Nourishing Our Community for Forty Years


Entrance SHFB Orange

Forty years ago, what’s known today as Second Harvest Food Bank started with a simple principle: To feed the increasing number of people in Orange County who couldn’t access the food they needed. Founded in 1983 by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Council of Orange, the organization started from the ground up, converting a local fruit packing facility (pictured here) into a food distribution center. And the rest is history.

Today, Second Harvest operates a state-of-the-art, 110,000-square-foot-food bank and is a partner in a 45-acre farm. In fiscal year 2022, we distributed 32,419,589 pounds of food to an average of 331,724 people per month in our community. All to help ensure that our neighbors have consistent access to nourishing food. According to Feeding America, one 1 in 11 individuals and 1 in 8 children in Orange County is food insecure.

Addressing this important need wouldn’t be possible without the countless volunteers, donors and organizations who have stood with Second Harvest over the last four decades. We couldn’t be more grateful to our partners.

We’re looking forward to another four decades of partnering with our community to make a difference. Watch for special community events over the next year in recognition of our 40th anniversary. In the meantime, if you’d like to join us in our efforts to end food insecurity, please visit feedoc.org/get-involved.