California Hunger Action History

CHAC has been active since 1992 and has conducted Hunger Action Day every year since 1997. In addition to Hunger Action Day CHAC has conducted call-in days and postcard campaigns for specific legislation: activities at the Capitol to raise awareness of hunger in California: and other special events to follow up on the impressions made at Hunger Action Day. Until 2001 CHAC also produced an annual conference or regional anti-hunger forums.

Through its activity CHAC has won policy changes that have resulted in access for literally millions of people to food, particularly through food stamp benefits. CHAC’s themes, legislative agendas and outcomes include:

2006 It’s Time to End Hunger: Passed AB 2384, an innovative program to reimburse purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables by food stamp participants, and AB 569 to study the feasibility of providing breakfast at all California schools. First CHAC T-shirt, to order, send email to info@hungeraction.net. Download 2006 Legislative Agenda.

2005 Lettuce Feed California: Supported AB 696 which passed the legislature but was vetoed by the governor. CHAC increased regional trainings to 7 regions across the state.

2004 No Empty Plates in the Golden State: Sponsored and passed AB 1796, restoring food stamp eligibility to recovered former drug fellons. CHAC also played an integral role in MAZON’s annual conference, which continued over the next couple of years. CHAC launched it's website www.hungeraction.net. CHAC played the lead in the first ever Coalition for a Fair Budget day of action in Sacramento. Published Lost Dollars Report. Download 2004 Legislative Agenda. Held Future Film Festival at the Capitol to get the Governor's attention for CHAC's legislative agenda.

2003 Fed Up With Empty Forks: Supported and passed AB 231, removing vehicle restrictions from the Food Stamp program and creating a transitional benefit program for families leaving welfare, as well as encouraging counties to use waivers of the face-to-face interview in the food stamp program. Produced Capitol News Report and delivered to legislators. Download 2003 Legislative Agenda. Issued Lost Dollars Press Release. CHAC held a first ever action at the Governor's local offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Fresno to ask him to Accept the Checks. CHAC used a Recall Candidate Survey to educate the governor's candidates.

2002 Bag Hunger/Put the Family Budget First: First ever Legislative Food Drive was part of Hunger Action Day. Produced the first ever Hunger Report Card for California. First ever February Action, Legislative Bake Sale" raised nearly $300 for the local food bank and critiqued the legislature's and governor's threat to cut essential programs to meet the budget shortfall.

2001 Hunger: The Other Energy Crisis: Won a change that resulted in families with higher utility bills getting more food stamps. Won permanent funding for the California Food Assistance Program for immigrants.

2000 Hungry for Justice: Supported and passed AB 2013 which simplified the food stamp application in California. CHAC also won $3 million in state money for food stamp outreach and successfully renewed the CFAP program. Won $1 million, again, for state food bank infrastructure.

1999 Hungry for Justice: Again succesfully renewed the CFAP program, and won $1 million for state food bank infrastructure.

1998 Hungry for Justice: Supported and passed the expansion of the California Food Assistance Program to include adults between 18 and 65: in conjunction with Immigrant Day. Also, The Tax-Check off passed the Legislature in 1998, and was placed on the tax forms released in 1999.  Since 1999, we have raised over $1.73 million through the check-off. We won $2 million for food bank infrastructure.

1997 Hunger Has A Cure: Supported and passed the first state-funded food stamp program, the California Food Assistance Program to replace benefits lost by immigrants (seniors and children) due to federal welfare “reform”.