Did you know that 1 in 4 children in San Diego County lack access to enough healthy food?

Or that people who receive SNAP benefits (or food stamps) receive what amounts to $1.40 per person, per meal?

Anyone can tell you that in most counties, let alone San Diego, making a healthy meal is difficult, if not impossible, for $1.40 per person. Luckily there are a few organizations making significant progress in helping those most in need of a healthy meal.

Last weekend, I attended a panel discussion in Oceanside filled with local and state community activists and leaders in the food justice movement. In addition to Dolores Huerta, who started the National Farm Worker’s Association with Cesar Chavez back in the 1960’s, we also heard from local activists like Fernando Sanudo, CEO of the Vista Community Clinic, and Daron Joffe, Director of Agricultural Innovation and Development for Coastal Roots Farm and the Leichtag Foundation.

Sanudo had some great ideas about helping those most in need by eliminating the stigma of asking for help, and helping them to acquire good, healthy food. The Coastal Roots Farm, a non-profit farm where customers of all income brackets simply pay what they can afford, also makes it a point to take their produce directly to those most in need.

The event was sponsored by the Berry Good Foundation, a local non-profit organization striving to make important changes in our nationwide food system. They also sponsor exper-led discussions like the one I attended, and a dinner series using local and sustainable ingredients.

To learn more about the Berry Good Foundation and to get involved in their efforts, visit http://www.berrygoodfood.org, or visit them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

To learn more about volunteering at Coastal Roots farm here: http://www.coastalrootsfarm.org/

To learn more about the community health efforts at Vista Community Clinic, visit http://www.vistacommunityclinic.org/