OC Board Chairman Donald P. Wagner Allocates $3 Million to OC Hunger Alliance to Purchase Emergency Food

(Santa Ana, CA) – Today, Chairman Donald P. Wagner of the Orange County Board of Supervisors directed the Board allocation of $3 million for OC Hunger Alliance. The funds will purchase emergency food to help mitigate an expected increase in demand for food assistance. In the early days of the pandemic, the United States Department of Agriculture increased benefits received by participants in the CalFresh program. However, allotments end this month, April 2023. The Board approved the Chairman’s request unanimously.

“No family should go hungry, let alone in Orange County. Our food banks are strapped and looking for help. The sooner we can get the funds to the food banks, the sooner we can start relieving families of the unfortunate burden of not knowing where their next meal is coming from,” said Chairman Wagner.

The OC Hunger Alliance consists of Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County, Community Action Partnership’s OC Food Bank, and Abound Food Care. Chairman Wagner requested the Board split those funds equally among the three organizations.

The benefit received by the average CalFresh recipient household will be reduced by $261 per month. Combined, Orange County households will experience a $30 million per month reduction in food benefits. We are also experiencing the highest inflation in 40 years, further aggravated by the fact that inflationary costs of food are trending higher than that of other consumer goods.

The OC Hunger Alliance is working on mitigating the upcoming increase in demand for emergency food assistance, partnering with the Orange County Social Services Agency to prepare emergency food providers and connect people with additional wrap-around services that may alleviate the impact of CalFresh reductions.

The funds to the OC Hunger Alliance will provide food assistance to low-income and socially vulnerable communities, which have been severely impacted by the reduction in benefits received by participants in the CalFresh program.

To learn more about the Third District office, please visit donwagnerca.com and follow him on social media @donwagnerca for the latest updates.

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