In late October, almost 11,000 Napa County residents braced for the possibility of losing their November CalFresh benefits during the federal government shutdown. Children, seniors, and working families who rely on these food subsidies faced real fear and uncertainty.
At Napa Valley Community Foundation, we hoped for the best but prepared for the worst—as we always do when anticipating emerging community needs. What happened next showed the best of Napa: when a crisis looms, our community mobilizes together with speed, compassion, and proficiency.
A Rapid Response, Built in Real Time
The moment our county government leaders alerted us to a potential CalFresh interruption, we stepped into a role we know well: trusted local partner, fiscal intermediary, and problem solver.
In a forceful show of leadership, the Napa County Board of Supervisors committed up to $1M in emergency funding should the interruption last two months, and NVCF immediately launched the Food Access Fund to accept support from the county, and from others who might wish to lend a hand. Hours later, NVCF’s Board committed $150,000 from our discretionary reserves, and before one could binge-watch the first two seasons of a British-made police procedural, dozens more of our donors rallied to contribute another $450,000.
Meanwhile, our nonprofit partners did what they do best: they jumped into action. Within days, a public-private collaborative of five nonprofit family resource centers and Napa County’s Health & Human Services Department had a strategy to ensure that nearly 7,000 local households would remain fed without interruption.
- Grocery gift cards were purchased from Safeway, Walmart, and Cal Mart to cover roughly half of the expected November benefit shortfall
- Local churches were persuaded (editor’s note: Amen to that) to volunteer their parking lots as distribution sites for those who needed gift cards; and free transportation was arranged through Molly’s Angels and the Napa Valley Transportation Authority
- A bilingual notice was sent to every CalFresh household in Napa County announcing an orderly distribution schedule set for November 11-14 at five accessible church sites from American Canyon to Calistoga.
And Then—in 24 Hours—Everything Changed
The weekend before distribution began, a court ruling compelled the federal government to suddenly restore all CalFresh benefits.
It was the outcome we had all hoped for.
It also meant abruptly standing down a massive, days-long operation.
Working with our County partners, we canceled the gift card distribution, returned the purchased gift cards, and supported nonprofits as they unwound from all their planning.
So, What Was the Point of All This? A Lot, Actually.
In the end, even without a materialized crisis, preparing for a crisis delivered real and lasting gains:
- Stronger, faster coordination across the nonprofit network. Partners essentially dress-rehearsed and refined a rapid gift card deployment system that can be activated in future emergencies with less scramble.
- Donors stepped up. $450,000 rapidly poured into the Food Access Fund, further proof that our donors are committed to our community. That peace of mind matters—and it’s exactly why NVCF exists.
- A boost to the Elaine Jones Safety Net Fund. Many of our donors generously rolled their unspent gift dollars forward into our Elaine Jones Safety Net Fund, helping us get closer to our goal of supporting the Valley’s safety net nonprofits with a second round of grants in 2026.
- Proof that Napa County leads. Our readiness outpaced most other counties in California. Bold leadership from local government, data-driven decisions, rapid collaboration, and clear communication meant that Napa would have been ready the moment it was needed.
Quick and responsible preparedness isn’t glamorous, and might, in retrospect, feel like a ton of work for naught. But the families in our community deserve institutions that can move at the speed of crisis, when hunger or a natural disaster or some other unforeseen calamity is clawing at the door—and pause just as rapidly when conditions change.
We’re deeply grateful to our donors, nonprofit partners, and county leaders for proving once again that when it matters most, Napa Valley residents show up for one another.