Community Corner

Fight Hunger and Stuff the Bus with Food Donations

Several local groups, including the Girl Scouts of America and the Metropolitan Transit System are holding food drives today starting at 9 a.m.

A group of local San Diego Agencies and service organizations are teaming today in the fight against hunger.

Known as the Stuff the Bus Food Drive, the groups are asking all San Diegans to come out and donate enough canned and boxed foods to fill several buses and provide thousands of meals for the holiday season, organizers said.

Metropolitan Transit System, North County Transit District, Albertsons, the Armed Services YMCA, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, and Girl Scouts will host their food drives from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. today

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MTS and NCTD planned to park 19 buses at area Albertsons and Girl Scout headquarters during the food drive. Each bus can hold enough food for up to 1,000 meals—filling each bus will provide 19,000 meals, officials said.

“Help us meet our goal of collecting food for 19,000 meals and beat last year’s donation of 15,719 pounds of food that provided 12,280 meals by stuffing each bus!” MTS officials wrote on their website.

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Below is a list of locations where food is being collected:

Albertsons Stores

  • Chula Vista, 720 3rd Avenue
  • Clairemont, 5950 Balboa Avenue
  • San Carlos, 8650 Lake Murray Boulevard
  • La Mesa, 8920 Fletcher Parkway
  • Lemon Grove, 7090 Broadway
  • Mira Mesa/Scripps Ranch, 10740 West View Parkway
  • Rancho Penasquitos/RB, 14340 Penasquitos Road
  • Rancho San Diego, 2899 Jamacha Road
  • Santee, 9870 Magnolia Avenue
  • Spring Valley, 543 Sweetwater Road
  • Tierrasanta, 10633 Tierrasanta Boulevard
  • Torrey Highlands, 7895 Highland Village Place
  • Escondido, 1570 West Valley Parkway
  • Escondido, 1509 East Valley Parkway
  • San Marcos, 151 Woodland Parkway
  • Oceanside, 3450 Marron Road
  • Oceanside, 3926 Mission Avenue

Girl Scouts Headquarters
  • 1231 Upas St, San Diego 92103
  • 5315 Avenida Encinas, Suite 100, Carlsbad 92008

What food items are needed?

The San Diego Food Bank needs food that will provide nutritious meals. They are looking for all kinds of canned and boxed food. The most needed items include:

  • Baby formula
  • Canned beans
  • Canned fruits and vegetables
  • Canned meat & tuna
  • Canned soups
  • Cereal
  • Dry or canned beans (low sodium)
  • Mac & cheese
  • Pasta
  • Peanut butter
  • Powdered milk
  • Rice - brown or wild

The Food Bank cannot accept perishable items or items in glass jars due to food safety regulations.


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