Jim Floros - President & CEO, San Diego Food Bank

“Since the beginning of COVID, just in North County we’ve distributed about 6.5 million pounds of food. And we’re feding about 130,000 people a month in North County.” - Jim Floros, President & CEO, San Diego Food BankJim Floros joined the San Diego Food Bank from the Burn Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing fire and burn injuries and deaths, where he served as executive director and CEO from 1992 to 2012. Before that, Jim served as director of community relations at the world headquarters of Project Concern International, a development agency that provides clean drinking water and immunizations in the poorest regions of the world.Since taking over as president and CEO, Jim has presided over a major expansion of Food Bank programs, cutting-edge facility improvements, an increase in the number of people served by the Food Bank every month from 320,000 to 350,000, and led major food drive, fundraising and marketing campaigns.Jim oversaw the funding and construction of the Food Bank’s Recycling & Composting Center located at the rear of the Food Bank’s warehouse facility. The center will prevent 600,000 pounds of waste from going to local landfills every year and will save $25K in annual landfill fees. The center takes the Food Bank one step closer to becoming a net-zero waste organization since all food waste processed by the center is turned into compost and donated to local community gardens.Jim led the Food Bank’s acquisition of the North County Food Bank through an agreement brokered with its former parent organization, North County Community Services. In 2015, the San Diego Food Bank assumed full control of the North County Food Bank’s hunger-relief programs, staff, truck fleet, and its warehouse facility in San Marcos. The acquisition doubled the Food Bank’s outreach and services in North County and brought added efficiency and greater resources to hunger-relief services for individuals and families in need.Discussion Topics:[6:00] What adaptations the food bank has made to be more environmentally sensitive and a zero-waste facility[6:52] Making the move to a temporary new home, and plans for a bigger facility[7:30] Talking numbers and impact in North County[8:30] Impact of COVID on volunteering and what the food bank did to respond to turn it around[11:14] Addressing the food insecurity among the military and North County student population[13:30] How you can get involved to help Resources Mentioned:Visit the San Diego Food Bank to learn about the different ways you can help make a difference today. Every dollar donated provides 5 meals for hungry San Diegans.This October the San Marcos Chamber has partnered with the North County Food to help “Scare Away Hunger” - Visit this page to learn more about how you can get involved!