- “Today, Governor Newsom deployed the California National Guard and California Service Corps on a humanitarian mission to protect Californian families and kids from going hungry.” – GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday
By Vanguard Staff
LOS ANGELES – Governor Gavin Newsom has directed California Volunteers and the California National Guard to assist food banks across the state as the ongoing federal government shutdown delays Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for millions of Californians.
The humanitarian deployment began Friday at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, where service members and volunteers joined local staff to pack meals for families facing food insecurity. The statewide effort follows Newsom’s decision earlier this week to fast-track $80 million in emergency funding to support food banks impacted by the disruption of federal food aid.
“I’m proud to see the first successful humanitarian deployment of California Volunteers and the California National Guard to food banks to assist and serve communities in need while failures at the federal level permit an ongoing government shutdown,” Newsom said. “As SNAP delays hit dinner tables right before the holiday season, the state is working hard to keep families from going hungry. The efforts seen today will be ongoing and available to food banks across California that request greater assistance.”…