In this powerful episode of Dreaming Big Working Hard, Assemblymember David Alvarez sits down with Casey Castillo, CEO of the San Diego Food Bank, to expose the real face of hunger in San Diego — a crisis affecting 848,000 people, including teachers, seniors, nurses, military families, and children.

Casey reveals what hunger actually looks like today, why 1 in 4 San Diegans can’t reliably afford food, and how the Food Bank stepped up when 400,000 SNAP recipients and 150,000 federal/military workers were left without support during the 43-day federal shutdown — the longest in U.S. history.

You’ll hear stories from the front lines, including the emotional $1 donation from a woman who had been helped by the Food Bank before, reminding us why every dollar matters. 

We also dive into:

• The rising cost of living, food inflation & credit card debt crushing families
• How seniors are among the hardest hit and why demand for support is skyrocketing
• How 450+ nonprofit partners help distribute 53 million pounds of food a year
• Volunteer opportunities, food drives, and the Food Bank’s 45th annual holiday campaign
• What California can do at the policy level to close the food insecurity gap

If you want to support, volunteer, donate, or find food resources, visit SanDiegoFoodBank.org.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – The $1 donation that changed everything 

00:28 – 848,000 San Diegans facing hunger: who they really are 

01:21 – Casey’s background & why he joined the Food Bank 

04:34 – Why collaboration is the only way to solve hunger 

05:53 – Serving 1 in 4 people in San Diego: the scale of the crisis 

07:24 – Partnerships with 450+ nonprofits across the county 

08:41 – How 11,000 turkeys were distributed this year 

10:19 – Why hunger is getting worse despite the COVID rebound 

12:07 – The shutdown: 400,000 SNAP recipients lose benefits 

15:34 – Why recovery isn’t instant after the government reopens 

23:22 – Seniors: the forgotten population hit hardest by hunger 

31:57 – How volunteers power the Food Bank (107,000 hours!) 

35:26 – The 45th annual Holiday Food Drive & how to help 

38:20 – Final message: Hunger is solvable — if we choose to solve it

HASHTAGS:

#DreamingBigWorkingHard #SanDiegoFoodBank #FoodInsecurity #HungerCrisis #DreamingBigWorkingHard #DavidAlvarez #CaseyCastillo #EndHunger #CaliforniaNonprofits #SANDiegoCommunity #FoodBank #GiveBack #VolunteerSD #HolidayFoodDrive #Podcast