Kathryn Munoz learned how to be a volunteer in San Diego from her mother, and is continuing that legacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. While watching NBC Nightly News one evening in late March, she heard about “Feed the Fight” and got right to work.
“Feed the Fight” was started in mid-March in Washington, D.C., by Elena Tompkins. The idea was to raise money to purchase meals from local restaurants (no national chains) to keep their doors open and employees on the payroll, and then donate the meals to local hospitals to frontline healthcare workers. It caught on quickly, and there are now “Feed the Fight” organizations in at least nine states. All are independent and entirely community-funded.
“So many times, a person hears about a great community idea but you let it go by and don’t get involved,” Munoz said. This time she realized, “We can do this!”
She ed restaurants near her home in La Jolla. “We discussed meals at a lower price than their usual menu items so that our program could afford them and they could still make a profit,” she said. “The price turned out to be about $20 per meal, when you include tax and a 20 percent tip for their employees.”
“Feed the Fight SD” became a family affair. Her daughter, Siena, is home from Santa Clara University and in charge of fundraising on social media and websites such as GoFundMe, Venmo and Facebook. Her husband, Mark Munoz (CFO and COO at Dowling & Yahnke Wealth Advisors), is the bookkeeper and documents all donations and meal purchases.
When fundraising began April 2, Kathryn ed friends who she thought would be interested. After the first $400 was received, she and her husband picked up lunches from Beaumont’s Eatery in Bird Rock and delivered them to UCSD Jacobs Medical Center on April 8. The next day they delivered meals from Girard Gourmet to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. It took just 19 days to reach their first fundraising goal.
At first, donations came largely from the La Jolla area, and meals were delivered from La Jolla restaurants to the three major La Jolla hospitals. “Two weeks into deliveries we reassessed in order to serve those hospitals most impacted by the pandemic, and to broaden the geographic area outside of La Jolla,” she said.
In four weeks, the number of meals delivered grew from 120 to 350 per week. “When the hospitals request more breakfasts than dinners, I can do bigger breakfast numbers because the cost is less per person,” she said.
Meals on a rotating basis have been delivered five or more days per week to 15 hospitals: Scripps La Jolla, Scripps Green Urgent Care, Scripps Mercy San Diego, Scripps Mercy Chula Vista, Scripps Encinitas, Rady Children’s, Sharp Memorial, Sharp Grossmont. Sharp Chula Vista, Sharp Coronado, UCSD Jacobs Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Kearny Mesa, Kaiser Permanente Zion, Alvarado Medical Center, and VA San Diego Healthcare. Some days there have been two deliveries.
“Though they are health care workers, they really didn’t sign up to risk their lives, but they are,” Munoz said. She adds a pink heart-shaped sticker on each meal that reads: “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Others have also ed in, including volunteers from Las Patronas and Thrive Animal Rescue. All wear masks and maintain social distancing. When the meals are delivered, they are usually placed on an outdoor cart and then hospital staff places the meals in break rooms.
Munoz was able to budget $2,500 per week through May, for a total of $25,000 for 1,700 meals from 30 restaurants. She hopes to continue and is establishing an official nonprofit organization for ongoing funding for “Feed the Fight SD” and is seeking funding for June and beyond.
“It is a pleasure to provide this ‘food love,’” she said. “This is a small gesture of appreciation, and it’s gratifying when health workers send a text to say thank you, or a selfie of their team enjoying the meal.”
About this series
Ann Hill is an attorney, a consultant for nonprofit organizations and philanthropists, and a community volunteer.
Someone San Diego Should Know is a weekly column about local people who are interesting and noteworthy because of their experiences, achievements, creativity or credentials.
If you know of someone you believe San Diego should know, please send your idea to [email protected]
