2025 in Review

For many weeks in late October and early November 2025, SNAP recipients in our county - and across the nation - were subjected to a cruel whiplash of rulings and appeals which created confusion and anxiety. Marin County saw a substantial increase in traffic to food banks and local food pantries, and nonprofit organizations were stretched thin as they worked around the clock to get food distributed.

MCF quickly established the Food on Every Table fund to enable a rapid response to an urgent need. We seeded it with $500,000 and a further $1 million was raised through generous donors and community members. In addition to the fundraising, we began to work closely with the County of Marin and local food partners (SF/Marin Food Bank, ExtraFood.org and Agricultural Institute of Marin) to determine how best and most quickly we move the funding to reduce or eliminate any gaps in coverage. It was an unprecedented situation, and all involved were working in an environment that changed daily through federal court rulings and federal appeals. In early November we made two grants of $50,000 each to ExtraFood.org- for increased support in grocery and meal distribution - and to Agricultural Institute of Marin - which supported subsidized food purchases & fresh food distribution at AIM’s Rollin Root stops and farmers markets.

On November 10, we subsequently learned from our County partners that the federal funds for SNAP beneficiaries were finally transferred in full, for the month of November. This was a huge relief for thousands of our neighbors. However, food assistance needs remained at high levels as the 2025 holiday approached, so another round of funding occurred on November 19. The grants made to a network of local partners helped stabilize 3,578 residents in 1,198 households, via direct assistance gift cards.

Overall, during the period of the government shutdown we deployed $225,000.

Current Situation

Beginning in April 2026, under provisions of HR 1, it is anticipated that eligibility for SNAP benefits will be further restricted for certain immigrants without Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR, or green card) status including, refugees, asylees, trafficking victims, and other certain noncitizens that were previously eligible.

Further, starting in June 2026, many CalFresh recipients will be required to meet expanded federal work requirements. We anticipate that as a result of these requirements, a subset of income eligible residents will lose benefits in many cases due to an administrative processing issue. This could particularly impact older adults aged 59-64 and people experiencing homelessness.

We have spent the last several month working with our County and nonprofit partners on a plan that can make the best possible use of the remaining funds to address these events. Our next step is:

Commit $700,000 to impacted SNAP recipients via a qualified direct assistance platform, which will provide physical or virtual “gift cards” to use for food purchases. MCF, in partnership with the County of Marin, is in the process of selecting a vendor experienced in operating direct relief programs and in identifying a set of community partners to coordinate the effort across the County. The structure is expected to be finalized in March so that assistance can commence in April.

We’re aware that food insecurity has been a growing problem in Marin. In response a coalition of Marin food agencies and government officials has launched a planning process beginning with a convening in late February to develop longer -term solutions to address food insecurity in Marin. MCF is a partner in this work and will plan to utilize the remainder of the funding -approximately $575,000 to support recommendations arising from this planning process 

We want to assure all those who provided support that the contributions made to this fund will continue to be deployed for the purpose intended: to ensure our neighbors have continued access to the food they need and deserve.

Our commitment is to be transparent about the use of the funds that were raised and we will continue to refresh this page as news surfaces. We have nothing but gratitude for your support and your flexibility.

If you're interested in supporting MCF's ongoing work in ensuring food security throughout Marin County, your donation is always appreciated!