Food aid for Bay Area families at risk as government shutdown enters 25th day

Food aid for Bay Area families at risk amid government shutdown

Bay Area food banks are bracing for an increase in demand with CalFresh funding expected to run out in November, threatening food support for hundreds of thousands of families.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - As the government shutdown stretches into its 25th day, food banks across the Bay Area are bracing for a surge in need if federal food assistance runs out next month.

SNAP, known in California as CalFresh, is expected to run out of funding in November due to the shutdown and major federal cuts. The program helps one in eight Americans buy groceries.

Local perspective:

Organizations like Second Harvest Silicon Valley and Catholic Charities are trying to meet the increased need. 

More than 500 families stopped by a food distribution site in Mountain View on Saturday morning.

"So our lines are already really long, and we are really concerned that they will get even longer with the government shutdown," said Shobana Gubbi, chief philanthropy officer for Second Harvest Food Bank.

More than 170,000 people in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties rely on SNAP benefits.

"SNAP is a huge program. There's no way food banks can fill the gap," Gubbi said. "However, we will stretch as much as we can, and we need the community support to do so. So really, we need people who are watching this to do what they can to help food banks like ours."

South Bay Rep. Sam Liccardo is urging the Trump administration to release $5 billion in emergency funds, so Bay Area families don’t go hungry.

"The only reason why the Trump administration is not tapping into the reserve that's designated to address emergencies like this is vindictiveness," Liccardo said. "There's no reason why the Department of Agriculture's reserve that's intended to cover SNAP benefits, CalFresh during this shutdown is not being used."

Big picture view:

According to a Department of Agriculture memo, the Trump administration will not use those contingency funds to keep food aid flowing. The memo said states temporarily covering benefits next month will not be reimbursed, and the reserve is intended for disaster relief.

In response, Gov. Gavin Newsom has requested that the California National Guard and volunteers assist food banks across the state.

Bay Area Rescue Mission, a nonprofit based in Richmond, says it is prepared to help through its food pantry and hot meal programs.

"The one thing that we really want to make everyone aware of is that the Bay Area Rescue Mission will be here," said Pastor Juanita Greer, the organization’s volunteer services manager. "We are not shutting down, we will be open to serve our community every single day."