Comedian Jeff Dunham presented Mike Mallory, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, with a check for $15,000.

Dunham has established a fund by which he donates a dollar from each of his concert tickets to local charities as he tours the country.

The Food Bank was contacted by Marnell White, Tour Manager, who invited Mallory to the show at The Stockton Arena to receive a check from the Jeff Dunham Fund.   White explained that Dunham enjoys giving back to people that are less fortunate in the communities he visits.  Dunham had become aware that there was a large population of people who are hungry and food insecure in San Joaquin and Stanislaus County as well as in the Mother Lode and wanted to help those in need.  As a practice, 71% of the Fund’s contributions go to local food banks.

“At first I thought it was a joke,” said Mallory, but as the conversation continued he realized that the call was real. “When I was brought up on stage, Jeff asked me several questions about the food bank and how many people we would be able to serve with $15,000.  I answered those questions, then after a little hesitation, I decided to convey to the audience that Jeff has God-given talent and the ability to make people laugh which is desperately needed with the state of our economy. I also spoke of how he has raised the bar as an entertainer by reaching out to others who have fallen on tough times.”

Mallory indicated that Dunham’s tour manager expressed on several occasions that giving back to people in need is extremely important to Jeff Dunham and the people who work with him.

“I feel very special that I had the opportunity to meet him in person and see his show live,” Mallory said. “The one thing that will always resonate with me is his true passion for others and the time he takes during his performance to acknowledge greater needs and give to others who are less fortunate.  It will be my sincere pleasure to tell others what he does beyond his profession. Individuals of his caliber are few and far between. I wish him continued success with his professional career and his charitable outreach.”

Second Harvest Food Bank is committed to fighting hunger and feeding hope by providing nutritious food to individuals and families suffering from hunger and food insecurity. Last year, the Food Bank distributed 12.5 million pounds of food to over 325,000 people throughout our community. The Food Bank accomplishes this through its three programs; Food Assistance, Food 4 Thought, and Senior Brown Bag. Over 150 non-profit agencies, community organizations, and schools partner with the Food Bank to distribute food to people in need.



To find out how you can help fight hunger in our community, visit www.localfoodbank.org or call (209) 239-2091.