SAN JOSE, Calif., May 8, 2025 — Second Harvest of Silicon Valley today released the results of its recent client survey, revealing that working families, students and seniors across affluent Silicon Valley continue to face food insecurity at alarming levels. Nearly 9 out of 10 parents who responded worry they won’t have enough nutritious food — and even those with jobs can’t cover basic expenses like rent and groceries.
The results of the text survey offer a direct glimpse into the daily challenges of those trying to keep up with the cost of living in the region and put food on the table for their families:
- Nearly 90% of respondents with children in the household worry about running out of nutritious food
- 63% of respondents reported at least one person in their household is employed, and 28%reported everyone in their household is retired and/or disabled
- Nearly 60% of employed respondents can’t cover their monthly expenses
- More than 50% of respondents are worried about being able to pay next month’s rent or mortgage
The findings confirm the urgent need for food assistance programs in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, where a staggering 1 in 6 people turn to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley for support — and where food insecurity is higher than the national average.
“Behind every data point is a parent, a student, a senior — someone who is doing their best to get by in one of the most expensive areas in the country,” said Second Harvest of Silicon Valley CEO Leslie Bacho.
Mariela, a materials handler for a medical company, and her husband are a San Jose couple representing just one of the many families feeling the weight of this reality: “[Both of us working is] not enough because everything’s going up like rent, water, all that … It’s a struggle.”
Despite low unemployment, Silicon Valley working parents, students and seniors on fixed incomes are under intense financial pressure, and when money gets tight, food budgets are often the first thing people cut to make room for other essentials like rent, utilities, child care or medical bills.
Martha, a single mom in Redwood City, faces these tough daily choices: “Right now, prices are very high and it’s very difficult for families to stay afloat with the minimum wage. Every day I don’t know if I should buy food or if I should pay the rent.”
Epi, a retired worker in the aviation and construction industry, shared: “It’s been hard lately … We have a house that we’ve had since 1995, when the homes were cheap here … and that’s a comfortable payment for us but other bills like water, gas, and power are too much.”
The cost-of-living crisis is causing more and more stress on parents as they worry about how to provide for their families. “There was really no food at home right now,” said Sonya, a mom of two in San Jose who works on campus while going to college. “I didn’t know what I was going to do for this evening.”
Second Harvest provides food — including fresh fruit and vegetables, protein and dairy, grains and pantry staples — free of charge to more than 400 local nonprofit and agency partners at over 900 food distribution sites, including local food pantries, schools, churches and meal programs.
However, donations are not keeping pace with the need. Second Harvest must raise 20% more than its current funding to cover rising costs, meet growing demand and offset reduced government support.
“This is the most challenging time we’ve seen in our over 50 years of serving Silicon Valley,” Bacho said. “None of our neighbors should have to face these challenges alone. Now more than ever, we need the community’s support to keep our programs running. Together, we can ensure everyone has access to the nutritious food we all need to thrive.”
Donate to Help a Neighbor
Donations to Second Harvest support the entire charitable food system in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties and make an immediate impact for neighbors like Sonya, who says: “Without Second Harvest of Silicon Valley or the food pantry here at school, it is extremely difficult to feed my boys on a daily basis.”
Individuals, corporations and organizations can make an immediate impact: A $50 donation helps provide enough food for 100 meals. Visit shfb.org or call 1-866-234-3663.
Get Help with Groceries
Many neighbors feel intimidated or unsure about where to turn for support. Second Harvest is here to connect people to grocery distributions in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, provide enrollment support for federally funded food assistance programs like CalFresh and help connect individuals to other much-needed support services.
The organization’s multilingual Food Connection hotline is available at 1-800-984-3663, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff speak English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin and Tagalog. Three-way interpretation is available for other languages. Second Harvest also offers an easy-to-use food locator tool at shfb.org/get-food, searchable by address, city or ZIP code.
About Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
Founded in 1974, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is one of the largest food banks in the nation and a trusted nonprofit leader in ending local hunger. The organization distributes nutritious food through a network of nearly 400 partners at more than 900 sites across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Due to the prohibitively expensive cost of living in Silicon Valley and the dramatic reduction in pandemic-era government support, Second Harvest is serving an average of about 500,000 people every month. Second Harvest also connects people to federal nutrition programs and other food resources, and advocates for anti-hunger policies on the local, state and national levels. To learn more about how Second Harvest is responding to the incredible amount of need in Silicon Valley, visit shfb.org.
If you are covering issues related to hunger in Silicon Valley, we can provide expert spokespeople who can talk about the local landscape. Please contact Diane Baker Hayward at dbakerhayward@shfb.org or 408-266-8866, ext. 368.
