Major changes to CalFresh are rolling out in 2026, impacting eligibility, work requirements, and funding. Learn what these updates mean for the hundreds of thousands of Californians who rely on food assistance—and how our community may be affected.

We often think of hunger as a temporary sensation. For the nearly 50 million Americans, including 1 in 5 children, facing food insecurity, it’s a little bit different. For neighbors facing food insecurity, hunger is a symptom of the larger issues of poverty and inequality.

One year ago, Open Heart Kitchen launched the Open Heart Food Bank with a bold vision: to strengthen the Tri-Valley’s fight against hunger through partnership, compassion, and community. The food bank has redistributed over 836,863 meals worth of groceries.

Nearly 50 million Americans are living in food-insecure households, according to the latest—and final—Household Food Security Report from the USDA’s Economic Research Service. Hunger is rising across the country, impacting children, seniors, families, and communities like ours here in the Tri-Valley. Learn what the data reveals, what changes to federal food programs mean for our neighbors, and how Open Heart Kitchen is responding to meet this growing need.