CalFood Funding at Risk Could Cause Food Insecurity to Rise

Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) is expressing concern for the CalFood program funding at risk of not being renewed for the upcoming year. This funding helps secure our current food system and offsets the negative effects of HR-1 and the CalFresh changes set to be implemented through 2026-2027. “CalFood is vital funding, especially at this critical time, as it connects farmers, food banks, and neighbors in need, said Interim CEO Joanna Solorio. “Other funding has already decreased, and as we brace for upcoming changes with CalFresh, we are likely to see the needs in our area rise as food banks are expected to do more with less,” Solorio continued. CalFood supplies California food banks with locally-sourced, freshly grown produce and food staples that strengthen the local economy and support farmers and good growers. Without this essential funding, the food system would face a drop of 90% of its current funding by returning to the baseline of $8 million. Throughout the last year, CalFood helped 6 million people per month at a time when 1 in 5 households are facing food insecurity. The CalFood program funding has been sustained at $60 million for the past few years, with additional, one-time funding of $50 million. Though pandemic-era needs were high, the effects on households have not ceased, as the food bank has seen record numbers each year since 2020, rising from serving 1.5 million people at the height of the pandemic to over 5 million in 2025 alone. Get Involved: ·         Give Voice - Submit your sign-on letter in support of CalFood funding before the end of April ·         Give Funds – donate to help support food banks during uncertainty ·         Give Food  - Start a food drive to boost food donations ·         Give Time – Sign up for a sorting shift at the warehouse If you’d like to know more about FARSB legislative priorities, please visit www.FeedingIE.org/advocacy to stay updated on current public policy concerns. Photo Credits: Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino   About Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) is leading the fight against hunger in the Inland Empire by providing food access, emergency relief, education, and advocacy to families in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. FARSB opened in 1980 as Survive Food Bank in response to the increasing concern about the dual problems of hunger and food waste in the Inland Empire. Today, FARSB is the primary food source for nearly 250 local nonprofit organizations, distributing over 3.1 million pounds of food monthly to emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, high-need elementary schools, senior centers, after-school programs, and more. With the help of these community partners, they make up the largest hunger-relief organization serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, ultimately making food security a reality for over one million households every year. Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino proudly holds the 2025 Guide Star Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of transparency achievable through Guide Star. For more information, visit http://www.FeedingIE.org     Contact:                                              Rachel Bonilla                                    951-359-4757 ext. 117                        rbonilla@feedingamericaie.org           # # #