YMCAs across LA expand food aid with new state partnership as SNAP delays strain families

This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on Nov. 6, 2025.

Across the Eastside, residents who rely on CalFresh — California’s version of the federal SNAP program — are grappling with uncertainty as they face delays and reductions in benefits. But local organizations and leaders are working together to make sure families have more access to food pantries.

On Wednesday, at the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA, community members gathered to hear about a new partnership between the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and state leaders. The program, called FeedLA, will distribute $7.5 million worth of food across all 29 YMCA locations in L.A. County, offering warm meals, groceries, or home deliveries with no membership required.

“You can go today to any 29 of my YMCAs and we will have a schedule and we will have a plan to ensure that no child and no family goes hungry in our community,” said Victor Dominguez, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles.

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In Assembly District 54, which encompasses Boyle Heights and the cities of Vernon, Commerce and Montebello, the L.A. County Department of Public Social Services estimates 120,000 households are currently eligible to receive benefits. California also fast-tracked $80 million to assist food banks.

“Families can’t live on partial. Families can’t live on hunger to be put on hold,” said District 54 Assemblymember Mark González at the press conference. “California is stepping up to do what Washington will not, and that is feed our people.”

For local advocates, food access has always been about more than just meals.

“Food pantries are not just places where food is handed out; they are a bridge of hope for our most vulnerable communities,” said Margarita Amador, Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council secretary. “When a family comes to a pantry, many times they don’t just bring an empty bag, they also bring worries, stress and fear of not being able to feed their children.”

In L.A. County, leaders, including Supervisor Hilda Solis, have allocated more than $15 million in grants to support food banks during this time. The Los Angeles Unified School District, community organizations, churches and even restaurants have also stepped in to help families in need.

(See a list of local food pantries on the Eastside and greater LA area.)

In L.A.’s Council District 14, Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Tuesday proposing $300,000 in discretionary funds to support two Eastside organizations: Barrio Action Youth & Family Center in El Sereno and Centro de Ayuda in Boyle Heights — ensuring families can still access groceries and essentials while waiting for federal aid to resume.

“With the loss of SNAP benefits, too many families are being forced to choose between groceries, rent, childcare, and other needs,” wrote Jurado in a press release on Wednesday. “In neighborhoods like Boyle Heights and El Sereno, every dollar of relief goes a long way. By investing in our FamilySource Centers, we’re meeting people’s basic needs with dignity, compassion, and quick action.”

The City Council could take up the motion as soon as next week.

To find FeedLA distribution locations, dates and times, visit YMCA’s site here.