{"id":53350,"date":"2026-05-18T12:23:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/?p=53350"},"modified":"2026-05-18T12:23:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:23:49","slug":"california-association-of-food-banks-honored-2026-anti-hunger-hero-award-recipients-at-food-access-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/statement\/california-association-of-food-banks-honored-2026-anti-hunger-hero-award-recipients-at-food-access-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"California Association of Food Banks Honored 2026 Anti-Hunger Hero Award Recipients at Food Access Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

State and Community Leaders Recognized for Advancing Food Access and Strengthening California\u2019s Hunger-Relief Network<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SACRAMENTO, Calif. \u2013 (May 18, 2026) <\/strong>\u2013 The California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) convened hundreds of food bank leaders, farmers, policymakers, and anti-hunger advocates from across the state at its 2026 Food ACCESS Conference on May 18-20, a key gathering focused on strengthening California\u2019s food safety net and advancing equitable food systems. During the conference, CAFB honored leaders and partners with the 2026 Anti-Hunger Hero Awards, recognizing exceptional contributions to ensuring all Californians have access to healthy, nutritious food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Food ACCESS Conference brings together our community of anti-hunger allies: food banks, policymakers, community leaders, farmers and corporate philanthropists, who all work together to make sure no one in California goes hungry,\u201d said Stacia Hill Levenfeld, CEO of the CAFB. \u201cThis year, we are proud to recognize six champions who are steadfast in their advocacy and support of food access, making an impact across California\u2019s communities and bringing food into the homes of families in need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Anti-Hunger Hero Awards, presented during the conference, recognize leaders whose vision and steadfast commitment help propel CAFB\u2019s efforts toward a hunger-free California. Honorees are recognized across four categories: Legislative Champion, Administrator Champion, Corporate Champion and Farm to Family Champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s honorees included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Legislative Champion Award<\/strong> recognizes leadership in championing anti-hunger legislation and protecting vital funding that strengthens California\u2019s hunger-relief efforts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assemblymember Corey Jackson<\/strong> demonstrated tremendous leadership on anti-hunger issues during his service in the Assembly as chair of Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services. Through his strong support for food banks, visionary leadership and decisive actions, he has consistently acted as a champion for Californians who need help putting food on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senator Jerry McNerney<\/strong> has been a key leader on anti-hunger issues during his service in the Senate, particularly through his authorship of SB 881, the Farmer to Family Tax Credit extension, and SB 225, on state reimbursement for guardian meals served through the summer meal program. Through his support for food banks and farmers, he has consistently acted as a champion for Californians facing food insecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Administrator Champion Award<\/strong> honors leaders who go above and beyond in ensuring policies are always implemented in a people-centered manner and demonstrates a strong commitment to equity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

California Department of Food and Agriculture<\/strong> (CDFA) <\/strong>Secretary Karen Ross <\/strong>exemplifies a steadfast commitment to Californians through her people-centered leadership and strong support of the state\u2019s food banks. Her advocacy has expanded access to fresh, nutritious food, strengthened local food systems and supported critical programs, including Emergency Food Boxes and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program during COVID-19. As a champion of the Farm to Family program, she has helped connect California\u2019s agricultural abundance with communities in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

California Health and Human Services (CalHHS) Secretary Kim Johnson<\/strong> has demonstrated longstanding leadership on anti-hunger issues and a thoughtful, equity-centered approach to implementing federal policies impacting Californians with low incomes. CAFB particularly recognizes her leadership during the unprecedented October 2025 federal government shutdown and CalFresh benefits delay, helping ensure Californians received critical food assistance as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Corporate Champion Award<\/strong> honors a company whose partnership and financial contributions make a meaningful impact in the fight against hunger\u2014advancing the mission to end hunger in California:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PG&E Corporation Foundation <\/strong>is recognized for its $1.25 million contribution to CAFB\u2019s Emergency Response Fund during the October 2025 federal government shutdown, supporting 38 food banks across Northern and Central California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Farm to Family Champion Award <\/strong>honors agricultural partners who provide fresh, nutritious produce and essential foods that nourish communities across California, playing a vital role in reducing food waste and strengthening California\u2019s hunger\u2011relief network:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Food ACCESS Conference, CAFB posthumously honored Gary Maxworthy, founder of the Farm to Family program, whose vision transformed how California addresses hunger by connecting surplus agricultural products with families in need. CAFB also announced that the award is to be renamed in his honor as \u7684<\/strong> Gary Maxworthy Farm to Family Champion Award<\/strong> to recognize his lasting impact on California\u2019s hunger-relief network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cache Produce <\/strong>was also honored with The Gary Maxworthy Farm to Family Champion Award forhelping expand CAFB\u2019s produce distribution efforts through its Lodi-based mixing center, which enabled 25 food banks to receive 4.9 million pounds of fresh produce in 2025, an 88% increase from 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt a time when food insecurity continues to rise and critical federal and state safety net programs face growing threats, these Anti-Hunger Heroes are stepping forward as powerful examples of what leadership, compassion and advocacy can achieve,\u201d said Levenfeld. They remind us that ending hunger takes all of us, and right now, food banks and the communities they serve need public support more than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community members who would like to help are encouraged to support their local food bank through volunteering or donating funds, shelf-stable food and hygiene items. A full list of CAFB member food banks can be found at www.cafoodbanks.org\/members<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF FOOD BANKS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) formed in 1996, it has grown into a powerful network leading the fight against hunger in California with a shared belief that access to food is a fundamental right. California produces more than enough nutritious food to feed everyone in the state. CAFB partners with 43 food banks who support close to 6,000 community-based organizations with a common mission: to end hunger. Through collaborative partnerships, CAFB is a collective force making equitable access to food the standard, not the exception. For more information about CAFB, please visit cafoodbanks.org<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

State and Community Leaders Recognized for Advancing Food Access and Strengthening California\u2019s Hunger-Relief Network SACRAMENTO, Calif. \u2013 (May 18, 2026) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"16","_seopress_titles_title":"%%post_title%%","_seopress_titles_desc":"%%post_excerpt%%","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"SNAP,calfresh,congress,snap cuts,big beautiful bill,food banks,california food banks,california association of food banks,federal policy,farm bill,food stamps,ebt,hunger","_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,16],"tags":[10,118,272,12],"class_list":["post-53350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-statement","tag-farm-to-family","tag-in-the-news","tag-member-food-bank","tag-mood-booster"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53350"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53352,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53350\/revisions\/53352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cafoodbanks.org\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}