GSF Foundation’s Focus on Food Month Aims to Alleviate Food Insecurity

Hunger remains a pressing issue in the United States, affecting more than 47 million people—including one in five children. Demand increases urgently during the summer months, when free school meal programs pause, putting more pressure on food banks across the country to serve more people in need.

Each May, the GSF Foundation anticipates the heightened seasonal need through its Focus on Food program. This initiative rallies volunteers and associates across the Foundation’s 33 local committees to support their local food banks with a grant that the national Foundation matches. Additionally, local committees plan volunteer activities to help harvest, collect, sort, and distribute food.

From Financial Giving to Operational Expertise: Helping Food Banks Thrive

Every GSF Foundation committee across the U.S. participated in last year’s Focus on Food campaign, donating funds, forging new partnerships, and volunteering time. And the impact didn’t stop there. Committees are also applying their industry insights to help food banks not only feed more people—but do it more efficiently.

Leveraging their logistics expertise, QCD Los Angeles has engaged with Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County (SHFBOC) to optimize their operations and help the nonprofit serve more people. In addition to hosting SHFBOC leaders at QCD Los Angeles for a tour of the facilities and truck fleet, General Manager Rob Belleque, Warehouse Manager Saul Penaloza, and Transportation Manager Edgar Muruato recently visited the food bank to explore efficiencies, discuss operations scalability, and address routing challenges.

Beyond operational support, GSF and QCD leaders contribute their valuable knowledge and best practices by serving on the boards and committees of prominent nonprofit organizations dedicated to fighting hunger:

As an ongoing partnership, the QCD Minneapolis, Minnesota committee partners with Every Meal to support students at Hall STEM Academy. Through financial donations, food packing events, and weekly distributions, QCD volunteers are delivering real relief to local families. Their commitment sets the standard for how all committees can step up.

“Our Focus on Food program continues to grow year after year, powered by the unwavering dedication of 33 GSFF committees across the U.S.—and we’re only just getting started,” said Vanessa Hugon Badal, GSFF Senior Director, Operations and Programs. “Our teams are more committed than ever, and as we deepen our involvement, we are amplifying our impact, working toward a future where every family has consistent access to nutritious food.”