Regina Gamboa, Project 1:1's co-founder and executive director, and her husband, James, opened a new food pantry in Imperial Beach on Thursday, March 16, under the Magnolia Project.
The Magnolia is the Christian couple's dream project, and they selected Imperial Beach as the location because Regina grew up there.
According to Regina, despite being in a military town, the pantry caters to the entire South Bay, from National City to San Ysidro.
Addressing Food Insecurity and Health
According to The Star News, the food pantry created under the Magnolia Project 1:1 has a distinctive design.
It offers a cozy country-store ambiance with a wide selection of fresh local produce, bread, canned food, toiletries, paper products, and even diapers and feminine products.
Additionally, It caters to the diverse residents of the area and includes an "International Shelf" that has an assortment of Latin, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Kosher products.
The pantry allows clients to choose the culturally appropriate and nutritious food they prefer for their families.
Aside from addressing food insecurity, the Magnolia Project 1:1 also partnered with UCSD and the San Diego District Attorney's Office to provide an eight-week educational program.
The program aims to educate people on how to prepare simple, healthy, and easy-to-learn recipes to promote health and wellness.
It is supported by CVS Health and Maggie's Table, led by professional chefs and nutritionists.
According to Verne Brizendine, the CEO of Aetna Better Health of California, equitable access to food is one of the most significant barriers to better health and well-being for many people.
With this, Aetna Better Health of California has granted over $50,000 to support Project 1:1's efforts to increase access to healthier food and alleviate food insecurities in San Diego for the past four years.
Dream Project
Regina, who has a background in nursing, co-founded the nonprofit in 2008 with James.
She stated that they began by feeding one homeless person for Thanksgiving, and over 14 years, the program expanded to feed 30 to 50 people every week.
They provided hot meals, sleeping bags, and tents, and during holidays, they set up tables with tablecloths and gifts and offered the whole holiday meal.
As Christians, they offered their service every Tuesday at the back of Home Depot on Saturn Boulevard, with chairs set up and guitarists singing.
Regina's son-in-law, who is a pastor at Horizon Christian Fellowship, would then come and share the Word.
When it comes to feeding the homeless, Regina emphasized the importance of building trust and relationships.
She believes that without trust, it is impossible to make any progress because they are opportunistic.
However, when they start trusting you, they learn to confide in you.
Regina explained that Project 1:1 is based on the principle of "each one, reach one, each one love one."
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they expanded their efforts to feed not only the homeless, but also struggling families, partnering with the San Diego Food Bank to become a "super pantry."
However, Regina felt that there was a gap in providing healthy and culturally sensitive food.
She expressed her frustration to her husband about the limitations of their food distribution and their desire to open their pantry, despite financial challenges.
Eventually, they found a restaurant property that they transformed into the Magnolia Project 1:1.
After working with the homeless population for many years, they decided to focus solely on the Magnolia Project and helping struggling families.
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