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Taft proclaims September 2025 Hunger Action Month as local food banks warn of rising need
Summary
The Taft City Council issued a proclamation declaring September 2025 Hunger Action Month after representatives from the Community Action Partnership of Kern and the Kern County Food Policy Council described rising local food insecurity and volunteer and donation needs.
Mayor Pro Tem Tim Bryant read a proclamation at the Taft City Council meeting Tuesday declaring September 2025 as Hunger Action Month in Kern County.
The proclamation accompanies presentations from the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) and the Kern County Food Policy Council, which described rising demand, thinning supply and multiple volunteer and donation opportunities. A CAPK representative said, “Right now, families in our community are going hungry. Not next week, not next month, today.”
The food-bank speakers outlined recent distribution totals and local partnerships to illustrate the scope of need in Taft and Kern County. The CAPK representative said CAPK distributed more than 22.5 million pounds of food across Kern County in the past year and that CAPK distributed “nearly 765,000 pounds of food to food insecure neighbors in the city of Taft” during 2024. The speaker said federal and state support has been cut and urged donations and volunteers, adding, “Just $25 can feed a family for an entire week.”
A representative of the Kern County Food Policy Council described the council’s membership and efforts to coordinate between public agencies, nonprofits, schools and growers to strengthen food access and nutrition across the county and called the proclamation “a call to action.” That speaker listed planned local activities for Hunger Action Month, including a community blood drive, a Hunger Action Day event on Sept. 10 with drive-through service and a community box-building day for volunteers, and noted CAPK’s partnership with the Kern County Fair on Sept. 23 (free fair entry with six canned goods).
Council members and staff thanked the presenters and posed no substantive policy changes during the meeting; the proclamation was presented and a photo opportunity followed. The council did not take a separate formal vote recorded on the proclamation in the minutes beyond the ceremonial reading and acknowledgement.
The presentations emphasized immediate community needs (seniors skipping meals, parents prioritizing children) and requested volunteer help, donations, and participation in scheduled events. Speakers urged residents to contact CAPK or local partner pantries for ways to assist.
Local partners named during the presentations included 5 Loaves Pantry, Need Center, New Hope Temple and St. Mary (as CAPK access points). The CAPK representative invited the public to visit capk.org for donation and volunteer information.
The council’s discussion and the presenters’ remarks focused on community-level responses (donations, volunteer events and school meal programs) rather than on new municipal policy actions. The proclamation and presentations are intended to raise awareness and encourage community participation in hunger-relief activities during September 2025.
