Food Security

Across diverse faith traditions in Contra Costa, including Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, feeding the hungry is a deeply rooted moral and spiritual imperative. This shared ethical compass drives extensive action, from direct community aid through food banks and soup kitchens to advocacy for ACTION to improve food security and address the root causes of hunger.

The right to food is a universal human right and is recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Both here and around the world, there is more than enough food available to eradicate hunger; it’s just a matter of distributing it properly. Hunger is a witness to imbalance and injustice in the world, a breakdown in the equitable distribution of community resources, and a violation of human dignity, as every person is deserving of being treated with equal human dignity.

From our perspective at the Multi-Faith ACTION Coalition, hunger is a significant driver and an integral part of the vicious cycle of poverty in this country; we view it not just as a calorie deficit but as a moral and spiritual reality that prompts both immediate charitable aid and justice-oriented responses.

Faith-rooted Advocacy to Reduce Hunger
Here at MFAC, we approach faith-rooted advocacy to reduce hunger in multiple ways:

• Supporting our allies: We work hard to be good allies to the community benefit organizations in Contra Costa that do the work of directly addressing hunger, including—
  • Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
  • White Pony Express
  • Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa
  • Meals on Wheels Diablo Region
  • Society of St Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County
  • Monument Crisis Center

• Mobilizing congregations: Faith communities and local congregations often have a unique perspective on the realities of hunger in their neighborhoods. We support their efforts to organize and take action, such as hosting events, volunteering, or participating in campaigns.
• Educating members: Faith leaders help their congregations understand the teachings of their traditions on caring for the poor and hungry, translating spiritual beliefs into a call for justice and social action.
• Direct service: Many faith organizations run or support programs that directly provide food and aid, such as soup kitchens, food pantries, and emergency food parcels. For those called to direct service in alleviating hunger, we offer our profound encouragement.
• Advocacy in the civic forum: We prepare faith groups to advocate for policy change by educating them on specific issues and helping them prepare to speak directly to policymakers and members of the public on hunger issues. This includes writing letters to elected officials and encouraging faith community members to collaborate in civic advocacy to address hunger.
• Moral and public voice: Faith communities can use their moral and public influence to speak out against hunger, promote justice, and encourage lawmakers to act in the best interest of the common good. At MFAC, we help prepare materials that faith communities can use to share the importance of following moral calls to advocate for greater justice for our neighbors.

Examples of our present and past advocacy on food security

• Advocating with the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors to allocate $21 million from County General Funds to cover SNAP shortfalls due to the federal shutdown in November 2025
• Advocating for Contra Costa County policy changes to help enroll more people in CalFresh and take away barriers to food
• Providing food at the end of each month for families and individuals at the Martinez Emergency Family Shelter.
• Working to encourage Contra Costa to join eleven California counties to expand their CalFresh program to include the optional CalFresh Restaurant Meals Program for seniors and/or disabled CalFresh recipients.
• Supporting the “Let’s Feed the KIDS” project to help feed children during the summer—a pilot project being done with the Monument Crisis Center Summer Day Camp by Shell Ridge Community Church and Congregation B’nai Tikvah. The goal was to provide 40 families with breakfast and dinner by sending home ingredients with the children. With the help of the two congregations, they were able to send home a second bag per week.

To participate in our Task Force or to be notified when volunteers are needed for various community-based projects that serve or distribute food, please fill out the Volunteer Form below.

The Task Force meets on Zoom; check the calendar for dates and times. Send an email request to contactmfac@gmail.com for the link to participate.