SNAP SNAPS BACK INTO PLACE, OR DOES IT?
When the government shut down this October, one of the largest sources of concern was the pausing of SNAP (Calfresh in California) benefits used by 1 in 8 Americans, and 1 in 7 Californians. Now that the shutdown is over, the program has mostly returned to normal – but what that normal looks like has changed drastically over the course of the year.
With the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill Act this June, federal SNAP eligibility requirements were tightened. Work requirements now apply to a greater number of people, including in California, which previously held a statewide waiver for these requirements. People who now must work 20 hours a week include:
- Adults as old as age 64, previously 54
- Adults with children 14 and older, previously 18
- Veterans, foster youth up to age 24, and people experiencing homelessness
In California, around 495,000 of the 610,000 people who will be affected by these new requirements do not meet them and will lose benefits when they are implemented.
At the same time as these restrictions are rolling out, food insecurity is rising. Even before SNAP requirements changed, high food prices had driven more people to food banks across the country. The price of food overall has increased by 29% since before the pandemic, and there is no end in sight to this increase.
With increasing food insecurity, decreasing federal support, and an ever-rising price of goods, food banks are struggling. That’s why this holiday season, it’s more important than ever to support your local food banks – even if you yourself don’t have the money to do so.
For teens, students, and many other California residents, donating money simply isn’t an option. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of organizations, resources, and actions that people can take in addition to donating to support the local fight against food insecurity.
The Big Three: Advocate, Donate, Volunteer
If you have the resources, donating is a great way to support local food banks working to fight food insecurity. Linked below are Bay Area organizations that are working tirelessly to reduce food insecurity within our communities.
Another way you can get involved is by volunteering at a local food bank. Volunteering, especially consistent volunteering on a regular basis, allows people to build connections with local organizations and their community. According to Sharon Lipping from the Emeryville Citizens Assistance Program, “Volunteers, especially youth, can gain valuable insight into parts of their community that they would otherwise not see. Regular volunteers are a tremendous help as it allows an organization to operate more efficiently and serve clients better.” Responsibilities as a volunteer at a food bank could include sorting and organizing food, distributing groceries, or packing boxes with produce for delivery.
Advocacy is another great way to help fight food insecurity. You can raise awareness about food insecurity by posting links to available resources and volunteer locations on social media. You can also volunteer as an advocate with the Alameda County Food Bank and contact elected officials in support of policies reducing food insecurity.
A teen-friendly and educational way to get involved is Freerice, a simple, fun trivia game created by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to combat global food insecurity. You can do trivia in various categories, such as English, world history, and biology. For every correct answer, a payment is made to support WFP’s mission of reducing global hunger. A link to the game can be found below.
Finally, if you are personally struggling with food insecurity, you can visit any of the resources linked below for support.
How to give and get help:
Give help:Freerice: A simple food assistance game where the site asks trivia questions and for each question you add 10 grains of rice to the world food insecurity mission.
Alameda County Community Food Bank: Volunteer within Alameda county as a warehouse volunteer or a community volunteer.*
*Volunteer age restrictions: Child volunteers need to be 15-17 years old to volunteer alone or 10-years-old and up with a chaperone.
CA Food Banks: Find a food bank to donate/volunteer at today all over California.
Emeryville Citizens Assistance Program: Donate bags/boxes of food to ECAP food pantries. To volunteer email at: volunteer@ecapprogram.org
Emeryville Citizens Assistance Program
ECAP Jingle & Mingle: Celebrate the holiday season, enjoy food, fun and fellowship raising support for families in need across Emeryville, Oakland and Alameda County.
CA Volunteers: Volunteer at food banks local to you.
Kids and Teen Volunteering: A site with many avenues for kids and teens to volunteer and take action against the food crisis.
Kids and Teens: Food Insecurity Methods
YMCA of Greater San Francisco Food Support Volunteer: Join the YMCA of Greater San Francisco in expanding their food networks at a food panties or as a grocery distributor.
YMCA of Greater San Francisco Food Support Volunteer
Get Help:
FoodNow: A universal food network site that provides instruction to your nearest foodbank based on zipcode.
Jesse Arreguín’s Website: Jesse Arreguín, Senate District 07, provides links and resources for benefits throughout the Bay Area.
UC Berkeley Student Food Pantry: A food pantry specifically designed for students on UC Berkeley Campus. (Cal Student ID is necessary for access.)
UC Berkeley Staff Food Pantry: A food pantry specifically designed for staff on UC Berkeley Campus. (Cal 1 ID is necessary for access.)
Apply/Reapply for SNAP Benefits: SNAP is a federal program that provides monthly food benefits to low-income households to help them buy groceries.
Berkeley Public School Food Pantries: The December 15th food pantry is available for families and staff in need of assistance
Buffy Wicks Website: Find food assistance in District 14 through Buffy Wicks website.
USA Wide Food AID Hub: Find for insecurity help throughout the US.
–Clio Wachtel – Communications Intern
–Margaret Montag – Healthcare Intern
–Lucy Still – Criminal Justice/Legal Systems Intern
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