Supporting Neighbors Through the Shutdown: Local Food Resources & Ways to Help
With the ongoing federal government shutdown delaying or reducing CalFresh (California’s SNAP) food assistance benefits, the City of San Mateo is reminding residents that immediate, local help is available.
“Residents are feeling real stress as CalFresh benefits are disrupted,” said San Mateo Mayor Rob Newsom. “No one in our community should worry about going without food. Support is here, and we’re committed to connecting anyone in need with reliable local resources.”
Residents seeking food assistance can contact Samaritan House (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab), the City’s primary partner for emergency food programs (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab). Call the Samaritan House team at (650) 347-3648 for food and other assistance.
Emergency Groceries (San Mateo Locations):
Samaritan House Food Services
Location: 4031 Pacific Blvd.
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: https://samaritanhousesanmateo.org/service/food-services/ (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
St. Vincent de Paul – Homeless Help Center
Location: 50 N. B Street
Website: https://svdpsm.org/programs/homeless-help-centers/ (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
Prepared or Ready-to-Eat Meals:
Samaritan House Kitchen
Location: 4031 Pacific Blvd.
Website: https://samaritanhousesanmateo.org/service/food-services/ (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
LifeMoves — First Step for Families
Location: 325 Villa Terrace
Website: https://www.lifemoves.org/first-step-for-families/ (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley Food Distribution Sites (San Mateo)
For the closest San Mateo distribution site and current schedule, visit:
https://www.shfb.org/get-food/ (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
San Mateo Event Center weekly distribution link:
https://smcec.co/2024/03/18/ (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
Senior Meal Programs:
Bay Tree Bistro Lunch Program
- Location #1: San Mateo Senior Center (2645 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo)
- Days of availability: Monday | Wednesday | Friday
- Cost: $7
- Location #2: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center (725 Monte Diablo Avenue, San Mateo)
- Days of availability: Tuesday | Thursday
- Suggested Voluntary Contribution: $5
- Lunch program details:
https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/639/Bay-Tree-Bistro (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
How Residents and Businesses Can Help:
Residents and businesses who want to support their neighbors during the shutdown can donate or volunteer through countywide efforts led by San Mateo County’s Human Services Agency (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab). These programs help get food directly to families who are experiencing gaps in CalFresh benefits.
You can also support the San Mateo County Edible Food Recovery Program (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab), which helps rescue surplus food and share it with those who need it most. The program also keeps edible food out of landfills, reducing waste and supporting the County’s sustainability goals.
Samaritan House, the City’s core food-assistance partner, also welcomes community support through donation of funds (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab), their wish list (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab), food drives (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab), and Mobile Meals volunteer opportunities (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab). Every $1 helps create four meals, and donations made by November 30 will be matched 2:1, up to $100,000 (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab). Pantry donations can be dropped off Monday–Friday, 3–4:45 p.m., at 4031 Pacific Blvd.
Another way to make a real difference is by volunteering with a food recovery organization near you. There are more than 26 organizations across the country that could use an extra set of hands. Check out the County’s interactive map (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) to find one close to home and join the effort to fight hunger in our community.
Additional Ways to Support Local Food Security:
- San Mateo County Human Services Agency (HSA) Food assistance, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support countywide efforts: https://www.smcgov.org/hsa/food (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
- San Mateo County Office of Sustainability Coordination for community support efforts, food security programs, and volunteer/donation partnerships: https://www.smcsustainability.org (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
- Second Harvest of Silicon Valley — Volunteer, Donate, or Host a Drive
This is the main countywide hub for supporting food distribution organizations. - Samaritan House — Volunteer, Donate, or Host a Drive:
- Volunteer https://samaritanhousesanmateo.org/volunteer/ (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
- Donate: https://samaritanhousesanmateo.org/donate/ (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
- Ways to Help: https://samaritanhousesanmateo.org/our-neighbors-cannot-afford-to-wait (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
“San Mateo is a compassionate community, and many families are feeling the effects of the federal shutdown,” said City Manager Alex Khojikian. “We want residents to know that help is close by. Our nonprofit partners, including Samaritan House, St. Vincent de Paul and Second Harvest, are ready to support anyone who needs food assistance.”