Food Security During the Holiday Season

Believe it or not, the holiday season is already here. This is a time for families and communities to join in celebrating the end of one year and the launch of another. We do this by gathering in cozy spaces, sharing hearty meals, and letting joy in. For too many of our neighbors, unfortunately, the end of the year is a stressful, difficult time because of food insecurity. In a season when abundance is cheered, the reality of food insecurity has people we know and see every day struggling to put food on their tables. 

Food Insecurity Doesn’t Take the Holidays Off

Food insecurity isn’t just an issue in more urban settings like Oakland and Berkeley. It’s also in our Tri-Valley region. In the Tri-Valley, over 9,000 residents (about 2.5% of the population) rely on CalFresh benefits to afford groceries. The holidays can be an especially difficult time to navigate financially with the extra costs of seasonal meals, travel, and gifts. Grocery prices and the cost of living are both at all-time highs, budgets are tightened, and more people and families are having difficulty affording food.

Nationwide, millions of people struggling to make ends meet are relying on food banks to help them through this time. Places like Open Heart Kitchen are a vital need during the holidays to ensure no one goes without a holiday meal, even when dealing with the most difficult circumstances. 

Open Heart Kitchen’s Role in Supporting Our Community

All year long, Open Heart Kitchen plays an essential role in addressing food insecurity. Our Community Meal program has provided over 90,000 free meals to people who need them so far in 2025. In these fall and winter months, the demand for our services increases dramatically. Often, people and families who “get by” financially need us due to the financial strain of the holiday season. 

The recent government shutdown and its effects on assistance programs have also increased the need for our food distribution programs. With future federal assistance funding under threat, neighbors who depend on CalFresh will also depend more on Open Heart Kitchen. We’re here, and we’re ready to help. 

How You Can Help Food Insecurity During and After the Holidays

Open Heart Kitchen has grown from incredibly humble beginnings – preparing meals in volunteers’ homes – into the largest free food provider in eastern Alameda County. One of the most asked questions staff hear is: 

How can I help? 

One way is volunteering. Each day, volunteers prepare, serve, and distribute meals to anyone in need. Over 1,500 people in the Tri-Valley depend on us daily for nutritious meals. We could never get to this scale without the investment made in our work by the people of Livermore, Dublin, and Pleasanton. Close to 20,000 hours will be put in by our team of volunteers this year. 

Another way is through supporting Open Heart Kitchen financially. As many of you know, earlier this year, budget cuts stripped away $850,000 in federal funding we were set to receive with the help of the City of Livermore and Rep. Swalwell. It’s been a tough year, but we’ve made it through with the support of financial donors who’ve stepped up to help us bridge the gap.

Here are Some Ways You Can Make a Difference in Food Insecurity

• Donate food – non-perishable food items are essential to restocking Open Heart Kitchen’s shelves. This year, we’re especially interested in items like canned vegetables, beans, rice, and pasta. 

• Volunteer your time – offering your time and energy to prepare, serve, or deliver food, or helping us sort donations, is incredibly valuable. Open Heart Kitchen’s programs just couldn’t work at the scale they do without our volunteers.

• Donate money – Open Heart Kitchen has expenses like every other company. We have staff, bills, the cost of food, etc. Every dollar that is donated helps us honor our mission to fight food insecurity. Open Heart Kitchen is proud to report that 88% of our budget is spent on the work we do. Know that when you donate to Open Heart Kitchen, your money is going to the programs that serve people. 

• Spread awareness – food insecurity is a struggle for people everywhere and anywhere, even in a relatively affluent area like the Tri-Valley. Spreading the word on food insecurity and making your friends and neighbors aware of the issue is important. Increasing awareness through social media or just through word of mouth can encourage other people to get involved.  

Take Time to Remember Others Struggling This Holiday Season

Open Heart Kitchen operates under the principle that food is a basic human need and that no one should ever have to choose between paying their bills and feeding their family. This is especially true this time of year. End-of-year months can be hard, and this year will be really tough for people struggling. 

When you gather with your own friends and family, please take a small moment to reflect on those facing hunger. Consider how you can contribute to their happiness, ease their burden, or spread joy. 

Donate. Volunteer. Share the message about the importance of food security.

Remember that a little help can go a long way in ensuring that everyone around us has the chance to experience the warmth, joy, and care of regular hot meals. 

Together, we can make certain that everyone has access to nutritious food – not just during this time of year, but all year.