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As 2024 winds down, I can’t help but look back on the year that was—and what a year it’s been! +BOX is wrapping up its fifth year serving San Diego County. Five years of fresh veggies, community connections, and a few sleepless nights later, I’m excited to share what we’ve learned, what we’ve accomplished, and what we hope for in 2025.
What We Achieved in 2024
Let’s start with some numbers because, love them or hate them, they help tell the story:
More than 29,000 boxes of fresh, healthy food were delivered.
Over 429,000 pounds of produce distributed.
Enough for more than 350,000 healthy meals (or 1.7 million servings of fruits, veggies, and whole grains, if you’re counting).
To paint the picture: every week, our team and volunteers sourced, sorted, packed, and delivered about 9,000 pounds of produce. This effort supported over 600 households with children every week, ensuring consistent access to fruits and vegetables many couldn’t otherwise access or afford. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s worth every bit of effort when we see the impact.
Speaking of impact, here’s the real headline for 2024:
99% of +BOX families saw improvements in their health and wellness, with 82% reporting significant improvements.
92% of +BOX families noticed academic improvements in their kids, with 60% reporting major leaps forward.
The takeaway? Healthy food nourishes bodies and minds. When families can consistently access fresh, nutritious food, it changes lives—for the better.
We also hit some fun milestones in 2024:
1 million pounds of food distributed since 2021 (it’s as heavy as it sounds!).
Recognized as 2024 Nonprofit of the Year by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.
May 8th officially became +BOX Day in San Diego County, thanks to Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer. If we’re lucky, it’ll be a holiday someday (dare to dream).
Challenges? Oh, We Had a Few...
It wasn’t all veggie confetti and rainbows. Here’s what kept us on our toes:
The Funding Crunch: Charitable giving was down in 2024, and we felt it. Inflation and economic uncertainty made for a tough fundraising environment—not just for us but across the nonprofit world. We will continue to push forward and hope for a rebound in 2025.
A Crowded Market: San Diego is home to 10,000+ nonprofits, with over 550 focused on food security. That’s a lot of pie to split (pun fully intended), and the lion’s share of funding often goes to the big players. Food banks do critical work, but we’re here to show that a bold, innovative approach—one that tackles root causes—deserves a seat at the table too (and a bigger slice of pie!).
The Attention Economy: Between Giving Tuesday emails, Black Friday deals, and election-year noise, getting people’s attention felt like trying to yell over a rock concert. Let’s just say it’s been... challenging. We certainly appreciate everyone who heard us, was willing to listen, and took action!
The Demand Gap: Food insecurity persists, and it’s growing. Food insecurity in San Diego County affects 1 in 4 residents, including 30% of children, which is almost double the national average. Even with existing food assistance programs, there’s still an 8.8-million-meal monthly gap. That’s heartbreaking, but it motivates us to push harder.
Hopes and Predictions for 2025
So, what’s next? I’m cautiously optimistic about what’s ahead, and here are some trends I’m keeping an eye on:
Food Justice Takes Center Stage: San Diego is embracing more holistic approaches to food insecurity, from the county’s Food Justice Action Plan to the growing “Food is Medicine” movement. We know that food insecurity doesn’t exist in a vacuum – it’s interconnected with poverty, climate change, food systems, health disparities, etc. If we don’t take a more holistic approach to solving these challenges, then they won’t be solved. I’m optimistic because we’re seeing that shift slowly take place and these initiatives align with +BOX’s mission, so we’ll continue to engage in these spaces.
Outcomes Over Outputs: We predict funders will start prioritizing impact over sheer numbers. Delivering pounds is great, but we’re here to prove that healthy food creates healthier communities—and that’s the metric we will continue to prioritize. So, we expect to see movement in favor of those who can make meaningful progress towards solving the fundamental issues that cause chronic food insecurity and health disparities.
Consolidation in the Sector: With so many overlapping efforts, we might see more nonprofits joining forces. The private sector does mergers all the time, and honestly, it’s an idea the nonprofit community could embrace to create greater collective impact.
Back to Our Roots: Food isn’t just sustenance—it’s community. We’re leaning into efforts that reconnect people with where their food comes from, who grows it, and how it nourishes their lives. The future of food security is less industrial, more personal, and community driven. We won’t technology our way out of this one (and that’s coming from a former tech bro). I believe that we’ll get back to our roots in 2025 (pun definitely intended).
Big Thanks and Big Dreams
None of this happens without an incredible community of supporters. Special shoutouts to:
The Burt Family Foundation (yes, we’re related) for their unwavering support since day one. They don’t receive enough credit for the investments and impact they are making in San Diego!
Our partners at ProduceGood for their amazing collaboration and friendship. Alex, Nita, and the team are amazing women doing amazing work! I’ve learned a ton from them this past year!
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and her team for championing our mission, being responsive (even in an election year), connecting us to resources (including funding), and helping us raise awareness for the work +BOX is doing in the County.
The incredible +BOX squad—Dani, Greg, Floyd, and Bill—for their dedication, hard work, and willingness to entertain my ridiculous ideas. Their contributions have made +BOX what it is today and I appreciate them all.
Here’s to 2025!
As we step into 2025, +BOX will keep striving to break the cycle of food insecurity and build healthier, more resilient communities. Your support fuels our mission, and we couldn’t do it without you.
Thanks for reading, supporting, and cheering us on. If you’ve got questions, ideas, or just want to chat about food, my inbox is open.
Happy holidays!
Wes
Wesley Burt, Founder & Executive Director