That\u2019s a 44% increase in OC residents experiencing food insecurity \u2013 well before any federal cuts to assistance programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Local food bank leaders only expect that trend to get worse as President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cBig Beautiful Bill\u201d or\u00a0 H.R.1. \u2013 signed into law last year which includes $4.5 billion worth of cuts annually to the food assistance program \u2013 goes in full effect.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose numbers don\u2019t reflect the changes of H.R.1 so what that tells us is that between the time lag and what has happened since the end of last summer, that the situation on the ground is probably worse,\u201d said Second Harvest Food Bank of OC CEO Claudia Bonilla Keller about the data in the new report.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can extrapolate what we know is happening \u2013 real-time policy with the federal safety net, with the economy and compare it to what we see happening in the charitable food network and ascertain from that triangulation that it is getting worse and will probably get worse in the next 18 months.\u201d<\/p>\n
For food assistance options, visit 211 OC<\/a>.<\/p>\n The warnings from the alliance \u2013 a group of food banks, nonprofits, faith-based organizations and public agencies tackling the root causes of hunger \u2013 comes as changes to eligibility requirements<\/a> for the program under H.R.1 are being implemented gradually.<\/p>\n [Read: OC\u2019s Poorest Brace For Cuts to Food Stamps and Health Insurance This Thanksgiving<\/a>]<\/p>\n Some of the changes that have taken effect this year include stripping eligibility for certain immigrants \u2013 like refugees \u2013 as well as a host of new work requirements for able-bodied adults to be eligible to receive benefits for more than three months in a three-year period.<\/p>\n OC Food Bank Director Mark Lowry said residents impacted by H.R.1 won\u2019t be kicked off the benefits all at once even as the changes go into effect, but will find out if they\u2019re no longer eligible for assistance or will receive less assistance when they go to recertify for food stamps.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt will literally take from October of 2025 through October of 2027 \u2013 nearly two full years before Orange County sees the full impact of these cuts,\u201d Lowry said. \u201cIt has a dramatic effect on these families but you don\u2019t see it all at once. It\u2019s only going to get worse.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunger alliance leaders say the changes have resulted in a decrease of people enrolled in CalFresh \u2013 a program they have long hailed as being able to feed significantly more people than the county\u2019s emergency food distribution system run through local pantries and dependent on donations.<\/p>\n Lowry said the latest reports from the social service agency are that 40,000 Orange County residents have lost CalFresh benefits since H.R.1 went into effect last Fall\u2013 a loss of millions of dollars used to help feed families.<\/p>\n \u201cWe already know there\u2019s $10 million fewer dollars of governmental food benefits available to vulnerable families and that means that those 40,000 people need to turn elsewhere to help feed their families. That\u2019s the big generational change. I mean, at a minimum, we haven\u2019t seen anything like this since welfare reform in 1996, 30 years ago,\u201d he said in an interview.<\/p>\n In August 2025, over 309,000 people in Orange County \u2013 roughly 10% of the population \u2013 were enrolled in the CalFresh food assistance program, according to the California Department of Social Services.<\/p>\n Around the time the new work requirements for CalFresh took effect in June this year, over 282,000 people were enrolled for food stamps in OC, according to the department<\/a>.<\/p>\n Prior to H.R.1, OC Social Services Agency and food bank leaders for years were focused on getting more residents enrolled for food stamps due to its wider impact on addressing hunger than food distributions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alliance leaders say they\u2019re not giving up on that approach despite more expected changes \u2013 even as Lowry said the county is estimating losing 4,000 participants in the food assistance program each month and while they expect to sign up 10-30 people each month.<\/p>\n Hallie Stohler-Plaza, director of the OC Hunger Alliance, said the benefits can still be a lifeline for eligible residents.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, CalFresh is still a wonderful benefit and it still does much more. Our public benefits are critical to food insecurity in terms of monetary coverage,\u201d Stohler-Plaza said.<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal is to ensure that folks that are eligible for CalFresh are able to access CalFresh. We just know that with all the changes, we have to do a lot more to ensure that people are educated about how to comply with the changes. That\u2019s the mission at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n Funding changes are also expected to impact CalFresh this Fall.<\/p>\n Currently, the federal government and states split the cost of administering the program 50\/50.\u00a0<\/p>\n In California, the state splits its portion with the counties, which pay 15% of the total costs.<\/p>\n In October, the federal government will only pay 25% to cover the administration of the program.<\/p>\n Hunger Increases in OC Ahead of CalFresh Changes<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Taylor_fooddistributionvolunteers-36.jpg\")
People wait in line at the Seva Collective Food Distribution on Nov. 22, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FoodPantry-2025-Nov-Leopo-14.jpg\")
Latino Health Access food drive volunteers prep radishes for distribution. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FoodPantry-2025-Nov-Leopo-1.jpg\")
Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC<\/p>\n