The Brief

Food banks across Southern California are stepping in to meet the surge in need for food assistance after the Trump administration announced last week that it would not tap emergency funds to keep food benefits afloat.

Officials warned that benefits will run out at the end of October as the federal shutdown drags on. And the Department of Agriculture said no benefits will be sent out on Nov. 1, prompting groups across the region to stock up in anticipation of the freeze.

California’s version of the federal SNAP program, called CalFresh, provides food assistance for more than 1.5 million in L.A. County and 310,000 residents in Orange County. Many of those who rely on the benefits are children and older adults.

LAist, the Long Beach Post and Boyle Heights Beat have compiled a list of resources to help in what food bank organizers are calling “a type of disaster.”

Los Angeles County

• The Regional Food Bank partners with hundreds of food banks across L.A. County. A full list can be found here. Residents can also call 211 for assistance.
  
• The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation will offer free snack and dinner programs for youth, teens and seniors. A list of locations can be found here.
  
• The St. Charles Service Center at 10825 Moorpark St. in North Hollywood runs a food pantry every day from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., except Mondays and Fridays.
  
• The Northeast Valley Health Corporation runs a mobile food pantry at 7223 Fair Ave. in Sun Valley on the first Friday of every month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  
• Jewish Family Service LA operates two food pantries in the Valley (16439 Vanowen St., Van Nuys) and on the West Side (8846 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles). Clients are advised to schedule a visit online.
• Los Angeles Unified schools: Every LAUSD student can already get free breakfast and lunch at their school. Now, about 600 schools will provide supper to any child up to 18 years old Monday through Friday, even if it’s not the school they’re enrolled at — find the one nearest you. The meal will be served after dismissal and must be eaten on campus. The district also has a 24/7 hotline at (213) 443-1300.

Los Angeles/Eastside

• The Centro Maravilla Service Center at 4716 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. is open to anyone in need Mondays 2:30 to 4 p.m., Tuesdays 9:30 to 11 a.m., 2:30 to 4 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays by appointment only.
  
• The East LA Service Center at 133 N. Sunol Dr. is providing boxes with canned goods, and sometimes chicken and fresh produce, depending on household size. They’re open Mondays 2 to 4 p.m., Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m., and Thursdays by appointment.
  
• The Designated Exceptional Service for Independence at 646 S. Atlantic Blvd. is offering a bag or box that may include frozen goods, canned food, milk, eggs, cheese and produce to anyone in need, with ID. They’re open Wednesdays 10 a.m. to noon and Fridays 10 a.m. to noon.
  
• Our Lady of Guadalupe Church’s Food Program at 4018 Hammel St. is providing canned goods to anyone in need on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, 3 to 5 p.m.
  
• The East LA Bilingual S.D.A. Church at 700 Hoefner Ave. is providing canned goods, fresh produce and sometimes meat to anyone in need on Wednesdays 2 to 4 p.m.
  
• The YMCA – Weingart East Los Angeles at 2900 Whittier Blvd. distributes food on Mondays and Wednesdays 9 to 11 a.m.
  
• Family Health Care Resources at 3444 Whittier Blvd. is providing fresh fruit and vegetables to anyone in need on Fridays 9:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3 p.m.
  
• Adventist Health White Memorial at 1720 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. is providing nonperishable food to anyone in need Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Seniors can also get produce vouchers for the White Memorial farmers market every Thursday.
  
• White Memorial Church at 401 N. State St. distributes food on the fourth Saturday of every month from 3 to 5 p.m.
  
• Proyecto Pastoral will be distributing food at the Aliso Pico Recreation Center at 370 S. Clarence St. One box of food per adult will be available at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Orange County

• Orange County residents can get support by dialing 211 for food resources and other services. 211 OC also has a map of all food resources in the county.
  
• Catholic Charities of Orange County offers food resources every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to noon at 2020 W. Chestnut Ave. in Santa Ana.
  
• South County Outreach runs a food pantry at 7 Whatney, Suite B in Irvine stocked with essential ingredients for every household like milk, butter, eggs and produce. To shop their pantries, you need to fill out a few forms and provide identification for all household members. The pantry is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
• The Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County distributes food through nearly 300 partners across the county, including nonprofits, places of worship and schools. A list of pantry locations can be found here.
  

Long Beach

• Long Beach Unified schools: Every LBUSD student can already get free breakfast and lunch at their school. More than three dozen K-8, middle and high school wellness centers also have food pantries open to students and their families throughout the school day. A district spokesperson said school staff are available to help families access additional community food resources.
• Christian Outreach in Action operates a food bank Monday through Friday at 515 E 3rd St., Long Beach. Hot meals are available every day.
  
• Long Beach Community Table has open hours for free food Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 3311 E 59th St., Long Beach. Delivery is available pending application, and weekend food pickup is available at eight additional locations.
  
• Lutheran Social Services of Southern California offers food assistance five days a week at 1611 Pine Ave., Long Beach.
  
• Long Beach City College students can access food assistance through the Viking Vault and Cal State Long Beach students can visit the Beach Pantry.
  

California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.

Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are not allowed to collect information about a child's or family member’s immigration status, unless necessary under state or federal law. Bonta’s office says there currently is no such requirement, though that could change with federal programs like Head Start.

“Childcare and preschool facilities should be safe and secure spaces so children can grow, learn and simply be children,” Bonta said in a statement.

His office says daycare centers also should not keep information about a formerly enrolled child longer than is required by state law.

The new law also requires facilities to inform the attorney general’s office and the state’s licensing agency if they get any requests for information from law enforcement related to immigration enforcement.

Facilities also must ask families to regularly update a child’s emergency contact information to make sure someone can be reached in case a parent is detained by federal immigration officials.

The Santa Ana winds are here to welcome us into the weekend, bringing warmer temperatures.

The winds will reach Point Mugu to the Santa Clarita Valley, down to Orange County and parts of the Inland Empire valleys and foothills east of the 5 Freeway.

Peak gusts are expected to reach 35 to 55 mph. The western San Gabriel Mountains, Highway 14 corridor, Santa Susana Mountains and the western Santa Monica Mountains are under a high wind warning until 6 p.m., when gusts could reach 65 mph.

As for temperatures, highs for L.A. County beaches will reach the upper 70s and up to the low 80s for inland areas.

Parts of Orange County and Coachella Valley will see temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s, with the warmest areas expected to reach 88 degrees.

Getting together with friends at a bar or pub tends to get a lot harder when children and needy pets enter the mix. One solution — Breweries! Beer gardens! Brewpubs!

Because parents (of kids and pets) want to go out, too — and not necessarily to a fast food restaurant with an indoor playground and no beer.

Thankfully, the Orange County suburbs where I live have gotten on board with my family- and pet-friendly craft brewery dreams. The key ingredients for me are spacious patios, a water bowl for the pooch, and food — either made onsite or, at the least, easy and quick to order and get delivered from somewhere else. Board and pub games are an added bonus.

Plus, of course, great beer from small, independent, local breweries. On the beer front, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of beer I encountered on my self-arranged tour of breweries in the Costa Mesa-Huntington Beach area.

Gone are the dark, dank days of nothing but IPA (IYKYK); now, you can find everything from pickle-tinged blondes, to mild sours, to rich and creamy stouts. If you’re not a big beer fan, every place I visited also had their own craft-made hard seltzers on the menu, as well as some non-alcoholic beverages.

Here are some of my favorites:

Riip (Huntington Beach)

Riip in Huntington Beach has two spots with full kitchens specializing in pizza and a wide variety of IPAs and other beer styles.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Riip has been a family favorite since the company opened its first tasting room in Sunset Beach in 2015, with board games and tables the kids could write on. They have since expanded a lot, with a pizzeria next door and another location near Fountain Valley, which also serves excellent pizza, and has a small arcade to keep the kiddos busy.

One thing they do especially well: For serious IPA drinkers, Riip is your place. They usually have at least half a dozen different IPAs on tap, along with a decent variety of other beers, lighter and darker.

This place is great for … dinner after the kids’ [insert sport] game. Also for date night.

At Flashpoint Brewing Company in Huntington Beach, you can check out the brewing vats and other machinery up close while enjoying the results.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Flashpoint Brewing Co. (Huntington Beach)

I only recently discovered Flashpoint, which opened in 2020 on an industrial street near Huntington Beach Central Park. I actually love this aspect of craft brewery taprooms: they’re often located outside of trendy food and retail areas because they need to be able to actually brew beer there as well as serve it.

Flashpoint has a big patio lit with fairy lights. The tall doors of their brewing area, and an adjacent room with the taps and more tables are rolled up during opening hours, giving it a spacious, indoor-outdoor feel.

One thing they do especially well: All the beers I tried were highly drinkable. In other words, not crazy hoppy or overly heavy on flavors. The nectarine sour was especially good, refreshing with just the right amount of tartness.

This place is great for … An early evening toast, watching the clouds turn pink.

Green Cheek Beer Co. in Costa Mesa serves great beer and food, including shareable, snackable items like pad thai cauliflower.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Green Cheek Beer Co. (Costa Mesa)

Green Cheek Beer Co. now has three locations in Orange County and one in Oceanside. Their Costa Mesa spot is conveniently located not far from the city’s Bark Park. So, naturally, after my pooch has fun, I deserve a cold one.

Green Cheek has a huge covered patio filled with long picnic tables. My dog, Ace, was very happy to find a bowl of water set out for their canine visitors, and lots of pets from the humans.

One thing they do especially well: Green Cheek makes great beer. But what I love most about their Costa Mesa spot is that you can soak up the alcohol with food, including smash burgers, tots, and pad thai cauliflower, from their good and reliably fast kitchen.

This place is great for … reading a book, or making a new friend! Their long picnic tables make it easy to opt in or out of the surrounding social scene.

Bootlegger's Brewery outside the LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa has a quiet patio for day drinking, and a lively trivia night scene.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Bootlegger’s Brewery (Costa Mesa)

Within walking distance of Green Cheek is Bootlegger’s Brewery. Bootlegger’s started in Fullerton, and now also has tasting rooms in Costa Mesa and Redlands.

Their Costa Mesa spot is on the outskirts of the LAB Anti-Mall, a collection of small businesses and restaurants, at least one of which will deliver food to your table. A section of the parking lot has been turned into a nice outdoor patio with sun shades for daytime and heat lamps for chillier evening hours.

One thing they do especially well: Their Kosher Crusher pickle blonde ale. They debuted it last fall and it is seriously good — light, refreshing, and just a little bit zesty.

This place is great for … “working” on a Friday afternoon (I was not the only one there typing one-handed on my laptop with a beer in the other), and then inviting friends to join you for happy hour.

There's an ambiance for everyone at Salty Bear Brewing Co. in Costa Mesa.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Salty Bear Brewing Company

Salty Bear is part of The Camp, an uber-cool retail and restaurant complex also within walking distance of Green Cheek and Bootlegger’s (you can do a tasting tour!).

Salty Bear is worth a visit for the aesthetics alone. It has a great bar with midcentury tiling and dimpled red leather. The sprawling, leafy outdoor patio provides plenty of room for the kids to wander.

One thing they do especially well: Their Coastline Strawberry Blonde made me nostalgic for the fruity beers that got me hooked on craft beer in my 20s — but so much better.

This place is great for … Kickin’ it on the patio with friends, either listening to live music, or letting your kids practice performing on the teepee-themed outdoor stage.

Other options in OC south of the 405:

Steady Kitchen and Taps, 18055 Magnolia St, Fountain Valley

Synth Beer Company, 2960 Randolph Av, Costa Mesa

Brewing Reserve of California, 2930 College Ave D, Costa Mesa

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers