08/23/2020
San Diego Fishermen’s Working Group, Chef Phillip Esteban and Open Gym have established Fish to Families, a meal distribution program for the food insecure during the COVID-19 crisis. Having served over 2400 meals in the first five weeks, this pilot project provides healthy, tasty, sustainable seafood to people in need while supporting the local hospitality and fishing industries.
The San Diego Foundation, which inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve quality of life in our region, is supporting the initiative through the San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund. NOAA Fisheries and California Sea Grant are providing educational materials to inform San Diegans about our sustainable seafood fisheries.
Heading into week 5 of the program, Fish to Families has activated nearly a dozen local fishermen, including David Haworth, Antonio Estrada, Martin & Jordyn Kastlunger and more. Craft Meals has prepared 2400+ meals from the variety of sustainable seafood provided by the fishermen, including Albacore Tuna, Thresher Shark, Black Cod, Opah and more locally-landed species. This program has served food insecure communities from around the San Diego area with the help of Third Avenue Charitable Organization and I Love to Glean, all while supporting the fishermen and hospitality workers as a whole.
Phillip Esteban Marcus Twilegar Craft Meals San Diego Fishermen's Working Group NOAA Fisheries West Coast California Sea Grant The San Diego Foundation Third Avenue Charitable Organization I Love to Glean
