Advocacy

Policy principles

Access to nutritious food is a human right.

Every member of our community should have the food they need to thrive.

Policies should be focused on access for all.

We are committed to examining systems, policies and practices to ensure they support diversity, equity and inclusion for all.

Addressing the root causes of hunger.

We will explore how we can support root-cause solutions in areas tied to ending hunger and where our voice can make a difference.

Community voice matters.

We will support nonpartisan efforts at the local, state and federal levels to increase access to voting and encourage voter registration.

Policy priorities

Defend, Restore and Strengthen SNAP/CalFresh – In coalition with state and federal partners, we will advocate for a more inclusive, accessible CalFresh program and oppose any effort to restrict eligibility or reduce benefits

  • Increase benefits: Ensure households receive enough support to meet their nutritional needs, taking into account our area’s high cost of living.
  • Expand eligibility: Include underserved populations such as college students, immigrants and individuals reentering the community after incarceration.
  • Improve access: Cut red tape and increase access to vulnerable populations by reducing and streamlining eligibility and enrollment barriers.
  • Protect autonomy: Safeguard recipients’ ability to purchase the food that best meets their household’s needs and preferences.

Support of Food Banks Programs that support food banks are vital to maintaining a robust safety net and also benefit
farmers and our community. We will continue to advocate for support from our regional cities and counties in addition to:

California

  • Maintain statewide CalFood funding of $60 million annually and add a one-time $50 million allocation to bolster food assistance as people lose CalFresh due to federal cuts.
  • Extend the Farmer to Food Bank tax credit which incentivizes California food producers to donate to food banks and reduces food waste.
  • Extend the Emergency Food for Families voluntary tax contribution fund which provides financial support to food banks.

Federal

  • Protect critical federal funding from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which provides staple food items for food banks.
Download our policy agenda

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley 2026 Legislative Event
Presentation Deck

School Meals and Summer Nutrition: School meals programs provide critical, reliable nutrition to children, especially for middle-income households who are ineligible for federal benefits.

  • Local and California: Ensure school bell schedules are written so that students have adequate time to eat at school.
  • California: 
    • Increase funding to upgrade aging school kitchens so they can prepare freshly made meals.
    • Ensure equitable access to SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) by establishing a statewide electronic application.
  • Federal: Expand access to universally free school and summer meals, ensuring all students have a baseline of good nutrition to support heir education.

Food Recovery
As the leader in edible food recovery in our region, we will continue to advocate for adequate funding to support SB1383 implementation and strengthen critical food recovery infrastructure.

Addressing the Root Causes of Hunger

Systemic racism and other inequities are the root causes of hunger. As part of our mission to end hunger in our community, we will explore how we can support root-cause solutions in areas like income and safety net programs, affordable housing, environmental justice and support of basic needs for immigrants. We will work in coalition with our community and focus on solutions where our voice will have the greatest impact.

Environmental Justice and Sustainability – Clean air, water and soil: Under-resourced and marginalized communities are inequitably impacted by climate change and aging infrastructure. We will learn more about efforts to improve air, water and soil quality, whether they impact the fields where our food is grown or our local neighborhoods.

Housing – Safe, clean, affordable housing for our communities, including farmworkers: We will partner with experts in housing policy to support expanding affordable housing in our region and to ensure that farmworkers have safe, clean and accessible housing options.

Income and Safety Net Programs – Adequate wages and tax credits: We will support efforts to increase minimum wages and provide tax credits to low-income people in our communities, including the expanded Child Tax Credit. Ensuring our community has the financial resources to afford nutritious food is a clear root cause solution to reducing food insecurity.

Access to Basic Needs Programs for All:

  • Second Harvest provides food to everyone who needs it and never asks for immigration status. We will continue to make our distribution sites safe and welcoming locations for anyone who needs food.
  • We will support governmental and community efforts that ensure that all people, regardless of immigration status, have access to food, education and other basic needs.
  • We will support policies that protect farmworkers, who are integral to our food system.
  • We will assist mixed-status families in accessing the benefits to which their citizen members are entitled.

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