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Supervisors mark Hunger Action Month, spotlight food insecurity and local aid programs
Summary
Orange County leaders and nonprofit partners highlighted Hunger Action Month on Sept. 23, saying hundreds of thousands of residents face food insecurity and urging donations, volunteerism and policy attention to recent federal program changes.
Orange County supervisors and community partners used the board meeting Sept. 23 to mark Hunger Action Month, outline local food insecurity statistics and promote donation and volunteer opportunities.
Supervisor Katrina Foley, representing the 5th District, described how food insecurity persists in a county with significant wealth: "More than 359,000 people, including more than 86,000 children, experience food insecurity right here in Orange County," she said, and warned that recent federal changes will reduce items in distributed meal boxes.
Chair Doug Chaffee and county staff also cited an estimate that roughly 320,000 residents face food insecurity (the chair’s remarks attributed a figure of about 1 in 10 residents). The board framed the presentations as a call to action during September: donate food, volunteer and wear orange to raise awareness.
Community partners’ perspective: Mark Lowry of the Orange County Hunger Alliance described the coalition of local food banks and service providers formed during the COVID-19 response and said the group will host a community convening next month to coordinate nutrition and benefits outreach. "We now have our first staff, initiatives around which we've coalesced and seven working groups," Lowry said.
Programs and assistance: Presenters noted local capacity for services — Second Harvest and other agencies served hundreds of thousands monthly in 2024 — and the role of CalFresh (federally known as SNAP) and county enrollment efforts. Supervisor Foley cited county CalFresh spending and said, "Through CalFresh, we invest more than $62,000,000 in monthly food assistance right here in Orange County," adding that the program supports tens of thousands of seniors, children and adults in 2024.
What the board asked for: Supervisors encouraged residents to volunteer, donate and attend upcoming events (public food drives and community convenings were promoted); the board did not adopt new funding measures at this meeting but invited community input and pledged continued county coordination with nonprofit partners and CalFresh outreach.
Next steps and events: Officials flagged community events at shopping centers and hospital and food-bank efforts; the Orange County Hunger Alliance plans a convening next month to inform the public about federal nutrition and health-program changes and discuss coordinated strategies.
