On Sunday, October 18, about 150 volunteers filled a community room in La Jolla with loaves of bread, tubs of peanut butter and jars of jelly. By the end of the morning they had made 5,692 sandwiches for neighbors facing food insecurity in San Diego.
The PB&J Project began three years ago, when La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotarian Samson Tse had a simple idea: get people together, make sandwiches, and do something tangible to help people in the community. It has grown every year since. This year's goal was 5,000 sandwiches, and the volunteers beat it by nearly 700.
What makes the project special is who shows up. Volunteers came from Rotary, Rotaract and Interact clubs across the area, along with friends, families and prospective Rotarians. Students from UC San Diego Rotaract made sandwiches and stayed involved afterward, helping with deliveries. For many guests it was a first taste of Rotary service and a fun, welcoming introduction to what our clubs do. Ninety volunteers left in T-shirts promoting the club as a beacon of hope.
The sandwiches went to two partners on the front lines of hunger relief, Father Joe's Villages and Interfaith Community Services. Both serve San Diegans experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. After the event, the sandwiches were stored overnight at Samson's home and delivered the next morning by a caravan of volunteer drivers. San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents District 3 and has a long background in nonprofit service, also came to meet the volunteers and see the project in action.
A project this size takes real planning and real partners. The Copley Foundation generously contributed $2,400, and the club covered the balance of the roughly $3,700 total cost. That covered bulk peanut butter, jelly and supplies, food-safety items like hair nets, rented tables and chairs, a dolly for moving loaded trays, and food for the volunteers. Club member Fary Moini hosted the event at her community space, and members of the club pitched in with everything from setup to cleanup.
One of the most rewarding parts of the past three years has been watching the idea spread. Other Rotary clubs have started PB&J projects of their own, which is exactly what the club hoped for. The project is simple, almost anyone can take part, and when enough people come together the impact is big.
For any club thinking about trying it, a few lessons:
- Partner across clubs. Rotaract and Interact members bring energy and numbers.
- Confirm your beneficiaries first. Know how many sandwiches each can accept and when.
- Plan logistics early, including space, food-safety supplies, overnight storage and enough cars for delivery.
- Seek a grant. Local foundations are often glad to fund hands-on hunger relief.
- Confirm your beneficiaries first. Know how many sandwiches each can accept and when.
- Plan logistics early, including space, food-safety supplies, overnight storage and enough cars for delivery.
- Seek a grant. Local foundations are often glad to fund hands-on hunger relief.
La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary is grateful to every volunteer, donor and partner who made this year the biggest yet, and would love to see the PB&J Project take root in clubs across District 5340.