With roughly 133,000 Santa Clara County residents expected to lose their federal food assistance benefits next month amid the government shutdown, the county is giving $4.5 million to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley as the food bank braces for a surge in demand.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as CalFresh in California, is a critical lifeline that helps 5.5 million low-income residents in the state pay for groceries.
But those benefits, which can be up to $785 per month for a family of three, are set to expire on Nov. 1 as the Trump administration has said it won’t dip into $5 billion in contingency funds to help sustain the program. A federal judge is expected to issue a ruling ahead of Saturday on whether the government can cut off the funding to the program.
The move comes several months after the president’s tax and spending bill cut $200 billion in food assistance benefits for recipients across the country over the next decade.
Leslie Bacho, the CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, anticipates that lines at their distribution sites will get longer starting this weekend. The food bank currently serves roughly 500,000 people a month across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
Bacho described the impact of the loss of CalFresh benefits as families and seniors sitting around the kitchen trying to figure out how to keep paying rent, utilities and other bills while still putting food on the table. This latest blow comes at a time when Silicon Valley is already facing a food insecurity crisis with the region’s rates higher than the national average, Bacho said.
“We cannot control what happens in Washington D.C., but we can control how we show up for our neighbors right here at home,” she said.
Santa Clara County Executive James Williams said the funding, which was announced at a press conference Thursday morning, would enable Second Harvest to “purchase more food and expand distribution points.” The county already funds the nonprofit to the tune of $1 million annually.
Williams said the money will come out of the county’s contingency fund and could mean more cuts down the line as they grapple with a fiscal crisis manufactured by President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” The county is currently looking at making $200 million in cuts to the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare system due to lost Medicaid revenues spelled out in the bill.
“This makes things worse,” Williams said of the budget situation. “But we have to continue to do the things that we can to try to take care of those most in need in our community. That’s our commitment as a county organization.”
Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, who represents parts of East San Jose along with Morgan Hill and Gilroy, worries about the effect the loss of food assistance benefits will have on those communities already grappling with violence, crime and other quality of life markers. In her district, 27,000 residents rely on CalFresh — 60% of whom are seniors or children.
“They’re already impacted and struggling in a community that is dealing with all kinds of different factors and now we’re going to put hunger on top of it,” she told The Mercury News. “It’s going to impact the growth and the well being of our children. For our seniors, they’re going to have to make decisions on whether they’re going to have to pay for medication or pay for their rent or pay for other things when they’re already on a very strict budget.”
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Otto Lee called the loss of benefits “an even more dangerous and disturbing step by our federal administration.”
“Let’s be clear, everyone regardless of income, immigration status, race, gender or age deserves equitable access to food,” he said. “Many people are simply one accident, one missed paycheck or one hospitalization away from being able to afford their next meal.”
Aside from the $4.5 million, the county has been working to identify additional food supplies, volunteers and donors for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to meet the increased need, according to Robert Sacasa, the assistant director for the county’s department of employment and benefit services.
The county agency has begun reaching out to CalFresh recipients to notify them of the potential lapse in benefits and alert them to the resources available, as well. Sacasa said they are also coordinating with schools, cities and nonprofits to make sure “no one falls through the cracks.”
“We know how serious these disruptions are for local families,” he said. “We remain committed to helping all of our residents live with dignity and access to benefits they are eligible for, and we’re here to help our clients during this challenging time.”
Santa Clara County and San Mateo County residents can find food resources in their community by calling Second Harvest of Silicon Valley at 1-800-984-3663 or by visiting shfb.org.
