PG&E awards $250,000 grant for emergency funding to support food banks amid rising demand

The Pacific Gas & Electric Company has donated $250,000 to the California Association of Food Banks’ Emergency Response Fund through its Better Together Giving Program. This funding will help alleviate the insurmountable pressure food banks are facing because of record-breaking demand — the highest seen since the pandemic — caused by the federal government shutdown and the SNAP benefit delays.

CAFB’s Emergency Response Fund was established to help its 42-member food bank network meet the increased need and enable them to purchase food, secure essential supplies and hire additional staff to strengthen their efforts. This food bank network assists food-insecure community members directly and through a collective of more than 5,000 food pantries and community-based organizations in every corner of the state.

“We are deeply grateful to our partner, PG&E, for the extraordinary donation and continued commitment to combating food insecurity,” said Stacia Levenfeld, CEO of California Association of Food Banks. “Food banks need support now more than ever. We invite other companies and organizations wanting to help during this challenging time to contribute to CAFB’s Emergency Response Fund, which will be distributed across the state.”

PG&E’s Better Together Giving Program is a charitable giving program with the mission of creating a safer, better California. The generous grant reflects its commitment to building safer, more resilient communities through investments in emergency preparedness, food insecurity, environmental stewardship and more.

To learn how you can support CAFB’s network of food banks, contact Alice Lee-Osborne, Development Director at (510)350-9908 or visit cafoodbanks.org/get-involved/emergency-response-fund/.

About The California Association of Food Banks
Since the California Association of Food Banks formed in 1995, it has grown into a powerful network leading the fight against hunger in California with a shared belief that access to food is a fundamental right. California produces more than enough nutritious food to feed everyone in the state. CAFB partners with more than 40 food banks who support more than 6,000 community-based organizations, as well as more than 200 agricultural partners with a common mission: to end hunger. Through collaborative partnerships. CAFB is a collective force making equitable access to food the standard, not the exception. For more information about CAFB, visit cafoodbanks.org.