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Honoring Our Volunteers: 2026 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
Second Harvest recognized volunteers at its 2026 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, celebrating those helping fight food insecurity. Read More -
Meet Stephanie Harrington: Donor Relations & Special Events
Meet Stephanie Harrington, who is part of our Donor Relations & Special Events team, and learn how she bring events like Walk to Feed OC to life. Read More -
Advocating for Change: Second Harvest in Washington, D.C.
Second Harvest joined 300+ food banks in D.C. for an advocacy trip to advance food access policies and share community voices with lawmakers. Read More -
Meet Bret Miyashiro: Our Volunteer Engagement Manager
Meet Bret Miyashiro, Volunteer Engagement Manager at Second Harvest. Read More -
Meet John Sackreiter: Director of Information and Technology at Second Harvest
Meet John Sackreiter, Second Harvest’s Director of Information and Technology, who joined the organization over a year ago. Read More -
Meet Rachel Parris: Director of Sourcing at Second Harvest
Meet Rachel Parris, our Director of Sourcing at Second Harvest! Here she shares her insights on food sourcing, nutrition and collaboration. Read More -
Farm-Fresh Recipe: Cauliflower Soup
Check out this Cauliflower Soup recipe from Knife Pleat's Chef Tony Esnault! This dish is easy to prepare and full of flavor, and is perfect for cozy nights or casual winter meals. Read More -
Meet Jane Van Dyke: Our Director of Human Resources is Retiring
Meet Jane Van Dyke, our Director of Human Resources who is retiring from Second Harvest after 16 years. Read more about her journey! Read More -
Meet Crystal Tosello: Director of Annual Campaign at Second Harvest
Meet Crystal Tosello, Director of Annual Campaign at Second Harvest. With over a decade of nonprofit experience, she builds partnerships that help provide nutritious food for families across Orange County. Read More
Honoring Our Volunteers: 2026 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
Honoring Our Volunteers: 2026 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
Last month, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County celebrated the incredible individuals and groups who make our mission possible at the 2026 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. At the annual event, volunteers were recognized and celebrated for their dedication, compassion and their impact on the Orange County community.
The event highlighted the vital role volunteers play in supporting Second Harvest’s programs, from sorting and distributing food at the Distribution Center to harvesting fresh produce at Harvest Solutions Farm (a partnership with the University of California South Coast Research & Extension Center and Solutions for Urban Agriculture) and Founders Farm.
During the celebration, several outstanding volunteers and organizations were honored for their service and commitment.
Distribution Center Awards
- Rising Star Award — Owen Williams
- Joe C. Schoeningh Community Service Award — AAA
- Kris Thomsen Memorial Award — Olga Guilfoyle
- Champion of Change — Barbara Notery
Farm Program Awards
- The Muddy Boot Award — Nigel Blackwell and Susan Sanchez-Kuluris
- The Cream of the Crop — William Garrett and Jeff Chess
- The Golden Broccstar — Jeanette Mayer and Steve McClain
- Kawamura Achievement Award — Alberto Della Ripa
- Raise the Roots Farmer — Ernie Vega
- Friendly Farmer — Suzanne Terry, Gorety Geiger and Zoe Hershey
Combined Award (Distribution Center and Farm Programs)
- Feeding the Future — Irvine Adult Transition Program at Legacy Education Center & St. John Lutheran School of Orange
Among the 100+ nonprofits in the December issue of Orange County Business Journal’s list of top OC nonprofits, Second Harvest has the highest number of volunteers — a testament to the strength and generosity of our community. This luncheon is just one way for us to express our gratitude and recognize the impact volunteers make throughout the year.
Volunteers contribute countless hours to help ensure that children, families and seniors facing food insecurity have access to nutritious food. Second Harvest extends its heartfelt gratitude to all volunteers whose continued support helps nourish and strengthen our community every day.
Jill Wilson decided to volunteer with Second Harvest in 2008 when she was in between jobs and looking for a way to apply her talents that could benefit the community. She arrived one day at Second Harvest’s former distribution center in Orange, ready to serve, and felt immediately connected to the mission.
Like Jill and Ian, other friends of the food bank may be looking for ways to connect meaningfully with Second Harvest to help those experiencing hunger in Orange County for years to come. One simple way to make a significant impact, while achieving peace of mind, is by creating a will or revocable living trust with our partner, FreeWill.
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual awareness campaign that encourages us to learn about nutrition, develop healthy eating habits and discover the fun of being physically active. At Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, we strive to provide everyone in Orange County with the nutrition they need to grow and excel in life.
Last spring, here at Second Harvest we completely revamped our focus to proactively purchase fresh nutrition for those in need, ensuring a steady pipeline of protein, dairy, eggs, fruits and vegetables to our approximately 300 partner and program sites. As a next step, we recently unveiled our new, 6,200-square-foot cold storage facility and two additional cold docks that establish a “cold chain” at our distribution center in Irvine. This gives us a total of 14,550 square feet of cold storage, which greatly enhances our ability to source and distribute more nutritious food.
Second Harvest continues to fight increasing food insecurity through our Pop-Up Drive Thru food distributions with the help of many amazing volunteers and it is no surprise that many of them are mothers. Jacqueline is one such volunteer and I wanted to learn more of her story.
here to volunteer representing other mothers…to give back to the community, to be a role model to my children. As a mother, as a woman, as a friend, as a wife…you have so many hats you have to put on and one of them is giving. When I go home my daughter asks me, “Mom what did you do today?” And I say, “I got to give back to people, people that really don’t have as much as we do.” Hopefully she sees me doing this and then as she gets older, she’ll want to give back just the same way.”
Pantry. Their style traditionally has always been very welcoming and focused on building relationships with those they serve. They would put out coffee and pastries and spend time talking with the families who would come early just to socialize.
One of Nancy’s key volunteers, Mary Kaye, also shared insights. Mary Kaye is an emergency room doctor who has been spending much of her spare time serving at the Saint Timothy pantry. She began volunteering pre-COVID by taking blood pressures on pantry days and translating for Spanish-speaking clients.. All the changes have her missing conversations and connecting with the families they serve.
can take your blood pressure soon,” and encouraging them.”
Whatever the situation that keeps students on campus and struggling to feed themselves, the Fresh Basic Needs Hub at UCI remains open to serve them, supported by food from Second Harvest. Student hunger is a serious challenge, made even worse by the pandemic, but Fresh, as it’s called, has the mission to provide for the basic needs of UCI students, allowing them to focus on academics.
Last week did not feel hopeful. Seeing the injustice of the past few days makes me cringe. It causes me to grieve when I see people treated unfairly or worse. But I’m choosing to move forward with hope. How can I have hope this week? Because I know Andrea and I see how she treats people who sometimes feel trapped. The team at Fresh, and all the other college pantries in Orange County serve as a lifeline for their students, providing for basic needs and offering a dignified experience for everyone who comes to them for help. Their service is a beacon of hope in the darkness.
redirected those emotions toward survival and humility. While it was a very difficult decision, Stephen and Kristina decided that in order to make it through this crisis, they would need to receive assistance the first time in their lives. This is what it means to be newly vulnerable.