OUR MISSION
To end hunger in Orange County.
OUR VISION
We are a purpose-driven organization committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure all are well fed. Providing dignified, equitable and consistent access to nutritious food creates a foundation for community health and is a catalyst for societal transformation.
OUR VALUES
- COMPASSION
- DIVERSITY
- INTEGRITY
- SERVICE EXCELLENCE
- STEWARDSHIP
MEET THE TEAM
With hard work and dedication, our executive team and Board of Directors ensure everything possible is being done to provide food to those who need it
in Orange County.
Our Executive Team
- Claudia Bonilla Keller, CEO
- Jerry Creekpaum, Chief Operations Officer
- Joyce Foley, Chief Financial Officer
- Sara Bazant, Director of Marketing & Public Affairs
- Jane Van Dyke, Director of Human Resources
Department Contacts
- Development
[email protected] - Grants
[email protected] - Logistics
[email protected] - Marketing, Media & PR
[email protected] - Partners & Programs
[email protected] - Sourcing
[email protected] - Volunteers
[email protected] - General Inquiries
[email protected]
Our Board
CHAIR
- Kathy Bronstein, KB Bronstein Merchandising
VICE CHAIR
- Salman Alam, Western Digital
SECRETARY
- Katherine Le, Mortgage Service Providers
TREASURER
- Joe Fuszard, Bank of America
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
- Dave Coffaro, Strategic Advisory Consulting Group
BOARD MEMBERS
- William Doyle, Kerlin Capital Group
- Dan Grable, Goodman North America
- David Hasenbalg, City National Bank
- Melissa Hill, Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions
- Dareen Khatib, Orange County Department of Education
- Brigid Noonan, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- John Ralls, Community HealthComm
- Teddie Ray, El Sol Academy
- Gregory Scott, Community Action Partnership OC
- Heidi Sirota, Nationwide
- John Votava, Ralphs and Food 4 Less
- Maria Zlidar Richards, Mazda North America
Second Harvest Food Bank is a 501[c]3 nonprofit organization. Our Board of Directors, Advisory Board and Event Committee members volunteer their time to serve the needs of Second Harvest and the hungry in Orange County without pay.
CAREERS
Would you like to go to work knowing that every day you’ll be making a real difference in the lives of at-risk people in your community?
At Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing. Every moment of your workday will directly impact our mission to provide food for those who need it, when they need it.
Come join our upbeat, collaborative team who are improving lives every day by taking hunger off the table.
Click here to see available jobs.
GETTING TO SECOND HARVEST
Second Harvest Food Bank is located near the Great Park in Irvine on Marine Way near Sand Canyon Road. The food bank is not open to the public at this time. If you have an appointment with a staff member, please use the map and directions provided here as your GPS may give faulty directions.
Map and directions to Second Harvest Food Bank
PLEASE NOTE: The food bank can no longer accept individual food donations at our distribution center. For those wishing to donate food, please click here to find a food pantry near you that will accept your donation.
Map and directions to the Harvest Solutions Farm
Second Harvest Food Bank’s Harvest Solutions Farm is located in Irvine, just a few miles from the food bank.
STEWARDSHIP
Financials
Audited Financial Statements
Nonprofit Status
Tax ID number: 32-0362611
Jill Wilson decided to volunteer with Second Harvest in 2008 when she was in between jobs and looking for a way to apply her talents that could benefit the community. She arrived one day at Second Harvest’s former distribution center in Orange, ready to serve, and felt immediately connected to the mission.
Like Jill and Ian, other friends of the food bank may be looking for ways to connect meaningfully with Second Harvest to help those experiencing hunger in Orange County for years to come. One simple way to make a significant impact, while achieving peace of mind, is by creating a will or revocable living trust with our partner, FreeWill.
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual awareness campaign that encourages us to learn about nutrition, develop healthy eating habits and discover the fun of being physically active. At Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, we strive to provide everyone in Orange County with the nutrition they need to grow and excel in life.
Last spring, here at Second Harvest we completely revamped our focus to proactively purchase fresh nutrition for those in need, ensuring a steady pipeline of protein, dairy, eggs, fruits and vegetables to our approximately 300 partner and program sites. As a next step, we recently unveiled our new, 6,200-square-foot cold storage facility and two additional cold docks that establish a “cold chain” at our distribution center in Irvine. This gives us a total of 14,550 square feet of cold storage, which greatly enhances our ability to source and distribute more nutritious food.
Second Harvest continues to fight increasing food insecurity through our Pop-Up Drive Thru food distributions with the help of many amazing volunteers and it is no surprise that many of them are mothers. Jacqueline is one such volunteer and I wanted to learn more of her story.
here to volunteer representing other mothers…to give back to the community, to be a role model to my children. As a mother, as a woman, as a friend, as a wife…you have so many hats you have to put on and one of them is giving. When I go home my daughter asks me, “Mom what did you do today?” And I say, “I got to give back to people, people that really don’t have as much as we do.” Hopefully she sees me doing this and then as she gets older, she’ll want to give back just the same way.”
Pantry. Their style traditionally has always been very welcoming and focused on building relationships with those they serve. They would put out coffee and pastries and spend time talking with the families who would come early just to socialize.
One of Nancy’s key volunteers, Mary Kaye, also shared insights. Mary Kaye is an emergency room doctor who has been spending much of her spare time serving at the Saint Timothy pantry. She began volunteering pre-COVID by taking blood pressures on pantry days and translating for Spanish-speaking clients.. All the changes have her missing conversations and connecting with the families they serve.
can take your blood pressure soon,” and encouraging them.”
Whatever the situation that keeps students on campus and struggling to feed themselves, the Fresh Basic Needs Hub at UCI remains open to serve them, supported by food from Second Harvest. Student hunger is a serious challenge, made even worse by the pandemic, but Fresh, as it’s called, has the mission to provide for the basic needs of UCI students, allowing them to focus on academics.
Last week did not feel hopeful. Seeing the injustice of the past few days makes me cringe. It causes me to grieve when I see people treated unfairly or worse. But I’m choosing to move forward with hope. How can I have hope this week? Because I know Andrea and I see how she treats people who sometimes feel trapped. The team at Fresh, and all the other college pantries in Orange County serve as a lifeline for their students, providing for basic needs and offering a dignified experience for everyone who comes to them for help. Their service is a beacon of hope in the darkness.
redirected those emotions toward survival and humility. While it was a very difficult decision, Stephen and Kristina decided that in order to make it through this crisis, they would need to receive assistance the first time in their lives. This is what it means to be newly vulnerable.