Board approves food‑distribution pilot after concerns about zip‑code targeting and cold storage

Vice Chair Montgomery introduced Item 12, a targeted pilot to distribute food at county facilities and partner sites in 16 high‑need zip codes to mitigate the expected impact of new CalFresh work reporting rules (HR1). The plan would use county facilities, partner with Feeding San Diego and the San Diego Food Bank, and include an initial flexible allocation ($500,000) for home delivery, refrigeration and gap filling.

Feeding San Diego told the board demand had already spiked; Sam Duke explained their pantries now serve more people and said the funds would expand distribution and food‑rescue capacity. Community leaders and elected officials urged rapid action. A persistent theme in public comment was the apparent omission of zip code 91950 (National City/Lincoln Acres), which several callers said is unincorporated or uses city mail codes and risked being excluded by a zip‑code filter. South Bay organizations flagged a shortage of shared cold storage capacity for large pallet deliveries.

Supervisors responded by directing staff to use the flexible allocation to fill gaps and to coordinate with district offices and community partners to ensure coverage of at‑risk neighborhoods; Supervisor Anderson proposed shifting some Spring Valley distributions into higher‑need zip codes. Staff confirmed the $500,000 flexible pot (1B) could be used for home delivery, additional sites and refrigeration support. The board approved the pilots unanimously and asked for follow‑up evaluation and data collection to measure participation and unmet need.

The pilot is structured as a temporary, flexible funding allocation to be monitored and adjusted as demand and eligibility data emerge. Staff will report back with a living map and program outcomes.