SACRAMENTO - Civil Rights icon Dolores Huerta will join a powerful coalition of anti-hunger and youth advocates, immigrant rights organizations, labor leaders, elected officials, and impacted Californians on Monday at the State Capitol to call on legislators and Governor Gavin Newsom to take immediate budget action to prevent a looming hunger crisis for tens of thousands of Californians. Organizations representing millions of Californians will stand together to urge state leaders to protect these vulnerable residents—especially humanitarian immigrants, families with children, and foster youth—from going hungry because of cruel cuts in House Resolution 1 (H.R. 1). State leaders can and must adopt swift budget actions to strengthen California's food safety net and ensure that no child, family, or immigrant goes hungry.

WHEN: Monday, August 10, 2026 (9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.)

*Please note we will begin promptly at 9 a.m. Media may set up beginning at 8 a.m.*

WHERE: California State Capitol, West Steps (Sacramento, CA)

WHO:

Speakers include:

• Dolores Huerta, renowned labor leader and civil rights activist, Dolores Huerta Foundation
• Calif. Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez (San Fernando Valley)
• Yesenia Robancho, Associate Director of Policy & Strategy, End Child Poverty California
• Benyamin Chao, Supervising Health & Public Benefits Policy Manager, California Immigrant Policy Center
• Bayley Craig, former foster youth and CalFresh recipient, MSW candidate at Sacramento State University, and Foster Youth advocate at John Burton Advocates for Youth
• Koy Saeteurn, Legislative Advocate, Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations

Host organizations:

• End Child Poverty CA powered by GRACE
• SEIU CA State Council
• Dolores Huerta Foundation
• Western Center on Law & Poverty (WCLP)
• County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA)
• California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC)
• John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY)
• California Food BanksTM
• Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations
• The Public Interest Law Project

WHY: Draconian federal food assistance cuts and new federal policies targeting immigrants will needlessly lead to a hunger epidemic among vulnerable Californians. Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders can take prompt budget actions to protect humanitarian immigrants, foster youth, and families with children. Specifically, policy and budget changes are needed in three areas:

• EXPANDING THE CALIFORNIA FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM to extend state food aid to 34,000 humanitarian immigrants losing CalFresh because of H.R.1.
• FUNDING A ONE-TIME FAMILY FOOD SUPPLEMENT to stabilize nutrition for 49,000 families with children and mitigate H.R. 1’s unprecedented work requirements expansion and 3-month time limit to families with children aged 14-17.

• ENACTING BUDGET LANGUAGE to maximize food support for people served by foster care, homelessness, and in-home services with known medical conditions.

Media Contacts:

Alexa Bluth, End Child Poverty California

(916) 607-7942

alexabluth@gmail.com

Lisa Jacobs

County Welfare Directors Association of California

(415) 235-2715
lisa@paschalroth.com

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