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Santa Barbara County, CA — September 2025 — This September, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County joins Feeding America and food banks nationwide for Hunger Action Month, a month-long movement to inspire action and raise awareness about hunger. Here in our county, hunger is a local crisis. Santa Barbara County has the second-highest poverty rate in California, and the Foodbank now helps one in three of our neighbors put healthy food on the table.
The Foodbank calls on the community to stand together this Hunger Action Month. Every action (big and small) helps break stigma, raise awareness, and bring us closer to ending hunger. Simply talking about food insecurity helps spark and inspire change.
Here is how everyone can help take action this month:
Donate – DOUBLE your impact: Every gift is matched this monty, providing up to $10 in nutritious food https://foodbanksbc.org/ham
Dine Out for Hunger – Enjoy meals at participating restaurants that give back to the Foodbank. http://www.foodbanksbc.org/dineout
(Restaurants can still join! Contact jmadrigal@foodbanksbc.org for details.)
Volunteer: From packing produce to distributing food, volunteers are essential to meeting local needs. https://foodbanksbc.org/give-help/volunteer/
Stay Connected – Follow us on our social media sites, tag us, tell us your story and share!
- https://www.instagram.com/foodbanksbc/
- https://www.facebook.com/FoodbankSB
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/foodbank-of-santa-barbara-county
Hunger Action Day – Monday, September 9
The highlight of the month is Hunger Action Day, when neighbors across Santa Barbara County unite to stand against hunger.
Wear Orange – the national color of hunger awareness – to symbolize hope for a hunger-free future.
Post Orange – share orange-themed posts on social media, tag @FoodbankSBC, and use #HungerActionDay.
Act Orange – donate, volunteer, dine out, or encourage friends and family to take action.
Support from the community matters now more than ever. Food insecurity is at an all time high, while cuts to USDA food supplies and SNAP benefits have left a widening gap. The Foodbank is responding with innovative solutions, including the new Farm to Foodbank program, which purchases fresh, seasonal produce from local small-scale farmers and ensures it reaches neighbors who need it most. These partnerships strengthen the local food system while filling the gap left by steep federal cuts. With the matching gift challenge, every dollar donated this September helps provide up to $10 of nutritious food for children, families, and seniors across Santa Barbara County.
About the Foodbank
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County transforms hunger into health through good nutrition and food literacy. With nutrition education, disaster preparedness, community resilience and environmental sustainability at the forefront of our mission, the Foodbank is actively working to solve the underlying causes of hunger in our community. The Foodbank provides nourishment and education through a network of more than 200 partner agencies, nutrition education programs and food distribution sites. In Santa Barbara County, one in three people receive support from the Foodbank – 38% of the individuals we serve are children.
