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Q&A
NORTH COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL
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FALL 2017
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sdnedc.org
events hosted by friends and col-
leagues who are members of the
San Diego North EDC. These
events have been packed with
some of the area's heavy hitters,
who can help us feed the hungry.
They all seem to like what we
do, and so I wanted to be a part
of this organization. We ap-
proached Mike Cully [CEO of
the San Diego North EDC].
We're the first nonprofit to in-
quire about a membership. Mike
and his staff really want to do
everything they can to help our
programs thrive.
• • •
What are some of the pro-
grams run by the North
County chapter?
Every program that we're
doing in San Diego [the College
Hunger-Relief Program, the Dia-
per Bank Program and Commu-
nity Cares Program, among
many others], we're doing here.
One effort, our Food 4 Kids
Backpack Program, which is
geared for elementary school
kids, is getting great support.
Every Friday, we provide a child
in need with a backpack filled
with food; otherwise, many of
them won't have anything to eat
all weekend. They return their
empty backpacks on Monday,
and they get another full one be-
fore the next weekend.
I have to give a shout out to
Tri-City Medical Center. The
people there have been one of
our most staunch supporters. As
I got to know all the people at
Tri-City, their trustees stressed to
me that every eligible school in
our healthcare district that
wasn't on our Food 4 Kids Pro-
gram should be. We let them
know that doing this would in-
volve adding the program at an
additional five schools. They
didn't hesitate; they said, "Let's
do it." Just like that, they made a
four-year commitment.
• • •
What is the North County
Hunger Initiative?
When we expanded into
North County, we estimated that
we'd need to raise about
$350,000 for additional re-
sources. So we launched this
fund-raising initiative. It's great
to see North County people
helping each other. Since we
took over, we've doubled the
amount of food distributed in
the area.
What are some companies
that send their staffers to
volunteer?
More than 20,000 volunteers
per year help us out on a regular
basis. This includes people from
400 companies, including Kaiser
Permanente, Mission Federal
Credit Union, Qualcomm, the
Toyota Dealers of San Diego
County, Wells Fargo, Bank of
America and several TV stations.
• • •
What can a hungry family do
to have access to food ASAP?
They should first call 211, a
top partner with the Food Bank.
They can see if a family qualifies
for CalFresh [more commonly
known as "food stamps"]. The
people at 211 can help a family
get food today and see if they're
eligible for CalFresh further
down the road. They can connect
people with so many charities,
and they're always up to date
with the latest information to get
additional help.
San Diego North EDC CEO Mike
Cully at the San Diego Food Bank.
QUICK
LINKS
>> CLICK HERE for more
information on the North
County Food Bank.
>> CLICK HERE to get in-
volved in the San Diego
Food Bank.
>> CLICK HERE to contact
the San Diego Food Bank.
