On November 17, the Senate Human Services Committee held an Informational Hearing, “Fighting Hunger: Food Assistance for Vulnerable Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Nourish California applauds the Committee Chair, Senator Hurtado, for convening the hearing to better inform Committee members, administrators, and the general public about the alarmingly high rates of food insecurity in our state due in large part to the COVID-19 public health crisis and the resulting economic downturn.
The hearing featured testimony from academic researchers, program administrators, legislative analysts, and individuals struggling with hunger during the pandemic. The information presented made clear that California and the nation are in the midst of a food insecurity crisis more severe than perhaps we have ever experienced. State leaders can and must act boldly and swiftly to enact policies that will increase equitable access to programs and services that provide vital nutrition assistance to those who have fallen on hard times and need support to put food on the table for themselves and their families.
Nourish California provided written and verbal public comments sharing our recommendations to the Committee on how state leaders can and should respond to alleviate the harmful levels of food insecurity and related impacts on the health and well-being of so many Californians.
You can access the meeting agenda and supporting materials here.
Watch or listen to the recording of the hearing here.
Read Nourish California’s public comments here.
What’s Next?
We look forward to working with our anti-hunger partners, the Legislature, and the administration to make the urgent and bold decisions to enact policies and allocate the necessary resources to improve access to vital nutrition programs to reduce the burden on Californians who need help putting food on the table for themselves and their families.
We invite you to join us in our efforts to cultivate policies that disrupt poverty, end hunger, and extend equitable opportunity to all. You can stay up to date on our policy campaigns and receive timely calls to action by signing up for our Action Alerts here.
Questions?
Contact Jared Call at 323.401.4972
