21-03-2025
Bay Area food banks feeling impact of federal cuts
SOLANO, Calif. (KRON) — Federal freezes on funding are impacting food assistance programs and Bay Area food banks are already feeling the pinch. KRON4 visited the Food Bank of Contra Costa in Solano to see how it was navigating through major gaps in funding — and how people can help.
'Right now, we're seeing a lot of uncertainty,' said Caitlin Sly, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Sly said that individual donations are already down 5% year-over-year.
The Trump administration's federal funding freeze on two programs is impacting the nonprofit's operations. Since the end of January, it's been crippling, according to Sly.
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'One, to the emergency food assistance program, which is USDA commodities that we provide to people in need,' Sly said.
The other cut is to the local food purchase assistance cooperative agreement program, which is limiting the food bank's ability to buy fresh produce from locally owned farms.
'That was money that we were expecting to come in over the next year that will not be coming in,' Sly said.
Additionally, the CalFood program is facing potential cuts. Sly says it is staring at an 87% reduction in the current state budget proposal — a drop from $62 million in funding to just $8 million.
'Our food bank has used that to buy fresh produce, to buy fresh protein, eggs, meat — things of that nature,' Sly said. 'The things that our clients want the most, and, the things that are most expensive to buy in the grocery stores.'
Although the federal cuts have already happened, Sly says there is still time to save CalFood. In the meantime, the food bank can sustain its current level of services for six months. After that, without federal dollars, Sly says the food bank will struggle to keep up with growing demand from food insecure families.
'For CalFood, that is a potential cut. That's not a cut that's been made yet, so people can advocate with their state legislature. People can also donate to help us fill that gap,' said Sly.
Each month, the food bank serves 65,000 households and provides enough food for 2.7 million meals.
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