Key Takeaways
The California Association of Food Banks announced Tuesday it is changing its name to California Food Banks on its 30th anniversary.
The network connects 43 member food banks and supports nearly 6,000 community-based organizations that form the backbone of the state's hunger-relief system.
The rebrand lands in a summer when food banks nationwide are absorbing higher demand driven by federal nutrition cuts.
The California Association of Food Banks is now California Food Banks. The organization announced the change Tuesday on its 30th anniversary, saying the new name puts the focus on the power of collaboration.
The scale behind the shorter name is worth pausing on. The network connects 43 member food banks and supports nearly 6,000 community-based organizations across the state. Together they move millions of pounds of California-grown produce from farms to families, help eligible Californians enroll in CalFresh, the state's version of SNAP, run research on food insecurity, and advocate for safety-net policy in Sacramento and Washington.
Blake Young, president and CEO of Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, said the change reflects what has always been true, that the group is "a statewide community of food banks united by a common mission." Co-founder Mark Lowry, who directs the OC Food Bank in Orange County, said three decades of collaboration have brought access to millions of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables and moved the state closer to ending hunger in its communities.
The timing gives the rebrand more weight than a typical name change. Food banks are carrying a heavier load this summer as federal nutrition cuts and skipped Summer EBT programs push millions of families toward charitable food, and private giving keeps flowing to fill the gap, from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's $26 million round that put nine food banks on the list. A clearer name for the state's hunger-relief backbone is a small change. The system it names is doing more work than ever. Details at cafoodbanks.org.
People Also Ask
What is California Food Banks?
California Food Banks, formerly the California Association of Food Banks, is a 30-year-old statewide network of 43 member food banks supporting nearly 6,000 community-based organizations working to end hunger in California.
Why did the California Association of Food Banks change its name?
The organization said the new name puts the focus on collaboration and reflects what it has always been, a statewide community of food banks united by a common mission to end hunger.
What does the California Food Banks network actually do?
It transports millions of pounds of California-grown produce from farms to families, helps eligible residents access CalFresh benefits, conducts food-insecurity research, and advocates for state and federal safety-net policy.
What is CalFresh?
CalFresh is California's name for SNAP, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Food banks in the network help eligible Californians enroll so grocery benefits reach the families who qualify.