Donations to combat food insecurity as SNAP/CalFresh benefits set to pause Nov. 1 – ABC30 Fresno

Report on Efforts to Achieve SDG 2: Zero Hunger in California’s Central Valley

The Challenge to Health and Well-being (SDG 2 & SDG 3)

Food insecurity presents a significant challenge to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Central California. The situation undermines progress on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

• Under normal circumstances, approximately one in four individuals in the region experiences food insecurity.
• It is estimated that 25% of children in the community, a major national food supplier, face hunger daily.

Fostering Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

In a demonstration of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), a multi-sectoral coalition has mobilized to provide critical support to local food security initiatives.

1. Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, the Alliance of California’s Farmers and Ranchers Community Fund, and the Valley Children’s Hospital Foundation collectively donated $10,000 to the Central California Food Bank (CCFB).
2. The CCFB reports that every $1 donated can be leveraged to provide four meals, maximizing the impact of financial contributions.
3. An additional $5,000 was allocated to Fresno United, a non-profit organization that has distributed 1.7 million pounds of food since the pandemic.

Systemic Threats to Poverty Reduction and Equality (SDG 1 & SDG 10)

Progress towards SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) is at risk due to a potential disruption in federal government services.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a potential halt to SNAP and CalFresh benefit issuance starting November 1, pending a government shutdown resolution.
• This suspension would directly affect over 720,000 individuals in the CCFB’s five-county service area who rely on this support.
• The potential loss of $138 million in monthly SNAP benefits creates a gap that local organizations cannot sustainably fill without significant external support.

Community Mobilization and Call for Support

In response to the escalating need, local organizations are appealing for increased community involvement to mitigate the impact on vulnerable populations.

• The CCFB has stressed that community support is crucial to address the anticipated surge in demand for food assistance.
• The organization is actively soliciting donations through its website to bolster its capacity to serve families and individuals affected by the potential benefits suspension.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• The article’s primary focus is on food insecurity and hunger in Central California. It directly addresses the core mission of SDG 2, which is to end hunger and ensure access to food. The text highlights this with statistics such as, “about 1 in 4 neighbors experience food insecurity in central California” and “25% of our kids go hungry each and every day.” The efforts of the Central California Food Bank (CCFB) to provide meals are a direct response to this challenge.

SDG 1: No Poverty

• The article connects hunger to economic vulnerability by discussing the reliance of families on government assistance programs like SNAP and CalFresh. The potential halt of these benefits for “over 720,000 individuals” shows that a lack of social protection systems, a key aspect of poverty alleviation, directly leads to food insecurity. This links the issue to SDG 1’s goal of ending poverty in all its forms.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article showcases a multi-stakeholder partnership to combat food insecurity. It details a collaborative effort involving a public official (Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria), private sector/community foundations (Alliance of California’s Farmers and Ranchers Community Fund, Valley Children’s Hospital Foundation), and civil society organizations (Central California Food Bank, Fresno United). This collaboration to mobilize financial resources and support is a clear example of the partnerships promoted by SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to food

• This target aims to “end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.” The article directly relates to this by describing the work of the CCFB and other organizations to “fill the need for food” for communities where a significant portion of the population, including children, experiences hunger.

Target 1.3: Implement social protection systems

• This target calls for the implementation of “nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all… and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.” The article emphasizes the critical role of SNAP and CalFresh benefits as a social protection system for over 720,000 people in the region. The potential shutdown of these benefits highlights the importance of this target in preventing widespread hunger.

Target 17.17: Encourage effective partnerships

• This target aims to “encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.” The article provides a concrete example of this target in action, where Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, farmers’ groups, and hospital foundations donate funds to non-profits like the CCFB to address a community crisis. This collaboration demonstrates the resource mobilization strategy central to this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicator 2.1.2: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population

• The article provides direct statistics that serve as a measure for this indicator. The statements “about 1 in 4 neighbors experience food insecurity in central California” and “it is estimated that 25% of our kids go hungry each and every day” quantify the prevalence of food insecurity in the local population.

Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems

• The article implies this indicator by stating that a halt in benefits would affect “over 720,000 individuals” in the five-county service area. This figure represents the number of people covered by the SNAP/CalFresh social protection system in that specific region, providing a quantifiable measure of its reach.

Indicator 17.17.1: Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships

• The article explicitly quantifies the financial contributions from the partnership. It mentions a “$10,000” donation to the Central California Food Bank and an “additional gift of $5,000” to Fresno United. These figures are direct measures of the financial resources committed through the multi-stakeholder partnership.

4. SDGs, Targets and Indicators Table

Source: abc30.com