Connection Through Food, Fish and Culture: Benefits Gained for Chefs Involved in a San Diego Seafood-Based Community Food Distribution Program During COVID-19

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread job loss, particularly in the food service and fishing industries. Loss of income and shelter in place orders also drastically increased rates of food insecurity in many communities. This led to the partnership between fishermen and food distribution organizations in many states. Particularly in San Diego, fishermen partnered with local chefs and charities to distribute nearly 39,000 meals throughout neighborhoods most acutely affected by food insecurity and unemployment. This capstone project assessed the chefs' involvement in this program, Fish to Families. Through informal interviews, five key benefits were identified by chefs: the relationships built, the skills developed, the respect gained for fish. the opportunity to connect with culture, and the unique educational experience. An ArcGIS StoryMap was created to capture these findings, utilizing interview audio, photos and video to assist in telling this story. The StoryMap focuses only on the benefits had by chefs involved in this program, and while other impacts and benefits may exist, they are not thoroughly covered in this report.The associated StoryMap is linked above