Message from the Executive Directors
Dear Friends,
We are writing today with a deep sense of concern and urgency.
Hunger is a policy choice—and recent decisions made by Congress and the White House are putting tens of thousands of families at risk. In a stunning move, federal leaders have chosen to gut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the most effective tool our nation has to fight hunger. These cuts will impact millions of Americans, including an estimated 25,000 households in the Bay Area alone.
Here in Contra Costa County, the impact is already being felt. SNAP—known as CalFresh in California—has long been a lifeline for low-income families, seniors, disabled adults, and workers who struggle to make ends meet. When that lifeline is slashed, the pressure shifts to nonprofits like Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa and our partners across the food system.
We are serving thousands of meals every week. And we know from experience: when federal benefits are cut, demand for our services spikes—often overnight. At the same time, we’re also facing cuts to FEMA and TEFAP food distributions, which now come with unexpected costs and are eating up more than half of our annual food budget.
We are bracing for a perfect storm—more people in need, fewer resources to help them.
This is a pivotal moment. We must do everything in our power to ensure that state and local leaders protect and expand CalFresh and support a coordinated, community-based approach to addressing food insecurity.
We are committed to doing our part and we need you with us. Whether it’s through a donation, advocacy, or helping spread the word, your support ensures that no one in our community has to go hungry.
With best regards,
Janette Kennedy,
Executive Director, Development and External Relations
Jolene Lafayette,
Executive Director, Operation