Advocacy
Mission Statement
“Identify the root causes of hunger specific to our region, while integrating the experiences and voices of our community members to most effectively advocate for sustainable change in our food systems and eliminate food insecurity.”
HUNGER IN OUR COMMUNITY
Why We Advocate
Ending hunger is not only about providing emergency food – it also means taking action and organizing to pass legislation that supports universal access to sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food.
Advocate to End Hunger
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Join Us
Speaker Series
Our annual advocacy training program for community members with lived experience and those passionate about ending hunger. This program amplifies the voices of those impacted by food insecurity and provides the tools to effectively advocate.
Community Advocacy Partnership (CAP)
Our Speaker Series graduates are invited to join this partnership as CAP members to advance the Food Bank’s mission of fighting hunger through the legislative process, while engaging in professional development.
Advocacy Internship
Current high school and higher education students have the opportunity to apply to join our advocacy team for our Advocacy Internship. For more details or to apply visit our advocacy internship page.
Voter information
Vote Out Hunger
Hunger is a policy choice, and protecting and strengthening programs to fight it starts at the ballot box. Find resources to make sure your vote is counted, and learn about anti-hunger measures to support.
All links above redirect to State of California websites.
Voter Information
Visit the California Secretary of State website to register to vote or check or update your voter registration.
Not yet 18 years of age?
If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can pre-register to vote via the California Secretary of State website.
Already registered to vote?
Learn where and how to vote in California via the California Secretary of State website.
Find out what’s on your ballot via Vote411.
And once you’ve submitted your ballot, you can track your ballot to find out when it is mailed, received, and counted.
- May 4, 2026 – County elections offices will begin mailing ballots
- May 5*, 2026 – Ballot drop-off locations open for many counties. *Please check with your county to verify your ballet drop-off open dates.
- May 18, 2026 – The last day to register to vote online
- May 23, 2026 – Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties
- June 2, 2026 – Election day and the last day to vote or return your ballot. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before this date.
- June 9, 2026 – Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by June 9, 2026.
More information is available on Promote the Vote California.
Visit Vote411 to discover what races and candidates will be on your ballet for upcoming elections.
Voter Guide
As the leading anti-hunger organization serving Contra Costa and Solano Counties, we support public policies, propositions, and ballot measures that advance food security and improve the well-being of our communities. Hunger is a symptom of poverty; therefore, we prioritize solutions that address the root causes of poverty while ensuring immediate access to nutritious food. We evaluate each measure based on its ability to reduce poverty, protect and strengthen the social safety net, and expand equitable access to essential resources for our most vulnerable neighbors.
For the June 2, 2026 California election, the Food Bank is supporting Measure B in Contra Costa County.
Measure B is a Contra Costa Countywide sales tax measure to directly mitigate harm created from the passage of H.R. 1, the federal bill that passed in July 2025, which includes a $200 billion cut to SNAP (modern-day food stamps) and a $900 billion cut to Medicaid (Medi-Cal in CA). Measure B will be on the June 2, 2026, ballot.
MEASURE B — Official ballot language
Visit the Contra Costa County website for official ballot language for Measure B.
MEASURE B — What it does
- Proposes a 0.625% (5/8 cent) increase in the sales tax
- Would last for five years
- Expected to generate about $150 million per year
The measure was placed on the ballot largely to offset federal funding cuts impacting these services.
Revenue would go into the county’s general fund to support local services, including:
- Healthcare services (including county hospital and clinics)
- Public health and safety programs
- Social services like food assistance programs
MEASURE B — What a YES vote means
- YES: Approve a temporary sales tax to fund county services
- NO: Reject a temporary sales tax; the county would need to find other ways to address funding gaps
The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano supports Measure B “(“Yes”) as strong public safety-net programs are essential to preventing and reducing hunger in our communities.
Hunger is not just about food—it is a direct result of poverty, health inequities, and gaps in access to critical services.
Measure B (“Yes”) would provide vital, flexible funding to help sustain healthcare, public health, and social services that many of our neighbors rely on to remain stable. When residents can access medical care, behavioral health support, and basic services,such as food, they are better able to maintain employment, manage expenses, and avoid crises that often lead to food insecurity and hunger.
At a time when federal legislation is creating some of the biggest cuts to SNAP in history and rising costs are expected to increase demand on emergency food providers like ours, maintaining local investments in the safety net is more important than ever.
Supporting Measure B (“Yes”) aligns with our commitment to both meeting immediate needs and advancing long-term solutions that create a healthier, more resilient, and food-secure Contra Costa County.
MEASURE B — Official ballot language
Coming soon.
- Increase access to food and basic needs.
- Reduce poverty and economic instability.
- Protect and strengthen safety net programs.
- Promote equity and community well-being.
*The above criteria is based on Food Bank capacity to meet requests to support local legislation*
As an organization, we support measures by:
- Advocating for a ballot measure and releasing an official statement.
- Encouraging a vote from the public.
- Providing educational materials to voters.
*The above criteria is based on Food Bank capacity to meet requests to support local legislation*
More in Advocacy
ELECTED OFFICIALS
We work directly with elected officials at the local, state and federal levels to ensure that the voices and experiences of our impacted community members are reflected in relevant public policy work.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATES
We have the honor of learning from and working with community members with lived experiences of hunger and those who are passionate about food security solutions. This qualitative insight guides our advocacy education and legislative steering. You can find details below about the many ways to be a community advocate.
Meet our current community advocates.
PARTNERS
All that we achieve in advocacy is in-part due to our collective power. We are fortunate to have partnerships throughout our region, state and nation that make our work so effective.
STAFF
The Food Bank’s Advocacy team also includes two full-time employees: Hailey Argueta-Solares, Advocacy and Policy Manager, and Bryan Espinoza, Advocacy and Community Organizing Coordinator.
2026
The Brief | March 2026
- Updates on the “Skinny Farm Bill” that passed the House Agriculture Committee
- Diaper bank lobby day update
- Speaker series graduation
- SNAP/CalFresh cuts hurt farmers, food retailers, and families
The Brief | February 2026
- Historic cuts to SNAP/CalFresh to take effect
- California state budget threatens food access and actions you can take
- 10th anniversary of the Food Bank’s speaker series
- Voter engagement
The Brief | January 2026
- Legislative wins! (State and local)
- Year in review
- Looking ahead at 2026
2025
The Brief | November 2025
- CalFresh/SNAP, TEFAP, WIC funding
- Contra Costa County approves Food Security Collaborative request.
- Community panel in Suisun City to discuss H.R. 1 impacts on SNAP and healthcare access.
The Brief | October 2025
- Federal shutdown
- State updates
- Speaker Series applications are now open!
- Food Security Briefing highlights from September event
The Brief | September 2025
- Federal and state legislative updates
- Advocacy team updates – Senator and Congressman visit Food Bank warehouses.
- Food Security Briefing
- Hunger Action Month
The Brief | June 2025
- Federal and state legislative updates
- Advocacy team updates
- Action to take to protect SNAP/CalFresh
The Brief | April 2025
- Legislative updates
- Budget reconciliation
- State updates: fight to fully fund CalFood
- 9th annual speaker series graduation
- 2025 legislative agenda released
- Ways to take action
The Brief | March 2025
- Federal updates
- Key funding highlights and local food purchase assistance (LFPA) update
- Advocacy team updates
- How to take action now
The Brief | February 2025
- Legislative updates at federal and state levels
- Advocacy team update: Willie Mendoza at End Child Poverty / IMAGINE Legislative Briefing
- Take action: Help us defend SNAP and CalFood funding
- Join the Food Research & Action Center’s (FRAC) SNAP Challenge from March 18-20
Advocacy Hall of Fame and Food Bank News’ Highest Honor Roll
The Food Bank was inducted into Feeding America’s Advocacy Hall of Fame in 2020 and has earned a spot on this list every year since!
The Food Bank also earned a top spot on the Food Bank News’ High Honor Roll for excellence in advocacy each year: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and 2025.
2023 Hunger Fighter Award – Cassidie Carmen Bates
During #HungerActionWeek, our very own Cassidie Carmen Bates was presented the community Hunger Fighter Award by California Hunger Action Coalition (CHAC). The Hunger Fighter awards are given annually to honor two Californians and two elected officials who have been advocacy champions in the fight to end hunger in their communities and across California.
2022 Hunger Fighter Award – Keva Dean
Keva Dean is a community advocate with the Food Bank and the 2022 recipient of the statewide Hunger Fighter Award. The award was presented by the California Hunger Action Coalition (CHAC) during Hunger Action Week. Introduction for the award was given by Food Bank Government and Public Affairs Manager, Cassidie Carmen Bates.
Feeding America Conference
Feeding America Conference Session video with Food Bank Hunger Fighters
Speaker Series
Speaker Series 2026 Graduation – 10th anniversary!
Speaker Series 2023 video
Speaker Series 2022 video
Speaker Series 2021 video
Legislative Lunch Series
Legislative Lunch 2021 video
Resources & Contacts
