On a bright morning at Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas, our San Diego Foundation (SDF) team traded computers for boots and work gloves. Some SDF staff members picked up paintbrushes and rollers to paint walls and stain fences. Others helped build a small fence or pulled up weeds that had taken hold in the community garden.
The work was simple and satisfying – a reminder that sometimes the best way to connect is by getting hands dirty together.
The Heart of Volunteering
Volunteer Day is a bi-annual tradition at SDF, giving staff a chance to step out of the office and into the community they serve.
“It’s great that we’re using our hands for more than Control–Alt–Delete,” said Hiram Soto, Director of Marketing and Communications. “With that comes the opportunity to share with our colleagues and to do something collective, with purpose.”
By the end of the day, a few coats of fresh paint, a new fence section, and a cleared garden stood as proof of the team’s work. But the real impact was less visible; a renewed sense of connection and shared purpose that comes from spending time side by side and doing something that matters.
“I think it’s these moments that are really important for our team, for our culture at San Diego Foundation to connect as human beings side by side,” said Kenzie Leas, Senior Manager of People, Culture and Diversity. “Getting this opportunity to connect as a team twice a year is a fantastic opportunity.”
That spirit of collaboration extends beyond one day of service. It reflects the same commitment to community that drives SDF’s partnerships throughout the region, including its work with Coastal Roots Farm.
Where Community and Purpose Take Root
Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas operates on a simple idea: food can bring people together. Guided by Jewish values of healing the world, mutual responsibility, and interdependence – the farm grows roughly sixty seasonal crops each year. The result is close to 880,000 pounds of produce, enough to help feed around 45,000 people across San Diego County.
Most of each harvest is shared through partnerships with organizations that help seniors with limited income, veterans and families. The rest supports the local community through farm stands and educational programs that connect people to healthy food and sustainable farming practices.
“Coastal Roots Farm is really about nourishing community,” said President and CEO Javier Guerrero. “We would not be able to do our work without San Diego Foundation.”
Environmental grants from San Diego Foundation have helped Coastal Roots Farm increase outdoor access and strengthen community food security.
Culture That Connects
San Diego Foundation’s culture is built on collaboration, integrity, and community. These values show up not only in its partnerships but in how the team works together each day. Every volunteer day reflects that spirit, offering a moment to step away from daily routines and bond with each other.
“What I love most about working at San Diego Foundation is how passionate everyone is about what they do,” said Jeff Spitko, Senior Director of Integrated Fundraising. “I’ve never worked with a team that just works together so closely and was really striving for everyone to succeed in what they do.”
That commitment to a supportive, people-first workplace has earned San Diego Foundation recognition as a five-time winner of the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Best Places to Work, as well as a new honoree on the San Diego Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list. These honors speak to what staff experience firsthand: a culture grounded in purpose and shared impact.
It’s also a reflection of the SDF vision of building just, equitable and resilient communities – a vision that grows stronger each time people come together to do good.
