As the federal government plays with hunger, locals step up.

Here in the United States of America in the 21st century, more than 50 million of your friends and coworkers and neighbors rely on food banks and food pantries to get enough to eat. That is the problem that we could be focused on. Instead, President Donald Trump is obsessed with withholding government food aid (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, or CalFresh in California) from millions of Americans, thereby increasing the pressure on charitable organizations to feed Americans.

It would be easy for me to focus on the inhumanness of Trump’s mindset, but I’m interested in a much more positive story. Local people, businesses and governments are stepping up where our federal officials are abdicating responsibility. While the SNAP kerfuffle may be resolved by the time this issue hits newsstands – court decisions and congressional votes on reopening the federal government are an ever-moving target – there are humane responses here in Monterey County to this crisis that was created by politicians.

Sand City officials decided not to wait for policymakers or the courts to decide what to do about funding SNAP – they decided on Nov. 4 to do it themselves, approving $10,000 for an emergency food security grant program for Sand City residents. (It’s unknown how many people in Sand City qualify; countywide, about 51,000 people. 29,000 of them children, are SNAP recipients.)

On Nov. 4, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved giving $150,000 to the Food Bank for Monterey County. In Marina on the same day, City Manager Layne Long announced that the City would make a mid-year allocation of $10,000 to the Food Bank, at the request of Councilmember Jenny McAdams. Long said another five cities would match that amount.

“My heart is really aching for our community, and this felt like a meaningful step we could take right now,” McAdams says. “It’s not much, but it’s something. I’m hoping it will motivate those who can to give. People are stepping up and helping however they can.”

McAdams adds that monetary donations, even in small amounts, go further than donating your miscellaneous pantry leftovers – nonprofits like the Food Bank for Monterey County and All-In Monterey County have a well-established distribution network. (Besides, if you don’t want that questionably too-old can of corn, do you really think a stranger does?)

“It’s not much, but it’s something.”

Businesses are also contributing where they can. In Pacific Grove, Pavel’s Backerei has been offering free loaves of bread to SNAP beneficiaries and federal workers going without a paycheck; in Monterey, Ad Astra Bread Co. announced free loaves of bread for SNAP beneficiaries starting on Nov. 12. Salinas City Barbeque is offering free meals for children who are impacted, “no questions asked, no strings attached.”

Those are food purveyors, but even a cannabis company, Grupo Flor, is launching a program called Eat Better Together (EBT – get it?) on Friday, Nov. 14, distributing free bags of groceries to up to 300 families.

Nonprofit Everyone’s Harvest, which operates multiple farmers markets, kept honoring its Market Match program, giving CalFresh cardholders up to $30 toward fresh groceries – even if those cards had a zero balance – from Nov. 1 to Nov. 13. (Cards should be replenished on Nov. 14.)

Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula is offering grab-and-go meals for free to anyone with a SNAP card. “We know many people are feeling the impact of rising food costs and uncertainty about future benefits, and we want to make sure no one in our community goes hungry,” an announcement read.

Yes, this is 21st-century America and yes we are relying on nonprofits and businesses and individuals to step up to feed our community. The good news is that they are doing it.

It just so happens that Nov. 13 also marks the launch of Monterey County Gives!, a year-end fundraising campaign in which the Monterey County Weekly is a partner. Many of the organizations that feed people day in and day out are participating. They need your help all the time, and especially now, while the federal government cannot be relied upon to keep Americans from going hungry.

SARA RUBIN is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com or follow her at @sarahayleyrubin.bsky.social.