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The nonprofit, with roots in East San Jose, provides child care, preschool, support groups, parent education and professional development to families. It partners with schools and communities to promote childhood well-being.<\/p>\n Veronica Goei, executive director of Grail Family Services, said the SNAP freeze added family stress and\u00a0children are still coming in hungry.<\/p>\n \nContribute to Local News Matters\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about showing up for families and telling families, \u2018We\u2019re here for you. You\u2019re valued,\u2019\u201d she told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cIt trickles down to those children. There\u2019s a need right now and we\u2019ll just do what we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Goei said food insecurity is\u00a0an ongoing crisis<\/a>\u00a0in Santa Clara County and has an impact on childhood behavioral development.<\/p>\n \u201cKids get tired, lose concentration. There are also long-term impacts \u2026 in brain development,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Community steps up<\/p>\n According to Santa Clara County officials, CalFresh provides about\u00a0$25.5 million in food assistance monthly<\/a>\u00a0to about\u00a0130,000 of its residents<\/a>. California acted quickly to issue full benefits to all CalFresh recipients for November following a federal court order reinstating SNAP funds, county spokesperson Peter Gallotta told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n Goei said East San Jose residents are resilient, hardworking and resourceful. The community stepped up to help support the nonprofit during the recession.<\/p>\n \u201cWe told the families we\u2019re going to have to close on Fridays,\u201d she said. \u201cThey worked for three days making tamales and they raised $3,000. It was incredibly touching. I talked to the board \u2026 to funders, and we got the money and remained open. But there\u2019s that the kind of (community) strength.\u201d<\/p>\n Demone Carter, director of community engagement for Sacred Heart Community Service, said up to 700 people a day come to the nonprofit for food. Carter said instability and insecurity are created when people\u2019s access to food is uncertain.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s definitely a palpable sense of fear about the lack of resources. We\u2019re doing our best to offset it.\u201d<\/p>\n Demone Carter, Sacred Heart Community Service<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you couple that with threats of ICE activity and all of the other myriad challenges this (federal) administration throws at us, it makes it difficult for working families,\u201d he told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThere\u2019s definitely a palpable sense of fear about the lack of resources. We\u2019re doing our best to offset it.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763699536_230_LNM-20250616-SJSPOTLIGHTLOGO-01.jpg\")
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