Until We Meat Again Grocery Fundraiser

Who we are:

ALC Super Pantry is a food distribution program hosted by Ascension Lutheran Church in the heart of Allied Gardens. Ascension’s food distribution program has been going strong for over 20 years! Previously this took the form of a monthly event, but in the Spring of 2020, when we were just beginning to see the potential devastation from COVID19, the team at Ascension decided to expand from a monthly to a weekly distribution.

After a bit of planning and securing additional food resources, the weekly distribution officially launched in July 2020. Since then, our program has continued to thrive. We have many repeat customers, who receive groceries  every single week. Our volunteer team is constantly evolving. And, we were recently honored by the San Diego Food Bank as EFAP Agency of the month!


Meet your leadership team:

Emily and Philip have been involved with the pantry for 2.5 years. They are the primary  organizers and take a leading role in menu planning, securing resources, day to day operations, and tracking/ reporting data.

Dale has been involved with the pantry for over 10 years. He takes a leading role in day to day operations, warehouse management, and more.

Kurt has been involved with the pantry for 4 years. He takes a leading role in civil rights training  and day to day operations. 

Pastor Rick has been involved with the pantry for 4.5 years. He takes a leading role in guest relations and maintaining the little free pantry.

Margaret has been involved with the pantry for 1 year. She is the volunteer coordinator and  takes a leading role in marketing.

Fun fact: We are committed carnivores with a wide variety of meat preferences, but the crowd pleaser seems to be carnitas!  
 


Why we are doing this fundraiser: 

One thing has become abundantly clear during this unique and challenging season: we really are all in this together.

For many of us, when we picture a community food distribution program, we might imagine that  the recipients are “poor people” or those who live on the streets. In reality, food insecurity affects a wide variety of individuals and families – particularly during times of crisis. Studies show that    as many as 60% of people in the US already  live paycheck to paycheck. This includes local college   students, young families, young professionals and more. If you are living paycheck to paycheck,    even at a decent wage, imagine the impact of suddenly having your hours reduced, losing your     health insurance, or having to take on an unexpected medical bill. Food insecurity also impacts people who may be retired, unemployed, disabled or living on a fixed income for any other reason.

Despite the increased challenges during this time, it has also become clear that San Diego as a whole, and Allied Gardens in particular, is full of people who care about each other and are eager to help where they can. We have seen an outpouring of generosity as volunteers share their time, neighbors donate food to our “little free pantry” and people regularly reach out and ask how they can support our program.

Ways to get involved:

 · Consider donating to Until We Meat Again – Grocery Fundraiser! Every donation helps a hungry neighbor!  

·  Volunteer at one of our distributions!  

·  If you find yourself struggling with nutrition insecurity, please come by and get some groceries. We currently operate every Tuesday and Saturday from 8:30 to 10:30 and every 1st Friday from 8:30 to 10:30. We meet in the parking lot at 5106 Zion Ave, San Diego CA 92120.

· Tell your friends and neighbors! Everyone is welcome to participate – in the food distribution,  the fundraiser or both!
 

What your donations will be used for:

Our initial fundraising goal is to raise enough money for 500 bags of groceries at $15 apiece.

Because we partner with the San Diego Food Bank, some of the groceries we hand out are given  to us at reduced prices (or even for free). These often include canned goods, rice, pasta, etc. However, we always aim to provide a balanced menu, including a good source of protein – like meat, cheese and milk. These items are generally purchased at full price, and the costs can quickly add up.

Your donations will enable us to more consistently include meat, cheese and other delicious sources of protein in the groceries we distribute.

Having meat on the menu is especially nice during the holiday season!


Community Partners:

If this is an issue that tugs at your heart and you would like to make a recurring donation, let’s talk! We regularly  promote our food pantry on social media, Nextdoor, our church website, and various other community forums. We are always happy to share the love by highlighting and promoting our community partners as well.