SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The California National Guard (CalGuard) and California Volunteers have been deployed on a humanitarian mission to assist the San Diego Food Bank amid the ongoing government shutdown, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Sunday.
*Watch the video above as FOX 5/KUSI’s Juliette Vara reports on an emergency food distribution event at Snapdragon Stadium.
The deployment was issued in response to the delay of SNAP and CalFresh benefits for over 5.5 million Californians during the shutdown, which has now reached 34 days as of Monday.
Their efforts will focus on addressing the surge in food bank demands during the federal shutdown.
CalGuard and California Volunteers, led by the Department of Social Services, will work behind the scenes at local food bank warehouses to pack boxes, manage deliveries and assist with the flow of supplies to prepare and distribute meals for families facing food insecurity.
In the past, service members have provided support to state authorities for wildfire preparedness and response, as well as efforts to combat drug trafficking.
Gov. Newsom announced on Oct. 22 a statewide effort to deploy CalGuard and California Volunteers to assist throughout the state, while fast-tracking $80 million to food banks in California to help address the cuts in food benefits.
Last Friday, two federal judges ruled that the Trump Administration is legally responsible for supporting SNAP funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
While the judge’s findings do not make the benefits immediately available, it does reportedly begin the process of requiring the federal government to direct funds to the program, which could occur as early as Wednesday.
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