Merced Food Bank faces state budget cuts amid soaring local demand | Opinion

Right now, the Merced County Food Bank is serving over 41,000 food insecure people and households each month — an increase of 17% compared to 2023. The need in our community continues to grow, driven by inflation, rising costs of goods and services and economic uncertainty.

Yet, at this critical time, California’s food banks are facing a double threat: a 90% cut to state funding for the CalFood program, and unprecedented federal cuts to SNAP (CalFresh in California). These programs are lifelines for low-income families, seniors, children and individuals with chronic health issues or disabilities — those who are at the greatest risk of going hungry.

We are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom and our state legislators to act now by sustaining funding for the CalFood program at $60 million — a level that was set during the pandemic — because the number of people facing food insecurity in California is higher today than ever before.

This funding is essential to keep our local food bank stocked and operational, allowing us to purchase California-grown produce and rarely donated items. At the Merced County Food Bank, we use CalFood to partner with local producers to buy meat, dairy, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, shelf-stable pantry staples and more, which also supports the local agricultural and food economy. Without this program, we would not be able to provide the same quality or variety of culturally relevant foods that give our community the dignity and quality of life that every person deserves.

If CalFood is not sustained at $60 million in this year’s state budget, our food bank — and others across California — will not be able to fill the gap. That means more people in our community will be forced to go without the food they need to thrive.