Second Harvest Shining Bright in OC with Recent Awards
In June 2024, Second Harvest was the recipient of three different awards for our work in the Orange County community. We are deeply honored by these awards and grateful for the support of our elected officials, partners, community and employees as we work together to ensure food and nutritional security for all in our community.
City of Irvine’s Wall of Recognition
On June 11, Second Harvest was among the newest honorees to be recognized on the City of Irvine’s Wall of Recognition. Established in 2006 and located in Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, the Wall of Recognition honors the individuals, groups, organizations, and businesses who have made significant contributions to the community.
73rd Assembly District’s 2024 Nonprofit of the Year
On June 15, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris recognized Second Harvest as the 73rd Assembly District’s 2024 Nonprofit of the Year during a volunteer event at Harvest Solutions Farm, our farm partnership with the University of California South Coast Research & Extension Center and Solutions for Urban Agriculture, in Irvine. A team of 120 volunteers harvested 20,000 pounds of cabbage for distribution to individuals and families through our Partner Network.
“Nonprofit of the Year” by the Irvine Chamber of Commerce
On June 27, Second Harvest was named honored as “Nonprofit of the Year" by the Irvine Chamber of Commerce at their annual “Celebrate Irvine" event. The Celebrate Irvine event has two main awards categories to recognize excellence in the local community – the Individual Category and the Business Category. The “Nonprofit of the Year” award is within the Business Category which honors companies that have demonstrated exceptional performance and innovation in their respective industries and have contributed to the growth and success of Irvine’s business community. These awards serve as a testament to the hard work and dedication of Irvine’s residents, businesses, and organizations in making the city a great place to live, work, and visit.
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.