Commission on Human Rights Statement on Food Insecurity In Sonoma County

The Board of Supervisors is currently considering executing a funding agreement with the Redwood Empire Food Bank in an amount up to $200,000 for the month of November, in response to the federal government shutting down CalFresh (SNAP) benefits as of November 1, 2025. However, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) feels this is underserving the 43,000 residents affected, when comparing Napa County’s approval of $1 million in funds to serve their 10,700 affected residents for November and December 2025. The Commission also reaffirms the importance of autonomy around food security, relating to the Healthy and Safe Communities pillar of the County’s Five-Year Strategic Plan, which commits to quality and equitable public safety services. The Commission strongly feels every human has the right and deserves the dignity to choose their own food and nutrition, whether due to dietary needs, disability, or other reasons.

A Sonoma County Human Services Department report released in February 2025 stated that food insecurity has increased in Sonoma County since the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the most impacted groups are households with children, households composed of people of color, and people experiencing homelessness. CHR is currently experiencing an escalated need for food for our Youth Commissioners in our 2025-2026 year. Hunger negatively affects children’s cognitive development and can have severe and lasting physical and psychological consequences. The effects of food insecurity are steadily growing even without the federal government’s significant setback, and as a resilient and caring county, we must tend to our impacted residents.

Therefore, CHR urgently requests the following:

• A declaration of a State of Emergency
• Increased funding appropriate to the population affected in Sonoma County
• The development of a collaboration with local grocery stores to distribute grocery gift cards to SNAP recipients, immediately and for the coming months
• Adopt and implement findings from the AG Innovation study to lead and collaboratively develop a consistent and sustainable framework for food distribution

The Commission on Human Rights is convinced that our county is more powerful with community care. We stood strong after the Tubbs fire destroyed 2,834 homes in 2017 and allocated emergency funds to help residents recover, and we can face this emergency together also. We must work together to strengthen all forces in the county to stabilize food shortages and maintain a solid work force and economy, and we cannot do that with underfed, under resourced, and starving people.

In committed solidarity,

Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights

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Media contact:
Katrina Phillips
(213) 254-8870