San Diego Food Bank received a “tremendous donation” of 30,000 pounds of ham Thursday.
Vons, Smithfield and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) donated 30,000 pounds of meat Thursday to the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank.
“Protein is a tough commodity, it’s very expensive,” said the food bank President and CEO James Floros.
“It is the staple, the main part of the dinner plate. And this gives them a chance to put meat on the table,” said Smithfield representative Dennis Pittman.
The San Diego Food Bank feeds about 350,000 people every month and after the holiday season donations drop more than 80-percent.
President of UFCW Local 135 Mickey Kasparian said those who work are sometimes among those residents using food bank services.
“More and more as the economy get difficult, it’s why we have to step up and help,” he said.
The donation of 30,000 pounds of ham was part of a nationwide effort called Feeding the Hungry, which started in 2009.
Click here for more information on how to get help from the San Diego Food Bank and click here for ways you can donate to help others through the food bank programs and services.
Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego