Worker in gloves uses an electric pallet jack to move stacked wooden pallets across an empty hall.
Food is Free Solano volunteer Tyler Thompson moves pallets during a food distribution event on Oct. 28, 2025 in Vallejo, Calif. (Geoffrey King / Open Vallejo)

Starting Saturday, Vallejo residents who use government-issued debit cards to pay for groceries face the possibility that their accounts will not refill. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the federal agency responsible for administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, announced on Oct. 25 that due to the ongoing government shutdown, “the well has run dry” and no benefits would be issued starting Saturday.

Approximately 5.5 million Californians rely on CalFresh, the state program that distributes SNAP funds, for food assistance. That includes 1.9 million children, according to state Attorney General Rob Bonta. 

On Sept. 30, the USDA issued a lapse of funding plan, which included a notice that SNAP benefits could continue if the government were to shut down. The agency noted that SNAP funding has continued during past government shutdowns and that multi-year contingency plans are in place to ensure the program remains active. But on Oct. 24, the agency issued an apparent about-face, claiming that the contingency funds can only be used in the event of a natural disaster. 

California and 24 other states are suing the USDA for its decision not to tap into around $6 billion in contingency funds to pay out SNAP benefits through November. On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani ruled the administration’s withholding of food aid unlawful, and gave the government until Monday to explain how it would fund food benefits. 

In a separate case Friday, U.S District Court Judge Judge John J. McConnell ordered the federal government to continue paying for food stamps during the shutdown, although it remains unclear whether or when the money could reach the 42 million people who receive monthly aid, according to the New York Times. The U.S. Department of Justice has not yet indicated whether it plans to appeal, the paper reported. 

In the meantime, state officials are warning CalFresh recipients that their benefits may be delayed if the government remains shut down through the weekend.

Where to find food

Tall stacks of blue plastic bread trays filled with packaged loaves in a storage area.
Bread and other baked goods await distribution at a Food is Free Solano event on Oct. 28, 2025 in Vallejo, Calif. (Geoffrey King / Open Vallejo)

House Speaker Mike Johnson has signaled there are no plans to pass a stand-alone bill that could fund SNAP while the government is shut down.

During this time, CalFresh users will still be able to use their EBT cards if they have money left in their accounts, according to the California Department of Social Services. Those looking to apply for CalFresh or renew their accounts can still do so, but application processing may be delayed.

The agency also noted that it expects to fund CalWORKS, a state-run cash assistance program, through November, though the shutdown could affect December payments if it continues. The longest government shutdown in U.S. history lasted 34 days, starting in late 2018. 

On Wednesday, Newsom announced he would deploy the California National Guard to support food banks across the state, as well as expedite $80 million in funding to support food assistance programs. The state association of food banks maintains a tool that people can use to find food banks in their area.

The Food Bank of Solano and Contra Costa County lists several food pick-up events at various locations around Vallejo. Individuals can receive 20 pounds of groceries for free twice a month. Each event asks individuals to bring two bags with handles.

Local community pantries also partner with the county food bank to facilitate pick-up or drive-through services throughout the month. The following list can be found on the county food bank website, which Open Vallejo has updated to include changes to schedules not reflected on the county website. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano recommends calling each location in advance to confirm hours and availability.

‘The numbers don’t go back down’

Volunteers stand behind red-and-white checkered tables piled with bagged bread as a coordinator points directions at a community food distribution.
Heather Pierini coordinates Food is Free Solano staff and volunteers at a food distribution event on Oct. 28, 2025 in Vallejo, Calif. (Geoffrey King / Open Vallejo)

Food is Free Solano Executive Director Heather Pierini is no stranger to disaster. Pierini started Food is Free during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided aid during the state’s devastating wildfires. She said her organization is treating this as another disaster and gearing up for an influx of people in need.

The organization serves approximately 5,700 households every month through free food distribution, as well as household essentials. It operates a bi-weekly distribution event at the Solano Fairgrounds, which typically serves between 425 and 450 households. 

Those numbers have ballooned in the last two weeks. Food is Free served a record-breaking 673 households at a distribution event at the Solano County Fairgrounds on Thursday. On Tuesday, the organization distributed groceries to 623 households, with 70 seeking help for the first time. Pierini said she greets all her newcomer families with the same message: “Welcome, I’m glad you’re here.”

“It’s very hard to overcome the barriers of fear or shame or worry to go and get these resources,” Pierini said. “I’m proud of the people who come out and do this, because it is not an easy thing, especially when you’re struggling with food insecurity.”

“Come on out. Bring your bags.”

Shrink-wrapped pallet stacked with green-label canned fruit at a food distribution site.
Canned peaches await distribution at a Food is Free Solano event on Oct. 28, 2025 in Vallejo, Calif. The organization obtains food from a wide range of resources. (Geoffrey King / Open Vallejo)

Pierini said she believes her organization will be able to keep up with the demand. Food is Free sources its food from a wide range of resources, including individual donors sending homegrown produce and food collected from regional grocery stores and food distribution centers that would otherwise be discarded.

Food is Free is looking to expand its capacity to prepare for an anticipated increase in need over the next several months. Pierini told Open Vallejo that the organization has launched a donation page on its website with a goal of raising $100,000 in the next 60 days.

“The numbers don’t go back down once they’re high,” Pierini said. “They’re always rising month after month, year after year, so we don’t see a decrease back to pre-urgency days.

Several other local food banks are also already reporting an influx of people lining up for food distribution. 

At the Emmanuel Temple Apostolic Church in South Vallejo, a Tuesday free vegetable distribution event that typically draws 60-90 families, saw 146. Pastor Bryan Harris told Open Vallejo that the church is grateful for its volunteers and is looking for more. The church operates a nonprofit that accepts cash donations and perishable and nonperishable items. Harris said that although demand has increased, his church is so far keeping up.

On Saturday, Emmanuel Church will partner with the Bay Area Rescue Mission to host the Solano County Community Giveaway from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the church. Staff and volunteers will distribute groceries, housewares and clothing to an anticipated 300 people. Live music and lunch will also be provided.

“We trust that God will allow us to provide,” an Emmanuel Church staffer told Open Vallejo.

Andrew Austin, a food access coordinator with the Catholic Charities of Yolo and Solano, said the organization has also seen an increase in people seeking food assistance. Austin said the organization serves between 250 and 300 people per month. John Watkins, the charity’s executive director, said he expects those figures to double what they usually see.

The charity will be closed for the last week of November to relocate to Fairfield, but will reopen at its new Fairfield location in the first week of December.

“It’s definitely going to be a hard couple of months because you don’t know exactly when the government is going to open back up again,” Austin said.

The charity’s move to Fairfield is largely due to cuts in federal funding. Watkins said the organization has lost approximately $900,000 in revenue for its nutritional assistance programs so far, forcing a reorganization to ensure it can meet the growing demand.

“We can’t wait for the federal government to help us,” Watkins said. “We’re definitely going to need help from our fellow community partners coming together, and from the community itself.”

At the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, one employee said its leadership will soon meet to discuss the increase in need in light of the SNAP cutoff. The church distributes food and clothing on the third Thursday of November and December, and the fourth Thursday during other months of the year. It also provides free showers and clothes for people experiencing homelessness on Mondays.

The Saint Basil the Great Catholic Church operates a holiday food distribution list, although a recorded voicemail notes that as of Oct. 15, their list has been filled. Families can still contact the church for emergency food distribution on a case-by-case basis.

“We understand that this is a difficult and uncertain time for many families who rely on CalFresh to help put food on the table,” Alicia Jones, Deputy Director of Solano County Health and Social Services, said in an Oct. 22 press release. “Our staff and community partners are committed to providing up-to-date information and connecting residents with food resources as we receive guidance from the State.”

‘A unique responsibility’

A woman organizes food supplies in a vast event hall with high ceilings and windowed doors, preparing the site.
The Solano County Fairgrounds provides space to Food is Free Solano, which said the number of people it serves has jumped sharply in recent weeks. (Geoffrey King / Open Vallejo)

Although several Bay Area government agencies have announced emergency funding to mitigate harm caused by the anticipated SNAP cutoff, it is unclear whether Solano will follow suit. 

On Wednesday, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced an $18 million public-private partnership to cover the cost of delayed CalFresh benefits for city residents. Napa and Alameda County officials announced their own respective multimillion-dollar infusions to food assistance networks to counter the fallout from the federal shutdown. In Contra Costa County, officials announced a plan on Wednesday to send CalFresh users prepaid debit cards, at an estimated cost of $20 million. All of these plans include tapping into existing county reserve funds.

According to Pierini, one out of 12 Solano County residents are CalFresh recipients, the majority of whom are elderly or families with children. Pierini told Open Vallejo that she reached out to Solano County officials but has yet to receive a response. 

Watkins said his organization will meet with Solano County supervisors Monica Brown and Cassandra James in the next month. However, he was not aware of any current plans for the county to allocate significant funds for food aid. He noted that Solano County has fewer resources to support nonprofits compared to other counties, and was not aware whether it had a reserve fund to draw from.

“The county has a unique responsibility of pulling together the resources that we do have, bringing together the nonprofits and different organizations that are dealing with this issue,” Watkins said. “That’s not something that I’m aware of that they’re doing yet, but I think that they’re in the position to do that.”

Open Vallejo contacted the offices of all five county supervisors, none of whom provided comment for this article.

The Solano County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday, although no item regarding SNAP or CalFresh was on the agenda. The only food-related agenda items were a presentation on a “Holiday Food Fight” fundraising competition against Contra Costa County, a $1,500 donation to Food is Free, and a $1,000 donation to End 68 Hours of Hunger. A meeting scheduled for next Tuesday has no emergency food assistance-related items on the agenda.

“We are an incredibly vibrant community,” Pierini said. “Our residents deserve to be served with these resources.”

Matthew Brown is an investigative reporter at Open Vallejo.