San Diego's annual "Stuff the Bus" food drive is officially on the road. Buses provided by the Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District will carry donated items to 23,000 needy families.
Girl Scouts and representatives from Vons and Albertsons grocery stores as well as the San Diego Food Bank welcomed the first donations Wednesday.
"We have a saying that hunger has no season. But obviously during the holidays, when budgets are stretched even tighter, we see more hardship among these families," said James Floros, president of the San Diego Food Bank. "They're trying to have a great holiday season but, of course, being food-insecure does put a lot of pressure on these families."
The food bank serves about 400,000 people each month throughout San Diego County. Thousands of community volunteers help deliver food items to those in need.
A 2015 Feeding America study reported the average cost of a meal in San Diego is higher than most of the country.
To find out where the buses will stop throughout the week and how to make a contribution, log onto the San Diego Food Bank website.
