When the federal government announced a suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in late October, millions of Americans were left wondering how they would afford their next meal. Among those most affected are the estimated 5.5 million Californians who rely on CalFresh, the state’s version of SNAP, for food security.
In Contra Costa County, the Concord-based nonprofit White Pony Express (WPE) is stepping up in a major way, launching one of its largest emergency efforts to date — a countywide food drive running now through Nov. 30. The drive calls on residents, schools, faith groups and local businesses to donate shelf-stable food and funds to help offset the loss of federal food aid.
“When I learned the federal government was suspending SNAP benefits, I felt shock and disbelief, followed by resolve,” said Eve Birge, WPE’s chief executive officer. “You don’t leave families without a lifeline and hope this calamity sorts itself out.”
Within hours of the announcement, Birge said her team went into “emergency response mode.”
“We identified the public pantries we serve that we knew would be seeing longer lines, rerouted additional food to these pantries, added rapid-response pick-ups and distributions and stood up a countywide food drive focused on shelf-stable items and funds,” she said.
The organization’s rapid mobilization caught the attention of California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who visited the WPE’s Concord headquarters on Nov. 3 to tour the facility and meet with members of the Food Security Collaborative of Contra Costa County, which includes WPE, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Meals on Wheels, St. Vincent de Paul and the group Loaves and Fishes.
“Donald Trump’s government shutdown has ripped away SNAP benefits from 5.5 million Californians who rely on them to put food on the table,” Kounalakis said during her visit. “It’s an unacceptable and un-American act that uses our most vulnerable families as political pawns.”
Kounalakis praised WPE for their leadership and collaboration during the crisis.
“White Pony Express is a powerful example of how local leaders and volunteers are stepping up to meet this moment,” she said. “At the state level, we’re matching the urgency of this moment with action — fast-tracking $80 million in state funds to stabilize food bank operations and offset delays in federal CalFresh benefits.
“Governor Newsom has also mobilized the California National Guard to plan, pack, distribute and deliver meals to Californians in need across the state.”
Birge said the need in Contra Costa County is immediate and widespread.
“Families who were just holding things together are suddenly making impossible choices — rent, gas, medicine or food,” she said. “We’re also seeing first-time visitors who never imagined needing help. This is especially true for federal workers. Lines at distributions are longer, and our partners need food for home deliveries for people who can’t travel.”
The scope of WPE’s current effort is unprecedented for the organization.
“This is one of the largest, fastest-mobilized efforts we’ve ever launched,” Birge said. “It’s countywide, multichannel — food and funds — and designed to surge for weeks while the policy and administrative pieces catch up. The aim is simple: Stabilize households now.”
WPE is asking the public to donate shelf-stable proteins, such as tuna, chicken, salmon, beans and nut butters, as well as rice, pasta, oats, low-sodium soups and canned vegetables. The organization is also encouraging monetary donations, which help them fill gaps quickly.
“Every dollar helps WPE secure and deliver nutritious food,” Birge said. “We can move quickly, but it takes flexible dollars and volunteers to keep pace until the formal systems catch up.”
Despite the outpouring of community support since the food drive launched, Birge said the need continues to grow.
“The response has been generous and heartfelt. Workplaces have been organizing drives overnight, teens running block-by-block collections, donors stepping up with first-time gifts and a surge of new volunteers,” she said. “It’s inspiring, and we still need more to match the scale of the need.”
Birge emphasized that hunger affects everyone, not just those directly impacted by the SNAP freeze.
“When a child learns on an empty stomach, learning suffers; when workers skip meals, health and productivity decline,” she said. “This is a community stability issue. If you’re fortunate enough not to feel it today, you have extraordinary power to lessen it for someone else — quickly.”
Birge added that WPE’s partnerships are key to ensuring food reaches those who need it most.
“White Pony Express is coordinating daily with the Food Security Collaborative, schools, shelters, senior centers, clinics and faith partners,” she said. “Schools flag classrooms where kids are coming to class hungry; congregations host pop-ups; community health workers help us identify homebound neighbors. It’s a countywide relay, and every partner helps the food get to the right doorstep.”
As the federal lawsuits over the SNAP suspension wind their way through the courts, Birge said nonprofits like WPE will continue to bridge the gap.
“While courts and policymakers work, our job is to feed people — now,” she said. “Local nonprofits are the shock absorbers in a crisis: we stabilize households, reduce harm and bring real-time data back to decision-makers.”
Her message to the community is simple: Food is not the problem — distribution is.
“Food is abundant, and hunger is a logistics problem,” Birge said. “White Pony Express exists to solve that problem with compassion and precision. If you’re wondering whether you can make a difference, you can. Join the drive, become a monthly donor, bring your team to volunteer. Together, we can make sure no neighbor goes to bed hungry.”
Reach Charleen Earley, a freelance writer and journalism professor at Diablo Valley college, at [email protected] or 925-383-3072.
