Feel Good Friday - California Association of Food Banks

As Thanksgiving approaches and many of us are preparing to spend time with family, friends, and food, I want to highlight an organization focused on food insecurity, the California Association of Food Banks.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Oakland, California, the mission of the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) is “to end hunger in California”.

According to information on their website, although California produces nearly half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, over 5 million people in Californian face hunger on a daily basis. One out of every four of those people is a child. The team at CAFB believes that “having enough to eat is a basic human right, and that ending hunger in our state is both essential and possible.” Here’s what they’re doing about it.

CAFB works with a network of 41 member food banks around the state to build their capacity and make them more effective. They also provide more than 200+ million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables which is recovered from California’s fields, transported to the member food banks, and distributed to people in need. Details about this program are in this 3-minute Farm to Family video. 

Another area of their work is connecting people to the state’s food stamp program, CalFresh. Only 70% of eligible households get CalFresh, meaning 2 million qualified people are not receiving these nutrition benefits. CAFB partners help nearly 30,000 households apply for CalFresh benefits every year.

CAFB also improves public policy around food bank support, disaster resilience, child nutrition, CalFresh, food waste and poverty. Their legislative partners work to pass state bills and secure state funding that will help to end hunger and alleviate poverty in California. Finally, there are special initiatives such as improving food access for farm workers and preparing for and responding to disasters such as wildfires.

If you’d like to help the California Association of Food Banks achieve their vision of “a well-nourished and hunger-free California, where all people have enough food to lead a healthy life”, there are many ways to do so. Volunteer at one of the member food banks, make a donation, and amplify their work on social media. Like the CAFB Facebook page and follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn.