LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS gathered outside the Alameda County Administration Building in Oakland on Monday to announce their plans to help residents acquire food after most federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits remain frozen during the government shutdown.
County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas provided the emergency phone number (510) 635-3663 and the website foodnow.net to help residents find the nearest available food bank. She said over $1.5 million was raised for immediate distribution to food banks in Alameda County, while an additional $8.3 million from the county’s funds from the 2020 sales tax Measure W are being processed for more aid.
“Food is a human right. No one should go hungry, and we as leaders and food justice organizations are here to say, we have your back,” said Fortunato Bas on Friday. “We will not let you, your family, your others, go hungry.”
Fortunato Bas described the situation as dire in Alameda County. She said 179,000 county residents participate in SNAP, while a total of 400,000 individuals are estimated to be food insecure.
Alameda County Community Food Bank executive director Regi Young said the nonprofit was partnering with the county to ensure distribution and access to as many people as possible. Young said the crisis of food insecurity across the county has been made worse during the federal shutdown.
We will not let you, your family, your others, go hungry.
County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas
“Right now, we are mobilizing our network. We’re purchasing a ton of food to come into the community so we can get those out into our communities throughout Alameda County, Albany, Fremont, Livermore, Pleasanton, Oakland, all over the county,” said Young.
“Prior to this challenge, we were already in a food crisis. We were already seeing levels of people come into our pantries higher than at the pandemic. Now with the government shutdown as well as the pending SNAP cuts, that’s going to be more exacerbated in the wealthiest country in the world,” Young added.
Other elected officials bashed President Donald Trump’s administration and Congress for their lack of action during the government shutdown.
“This was initially a choice by the Trump administration to hold hostage resources from low-income families all over the country, from Detroit to Orlando, from Oakland to New Orleans,” said U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Oakland.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, who was formerly a member of Congress, said she can relate to the struggle for food security.
“I was in Congress through a couple of shutdowns. This is the cruelest yet,” said Lee. “I’m standing here as someone also who understands, personally, what families are going through. I raised my two children on food stamps. It wasn’t a handout, but it was a lifeline that kept food on our table while I was doing every single thing right, but still struggling to make ends meet.”
Lee also added that Oakland and the rest of the county was committed to protecting families of mixed immigration statuses. She said families should not be scared to receive assistance since food banks are not working with the federal government, nor should they ask for immigration status.
Right before the press conference, Judge John J. McConnell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled that the Trump administration must use $6 billion in congressionally appropriated emergency funds to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure SNAP recipients continue receiving benefits during the government shutdown.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who led a coalition of other state attorneys general in suing the administration to release the funds, said the stakes remain high as these social services remain on the line.
“Today, not one, but two federal district courts determined that the Trump Administration acted unlawfully when it chose to suspend SNAP benefits for the month of November. The Trump Administration knows that it has a legal duty to fund SNAP benefits, even during the current government shutdown. In fact, just last month, the USDA admitted as much in a document that it later deleted from its website,” said Bonta.
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