples beyond fresh produce. As participation has grown, so have the operational needs required to safely store, transport, and distribute food at this scale.

Specific uses of the grant include:

•Pantry operations: Electricity and water for the food storage and distribution site

•Food recovery logistics: Fuel reimbursement for volunteers transporting donated food

•Cold storage efficiency: Interior and exterior racking for walk-in refrigerator to safely store higher volumes

•Community access & visibility: Permanent exterior signage at the pantry located at a high-traffic intersection.

Looking ahead, Backpacks for Kids is focused on building long-term sustainability in order to reliably serve more families each week. Further support will allow them to improve food recovery and storage capacity, reduce reliance on volunteers’ personal vehicles, and increase community awareness so more families in need can access services, the news release stated.

The mission of the Solana Beach Fund is to address and fund community needs and to build local philanthropy through ongoing and legacy gifts. The fund provides grants for nonprofit programs and community projects for the benefit of Solana Beach, its residents, businesses, and supporters.

The mission of San Diego Foundation is to inspire enduring philanthropy and enable community solutions to improve the quality of life in this region.

Learn more about the Solana Beach Fund at www.SDFoundation.org/SolanaBeachFund.