Volunteers and staff load food boxes into vehicles during a Feeding America Riverside San Bernardino distribution event at the organization's Riverside warehouse. (Courtesy of FARSB)
Tens of thousands of Riverside residents face uncertainty about whether their CalFresh benefits will arrive November 1 as the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week.
A new poll of 2,000 likely voters, released Tuesday by The California Wellness Foundation, found that 72% of Californians say they love their state but fear they may not be able to afford to stay long-term. In the Inland Empire, 50% have already relocated or downsized in the past five years, compared to 44% statewide.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that "the well has run dry," warning no food assistance will be issued November 1 despite Congress appropriating $6 billion in contingency funds through September 2026.
For Riverside, where 12.52% of the city's 321,000 residents live in poverty, the impact could be severe. UC Riverside's Basic Needs Department has been hosting emergency virtual office hours to help students process CalFresh cases before benefits potentially disappear.
The Gap Between Charity and Federal Aid
Governor Newsom deployed the National Guard to help food banks and allocated $80 million in emergency funding. In California, 63.2% of SNAP participants are children or elderly.
"This boost in people to help prep for food distributions is welcomed," a spokesperson for Feeding America Riverside San Bernardino told the Gazette. "But as SNAP is national, it is a much larger program affecting more households. For reference, the entire Feeding America network of 200 food banks across the US does only one-ninth what SNAP does."
According to the California Department of Social Services, over 180,000 households in Riverside County have received CalFresh benefits over the course of the year. If these families rely on these benefits to feed their families, they will likely need to find food assistance elsewhere.
"This is a devastating blow to families, and food banks cannot realistically make up for that difference ourselves," the spokesperson said. "However, we're ramping up our operations the best we can, and we will continue to provide for our community members in need."
While CalWORKs and Medi-Cal benefits are currently secured through 2025, an extended shutdown could threaten those programs. Federal funds make up over one-third of California's state budget.
Healthcare Fears Mount
The poll found 79% of Californians worry about healthcare costs, with 66% concerned about caring for aging family members. In the Inland Empire, 89% of voters identified mental health access as a top priority.
"Californians believe in the promise of our state, but far too many are struggling to meet the basic needs of a healthy life," said Richard Tate, President and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation.
Art Reflects Hidden Hunger
Local artist Rebecca Waring-Crane's installation "empty" project reveals what statistics often obscure: the invisible need of children in Riverside. Her work, now on display at Woodcrest Community Library, takes on new urgency as the city faces potential CalFresh cuts.
"Several times I've met working adults, professionals in our community, who self-identify as free lunch kids," Waring-Crane told the Gazette. "These stories are proof that investing in nutrition is an investment in a strong and vital community."
"With continued rise in food prices, our most vulnerable community members, our children, are less likely to do well in school," she said. "We may not see the effects of the benefits cliff this year or next, but we will all suffer as children who struggle mature and enter adulthood with what can only be called hunger trauma."
Rebecca Waring-Crane empty, 2023. 504 handmade ceramic spoons, jute string, wood frame Zapara School of Business. (Courtesy of Rebecca Waring-Crane)
Resources Available
Riverside residents seeking help can:
Call 2-1-1 or visit 211.ca.org for food, housing and utility resources
Visit BenefitsCal.com or call 1-877-410-8827 for CalFresh updates
Visit UC Riverside's Basic Needs Center in Costo Hall 110 at basicneeds.ucr.edu
The November 7 Health Matters gubernatorial forum at UC Riverside will address these concerns. The event begins at 1:30 PM and will be livestreamed on NBC4 and Telemundo 52. More information is available at healthmattersforum.org.
As officials debate solutions, the poll makes clear that Riverside families are already living with the consequences of economic uncertainty.
