The indefatigable Lucky Duck Foundation reached a major charitable milestone when it recently delivered its two millionth meal at Veteran’s Village San Diego.
This Lucky Duck Foundation program began in 2020. The organization collects and packs the meals, which are handed over to a local outreach team for distribution.
Through the LDF’s food & water program, non-perishable meals and water are assembled by volunteers, such as the Lucky Ducklings youth volunteerism group, and LDF staff coordinate with more than 20 local outreach organizations to distribute the packed meals throughout San Diego County.
Overall, the program delivers meals to as many as 500 unsheltered individuals daily.
Officials say the meals serve multiple purposes: providing life-saving sustenance to unsheltered San Diegans, while also better equipping outreach workers to build trust and rapport to help them into supportive services.
According to a survey of outreach workers, 93% believe the meals are life-saving, and 100% believe the meals make them more effective outreach workers.
Another LDF program that’s popular on on city streets is its “sleeping-bag coats” giveaway to unsheltered locals. Lucky Duck planned to distribute 4,500 coats this past winter and will have given out more than 12,500 over the past four years.
The giveaway product is a heavy-duty, weather-resistant coat that can be converted into a sleeping bag. The coats, valued at $150 each, are produced by Empowerment Plan. To date, that Detroit-based nonprofit, which hires homeless individuals to produce the coats, has distributed 85,000 of them across 50 states and 20 countries.
For outreach organizations interested in participating in initiatives with LDF, including food and water distribution, or if you would like to volunteer or donate, get more information at: Lucky Duck.
LDF co-founders match all donations up to $1.5 million per year. SDSun
