More than 2,000 pounds of food donations collected at Assemblymember Marc Berman's Palo Alto district office in mid-July will stock shelves at two local pantries serving families hit by federal nutrition cuts this summer.

Berman (D-Menlo Park), who represents the 23rd Assembly District and grew up in Palo Alto, said the volume of donations surprised him. "It was really special to walk in the office and see so much food ready to be donated to our local food pantries," he said in a statement released Wednesday, July 22.

The drive accepted donations at two locations: Berman's office at 721 Colorado Ave., Suite 101, and the Ted Adcock Community Center in Half Moon Bay. Berman personally delivered the collected food to Coastside Hope in Half Moon Bay and Community Services Agency in Mountain View, which has served residents of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills since 1957. Both pantries provide food assistance free of charge.

The timing targets a gap. With Palo Alto Unified and neighboring districts on summer break, children who depend on free school meal programs have fewer options for meals.

At the federal level, H.R. 1 cut $186 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the next decade, expanded work requirements to adults up to age 64, and removed exemptions that previously covered homeless individuals, veterans, and former foster youth, according to Palo Alto Online reporting published Friday, July 17. About 55,000 Santa Clara County residents are expected to lose their CalFresh benefits under the new rules, that outlet reported.

California's enacted 2026 state budget responds with $108 million for the CalFood program, its largest allocation ever according to state budget documents, along with $20 million for the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT program and $15 million for the California Nutrition Incentive Program.

Nearly 160,000 people across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties rely on CalFresh, California's version of SNAP, to buy groceries, according to California Department of Social Services data cited by Berman's office. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, the region's largest food bank, reported it is providing produce to nearly 500,000 people a month across both counties, a level matching the pandemic peak and roughly double its pre-pandemic volume of 250,000.

Tom Myers, executive director of Community Services Agency, said the donations help families preserve limited income for rent, utilities, and medication at a time when summer expenses strain household budgets.

Residents seeking food assistance can contact Berman's district office at (650) 324-0224.