September is Hunger Action Month. Established by Feeding America in 2008 to harness the power of collective action, this nationwide annual initiative aims to challenge hunger and food insecurity for those who need assistance feeding themselves or their families. In 2024, about 1 in 7 households in the U.S. experienced food insecurity or a lack of access to affordable, nutritious foods. Food insecurity can affect anyone, but seniors, working families with children, veterans, and students are even more at risk.
Food insecurity is both a symptom and a perpetuator of poverty. When families are forced to choose between meals or paying for other basic necessities such as rent, medicine, transportation, and utilities, they may not be able to feed themselves or their children enough nutritious food. In the long term, this can mean negative health consequences, behavioral issues in children, and a general lack of basic necessities. It’s important to gather data about food insecurity so that organizations like Community Action Agencies can secure funding for their work. Unfortunately, federal data collection on food insecurity has become less consistent in recent years.
According to the California Food Banks Organization Food Insecurity Data Dashboard, in 2024, 22% of all households and 27% of households with children in California struggled with some level of food insecurity. That’s 1 in 5 families not getting enough nutritious food. This data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, which continuously monitored emergent social and economic issues from 2020 to 2024.
Most food insecurity data comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, last year, USDA announced it would no longer include the Food Security Supplement questionnaire in the Current Population Survey (CPS), which supported and increased SNAP eligibility and benefit allotments since its creation in 1996. Without this data, people may lose access to nutrition assistance and there will be less knowledge about food insecurity trends in the United States as a whole. That data helps us understand what causes food insecurity, and serves as a robust check for other surveys about food insecurity.
Addressing food insecurity at scale requires ensuring eligible Californians can access ongoing nutrition benefits through programs like CalFresh, commonly known nationwide as SNAP benefits. CalFresh recipients receive monthly financial aid loaded onto an EBT card, which can be used at grocery stores and participating farmers’ markets. The PPIC (Public Policy Institute of California) estimates that more than 5 million Californians receive CalFresh benefits. Qualifying residents all live in households with an income below the federal poverty line. While the average CalFresh benefit amount distributed per day is $6.26 per person, the estimated daily food cost minimum is $12.20, leaving a gap of $5.93. One way EBT recipients can narrow that gap is through Market Match.
The California Market Match Consortium (CMMC) helps Californians stretch their EBT dollars through over 50 farmers’ market operators and community-based organizations across the state. Cardholders can visit a participating farmers market and use their card to receive tokens or paper vouchers that can be spent on any CalFresh-eligible food items. The market staff person will match a portion of the tokens or vouchers, or some farm-direct outlets will offer a 50% discount. These additional funds make it possible for local, seasonal produce to reach low-income families, and for those dollars to go back into the community. The CMCC has a convenient market locator to help you find a participating market.
CalFresh isn’t the only support available to people struggling with food insecurity. WIC is a federal program that supports new caregivers, pregnant and postpartum parents, and children under 5 that are at nutritional risk. About half of California’s public schools offer free and reduced-price meals for qualifying students, and federally funded SUN bucks help cover the cost of groceries for children during summer break. These nutrition programs help lift people out of poverty by relieving pressure on families. Parents that aren’t worrying about where the next meal will come from can spend more time furthering their own education or careers. Their kids being fed means that those hard choices between food, medicine, and rent don’t have to be made.
The PPIC estimates that California’s poverty rate would be about 2.3% higher without programs like CalFresh, and recent federal legislation may cause as many as 1 in 8 participants to lose assistance. H.R. 1 will dramatically increase workforce costs for CalFresh. Over 950,000 CalFresh recipients will be impacted due to expanded work and documentation requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents. H.R. 1 also shifts the administrative load onto the counties as they implement the eligibility requirements. Starting in October 2026, H.R. 1 reduces the federal government’s share of CalFresh administrative costs from 50% to 25%. The combined costs of these changes to the county workforce are expected to be $574 million. Californians may not be able to make ends meet as they struggle with new work requirements or have their benefits reduced.
The effects of these changes ripple outward: farmers markets get fewer customers, food pantries struggle to keep up with demand, and whole communities have their health impacted as food access dwindles. The negative health impacts of food insecurity include an increased risk of diet-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Workers struggling with food insecurity and chronic diseases will need more time off from work due to illness, have lower productivity, and may become unable to work. Food insecurity impacts business by weakening the workforce while simultaneously shrinking the customer base. Overall, less money in peoples’ pockets is bad for businesses, who lose out on revenue because paying customers are having their dollars stretched beyond their means.
For those stretching their dollars to pay for food, medicine, housing, and transportation, escaping the cycle of poverty becomes more difficult when state and federal funding is inconsistent. Beyond federal programs like CalFresh, California’s Community Action Agencies are on the front lines of this work, implementing direct, community-based strategies to reduce food insecurity and keep Californians healthy.
The Community Action Partnership of Kern County has an entire month of events set for Hunger Action Month, but they work all year-round to expand food access in their communities. In 2025, CAPK Food Bank, in partnership with over 150 agencies, distributed 22.35 million pounds of food across Kern County. Included in those distributions is the Senior Food Program, which supports elderly adults by providing a 30-pound box of shelf-stable groceries each month to seniors aged 60 and over. Through Central Kitchen, over 1,400 children in CAPK’s Head Start and State Child Development Programs were served 678,052 meals to support their development and health.
The Community Action Agency of Napa Valley is dedicated to fighting hunger for its residents through an umbrella of food service programs, including the CANV Food Bank, the CANV Kids Development & Family Program and its Meals on Wheels operations. It is through these food bank distributions that a monthly average of 118,000 pounds of food is given out to residents in need. Napa Valley’s Meals on Wheels program serves more than 400 senior residents each week, many of whom are homebound and unable to cook or shop for themselves. These vital programs can be a lifeline to many Napa Valley residents and showcase firsthand the dedication California Community Action agencies hold in their mission to help families and individuals increase their full potential of self-determination through basic needs.
To uplift Hunger Action Month in your community, you can take action and raise awareness in a variety of ways. Donating to a food bank, posting about Hunger Action Month on social media, or volunteering your time to make or distribute food can all make a difference. Your local Community Action Agency may be hosting a food drive or event near you, check out CalCAPA’s locator map to find your local agency.