The Community Food Connection nonprofit food pantry in Poway is hosting two Dine & Donate events this month to kick off its Make a Difference May fundraising campaign.
The first fundraiser will collect a percentage of sales proceeds at Kaminski’s BBQ & Sports Lounge, 12735 Poway Road. Customers who dine at the restaurant from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 21 will be contributing to the cause. A trivia game will be hosted at the restaurant at 6 p.m. that night.
The other fundraiser is set for 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 30 at The Original Pancake House, 14905 Pomerado Road.
Participating diners are asked to bring or show The Community Food Connection flier that is available on the organization’s Facebook page.
Funds are needed to supply free boxes of food to a growing number of households in Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, 4S Ranch and surrounding communities, said Community Food Connection volunteer Kevin Bostenero.
“Right now our focus is really trying to meet the demand for extra food,” he said. “The money that comes from these events will be targeted toward purchasing food.”
The all-volunteer food pantry had a 120 percent increase in the number of people seeking assistance for food from 2022 to 2024, he said.
Currently, The Community Food Connection has applications from about 15 additional households per week, which averages out to about 40 to 50 people for the combined households, he added.
“There’s such a problem with the increase in food costs,” said Bostenero, a Poway resident since 1983. “That’s the crux of the problem, especially for seniors on fixed incomes or for those whose wages at their employment is not keeping up with the cost of food, water and electricity. They’re able to come into the food pantry and get some relief from food prices.”
The Community Food Connection distributes food from 3 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at a drive-through service in the parking lot of Trinity San Diego Church, 14047 Twin Peaks Road.
Some of the food is purchased from the San Diego Food Bank, which typically includes produce, meat and staples such as oatmeal, rice and canned goods.
Community Food Connection also sources donated food from local stores such as Vons, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Costco Wholesale, Target and Smart & Final, Bostenero said. The stores provide a variety of food similar to the Food Bank in addition to dairy products, bread and occasional extras such as cakes and pies, he said.
Volunteers make about 65 trips per week to collect food from the stores, said Bostenero, who helps organize 400 to 500 boxes of food on Friday afternoons. Altogether, nearly 1 million pounds of food was collected from participating stores in 2024, he said.
The food is distributed without qualifications other than basic demographic information. Recipients have included a single mom facing unexpected car repairs while attending school, homeless people living in their vehicles, seniors collecting Social Security income, and an unemployed father who is able to pay his mortgage thanks to food , he said.
“We’re there when people need food, no questions asked,” Bostenero said. “We’re just happy to help people.”
For more information or to donate, call 858-751-4613 or visit TheCommunityFoodConnection.com/donate.
