Anti-Hunger Advocates Urge Governor Newsom to Remain Proactive In the Fight Against Hunger
On Friday, January 9, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom released his January proposal for the 2026-27 state budget. Unfortunately, the proposed [...]
Remove barriers. Boost benefits.
Help us reduce hunger by making it easier to enroll in CalFresh and ensuring benefits are enough for people to afford the foods they need.
CalFresh helps more than five million people put food on the table, but federal benefit levels often aren't enough to last the full month for most CalFresh participants. Recognizing the potential for supplemental benefit programs to fight hunger and support California's economy, the state launched the Fruit and Vegetable EBT program in 2023.
Due to the huge popularity of the program, funding ran out two previous times. Thanks to your advocacy, last year we were able to secure funding to restart the program. The program has successfully restarted as of November 2025 at 91 participating locations.
As of February 2026, over 75,000 CalFresh households were earning up to $60 in rebates each month when purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables through the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT program.
2026 State Advocacy
2026 Budget Letter - Advocate for a $100 million request in the state budget to keep the program going for 12 months and to help make groceries more affordable for California families on CalFresh