How Berkeley Unified is responding to SNAP cuts

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Berkeley Food Network volunteers pack crates of vegetables at its Ninth Street warehouse. Credit: Shoey Sindel

The Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD), with help from local nonprofits and community volunteers, is mobilizing to offer support to families affected by the suspension of food stamp benefits, as recipients grapple with decreased assistance and uncertainty about future support while the federal government remains mired in a shutdown.

The Donald Trump administration had announced on Monday that it would partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal government’s largest anti-hunger program, this month to comply with a federal court ruling. But on Tuesday, Trump walked that back, threatening to withhold all aid until the government shutdown is over. Hours later, the White House reversed course again, saying it was fully complying with the order.

More than 5 million Californians receive food stamp benefits through the state’s CalFresh program. In Alameda County, more than 100,000 CalFresh households receive an average monthly benefit of nearly $300, supporting over 170,000 people across the region, according to 2024 county data.

There are about 12,000 SNAP recipients in Berkeley “who are currently experiencing delayed benefits,” Berkeley Food Network Executive Director Andrew Crispin told Berkeleyside. “So we know that there are a lot of families hurting who aren’t accessing the same amount of food that they otherwise were able to.” He said 47% of the community members the west Berkeley-based organization provided food assistance to in Alameda County are households with children.

BUSD and other school districts typically do not track which or how many students receive benefits like CalFresh, but other data provide insight. More than 2,600 BUSD students, or about 29% of the district population, have household incomes that qualify them for free or reduced meals, according to 2024-2025 California Department of Education data. For example, a family of four must earn less than roughly $42,000 or $60,000 per year for their child to qualify for free or reduced school meals, respectively. Many families who qualify for these school-based programs are also eligible for SNAP.

“We are deeply concerned about the potential interruptions to CalFresh and SNAP benefits, as any reduction or lapse could increase food insecurity for many of our students and their families,” BUSD Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel said in a message sent last Friday to the community.

BUSD families in need of food assistance are encouraged to contact their school’s assigned Office of Family Engagement and Equity (OFEE) representative for information on local food banks, meal distribution sites, grocery support, and the district’s emergency family funds. Names and contact information for these school-site staff are listed on the district’s website.

BUSD provides all students with free breakfast and lunch at school, regardless of whether they meet the eligibility requirements. But families are asked to complete an application form, since the number of qualifying students helps to determine how much state funding the district receives.

Which Berkeley schools could be most impacted by SNAP cuts?

Schools with a significant number of students who meet the federal eligibility requirements for free or reduced meal programs qualify for federal Title I funding aimed at supporting low-income communities. Longfellow Middle School in West Berkeley has one of the highest proportions of students eligible for this program, with nearly 45% qualifying.

At Berkeley High School, which serves over 3,000 students, nearly one-quarter (about 800) qualify for the program. Alternative schools such as Berkeley Independent Study (K–8) and Berkeley Technology Academy support much smaller populations, but enroll more high-need students, with about 36% and 55%, respectively, eligible for free or reduced meals.

Among the elementary schools, Malcolm X and Washington and Rosa Parks each serve populations in which more than 30% of students are eligible for free or reduced meals.

Rosa Parks Elementary PTA president Ivi Kolasi acknowledged in a message to BUSD families on Sunday that federal food assistance delays have created “real challenges for families throughout Berkeley,” and are impacting up to 120 households at Rosa Parks alone.

Resources and how to help BUSD families

To help its impacted families, the Rosa Parks Elementary PTA is collecting grocery store gift cards in $25 or $50 amounts to use at local Safeway and Trader Joe’s grocery stores. Collection boxes will be located in the main office. Anyone with questions or additional ideas to support people in need is asked to contact PTAboard@rosaparkselementary.org.

Principals at other campuses should be contacted directly by community members who wish to donate gift cards to those school communities, Ford Morthel said in her message.

BUSD also recommended local food banks like the Berkeley Food Network, which offers pantry services and home delivery, and the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Families requiring additional support are being asked to contact their school’s OFEE representative.

With support from the Berkeley Public Schools Fund, the Berkeley Food Network delivers custom grocery boxes twice per week to families who can’t travel to a pickup site or who are in “really vulnerable situations,” Crispin said.

The district also operates school-site food pantries, held every third Monday, in partnership with OFEE, the Berkeley Public Schools Fund, and the Berkeley Food Network, “making sure that when parents or guardians are picking up kids after school, they’re able to conveniently access groceries,” Crispin said.

Rosa Parks Elementary School will host the next food pantry open to all BUSD families and staff on Nov. 17 from 2:15 to 3:45 p.m. Berkeley High and Berkeley Tech Academy also operate student-run pantries throughout the academic year.

Community members can volunteer to help at school-site pantries or deliver groceries to Berkeley families by contacting the Berkeley Public Schools Fund or the Berkeley Food Network. The group is also accepting donations to the Family Emergency Fund.

Pantry volunteers help by setting up food tables, greeting and checking in families, helping them select groceries, and cleaning up the site. Food delivery helpers can commit to weekly or bi-weekly grocery runs, which serve the district’s most vulnerable families as recommended by OFEE staff.

School officials said many volunteer positions are full, but the organization is seeking volunteers to help beyond the holiday season.

“It’s a heartbreaking moment, but we’ve already seen such optimism with how our community has shown up,” Crispin said. “It gives me joy and inspiration to know that when our community members in Berkeley are in need, our neighbors will come together to make sure no one goes hungry.”

How Berkeley Unified is responding to SNAP cuts

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