On this edition of Your Call, we're discussing the challenges facing food banks.
Bay Area food banks have banded together to sound the alarm about rising hunger and a drop in donations. The leaders of five major food banks — San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Redwood Empire Food Bank and Alameda County Community Food Bank — held a joint press conference last week to call for more support.
Those organizations provided enough food for 270 million meals last year, according to CBS News, but food banks have had to do more with less as funding for pandemic-era programs expires. Meanwhile, the rising cost of living has pushed more people towards food insecurity.
How can the public and the government support these organizations as we head into the holiday season?
Guests:
Lauren Lathan Reid, director of communications and member engagement at the California Association of Food Banks
Liz Gomez, chief impact officer at the Alameda County Community Food Bank, and 2023 Bay Area Jefferson Award winner
Resources:
CBS: Bay Area food banks unite as donations plummet
KCRA: Fall volunteering decline hits as California food banks face high demand
The Washington Post: Trump allies eye overhauling Medicaid, food stamps in tax legislation
