This month, we are celebrating National Nutrition Month!
At Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, we believe that access to nutritious food is fundamental to a thriving community. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to provide dignified, equitable and consistent access to nutritious food, creating a foundation for community health —not just to fill empty plates, but to nourish lives.
When we had the means to purchase food, we made a deliberate choice: prioritize health. We knew that food insecurity often leads to nutritional insecurity, compounding challenges for families already struggling to make ends meet. This commitment led to a shift in our nutrition policy and the creation of a food plan centered around fresh produce, lean proteins, eggs and dairy.
One of the most groundbreaking steps in this journey has been Harvest Solutions Farm. Launched in August 2021 in partnership with the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center, Solutions for Urban Agriculture and third-generation farmer AG Kawamura, this 40-acre farm grows nutrient-rich produce exclusively for our community. From bell peppers and zucchini to watermelon and broccolini, we cultivate a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure families have access to fresh and nourishing food.
The impact is immediate. Once harvested, the produce is loaded onto Second Harvest trucks, delivered to our Distribution Center and made available to those in need within 72 hours. This innovative approach ensures that families aren’t just receiving food, they’re receiving the freshest, highest-quality food possible.
Join our Efforts to Address Food Insecurity
As we celebrate National Nutrition Month, we reaffirm our commitment to providing wholesome, nutritious food for all. With ongoing community support, we’re transforming hunger relief into a movement for health and dignity, because everyone deserves access to food that fuels a brighter future.
We appreciate your continued support. Here are ways you can help us make a bigger impact.
Your financial gift—whether it’s a one-time donation, a recurring contribution, a corporate gift or a stock donation—helps provide nutritious food to those in need right here in Orange County.
Organize a Virtual Food Drive to help us continue serving our OC community.
Volunteer at our Distribution Center: You will help us process nutritious fruits and vegetables to be distributed to our community Partner Network.
Volunteer at our Farm Programs: Give your time and energy by volunteering at Harvest Solutions Farm, our collaboration with UC South Coast Research & Extension Center and Solutions for Urban Agriculture or at Founders Farm.
Stand with us to support critical programs like free school meals for all and essential funding for food assistance.
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.