California pledges $80 million to food banks amid CalFresh delays

California is committing $80 million to food banks across the state, as CalFresh benefits may continue to be delayed. 

After more than a month of budget bickering, the government shutdown is quickly approaching the record previously set in 2019. This time, however, food assistance programs are the biggest concern nationwide as more than 40 million Americans are affected. 

“The County of San Diego and the State of California are working together to support families through this crisis, and anyone who needs help should call 2-1-1 or visit 211sandiego.org,” said San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer per the County News Center.

CalFresh is the California version of the federal food assistance program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as EBT or food stamps. The program is federally funded but managed by states and administered by counties.

The nearly month-long shutdown means, at a minimum, a delay in November benefits for about 42 million Americans, including 5.5 million in California. More than 63% of California’s SNAP participants are children or the elderly, according to Feeding San Diego.

In San Diego County, more than 395,000 people in nearly 240,000 households receive CalFresh benefits, based on income.

In addition to administering state funds, Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for the deployment of the California National Guard and volunteers on a humanitarian mission to support food banks. The last time the state’s national guard was deployed before 2025 was in March 2020, for pandemic aid.  

“This is serious, this is urgent – and requires immediate action. Millions of Americans rely on food benefits to feed their families, and while Republicans in Washington drag their feet, California is stepping up once again to fill in the gaps,” Newsom said.

Food banks are non-profit organizations that stores and sends out donated foods to other organizations for distribution. The two major food banks in San Diego are the San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego, which have food distribution centers across the county and work with hundreds of local charities.

The San Diego Food Bank’s list of food distribution sites can be found here. Feeding San Diego also offers a full list of their food distribution sites on their website.