Bay Area restaurants, food trucks, announce free meals for SNAP recipients

A growing number of restaurants and food trucks around the Bay Area are announcing their plans to provide a range of free and discounted meals for recipients of SNAP the federal food aid undertaking slated to halt Nov Related Articles Gwyneth Paltrow brings her healthy Goop Kitchen meals to the Bay Area Gobble up these turkeys at Los Gatos eateries California s commercial Dungeness crab season delayed to protect whales Kasper s the hot dog that started it all in Oakland is no more Slice House coming to Millbrae The current federal governing body shutdown is now on day While funding continued through October to endorsement the food aid project the federal establishment disclosed the previous 24 hours that it would stop issuing SNAP payments short for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Undertaking in the new month Roughly half a million Bay Area residents rely on the activity called CalFresh in California for assistance in purchasing groceries including people in Alameda County and people in Santa Clara County State and county agencies and personnel are making moves to provide local food bank networks with additional funding and advocacy ahead of the cutoff And a meager local restaurants are stepping up to directly feed people facing hunger from the halted food aid especially kids Kids are the ones affected by this but they re innocent They don t have anything to do with the politics announced Diana Vallorz who owns Tony Alba s Pizza and Pasta in San Jose with her husband Al The grandparents of four requested to do something to promotion kids impacted by the imminent aid cutoff so they came up with the idea of offering free meals to kids and under whose families receive SNAP benefits Tony Alba's Pizza and Pasta in San Jose is one of a handful of Bay Area restaurants and food trucks offering free or discounted meals to SNAP recipients Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group The idea rapidly gained traction on social media and a number of other Bay Area restaurants have since followed suit offering discounts or free meals to SNAP recipients Meanwhile others have offered the restaurant donations to supplement Tony Alba s Pizza and Pasta kids meals for instance Vallorz reported First is donating books and a bakery plans to offer cupcakes to participating families Oakland restaurant Monster Pho will also be offering a kids meal effort Kids should not be starving due to this shut down ' the restaurant posted on its Instagram with the hashtag phothekids We are just a small restaurant but we believe one little thing at a time can go a long way These are the restaurants that have revealed meal programs so far Bulk start Nov Tony Alba s Pizza and Pasta San Jose Free meals for children and under no additional purchase needed Kids can get cheese or pepperoni pizza or penne pasta with meat or marinara sauce with carrots fruit and a drink Visitors should plan to show their SNAP card and have the child with them and parents can get discounted meals More info here Details Open a m - p m Tuesdays-Thursdays a m - p m Fridays-Saturdays and - p m Sundays at Stevens Creek Blvd San Jose tonyandalbaspizza com Monster Pho Oakland Kids and under who receive SNAP benefits can get free beef chicken or vegetable pho with off for parents no purchase necessary for kids Kids will also be signed up for the restaurant s upcoming Christmas toy drive More info here Details Open a m - p m Wednesdays-Sundays at th St Oakland monsterpho com Understory Oakland This restaurant s menu includes a pay-what-you-can dish for which nobody will be turned away due to lack of funds The current offering is suam na mais a vegan gluten-free summer corn soup with ginger garlic mushrooms and leafy greens in a savory broth More info here Details Open a m - p m Tuesdays a m - p m and - p m Wednesdays-Fridays and a m - p m Saturdays-Sundays at International Blvd Oakland understoryoakland com Shrimp n Ain t Eazy San Jose Starting in November this Eastside San Jose food truck will be offering kids and under who receive SNAP benefits a free chicken garlic and rice burrito and a drink when they present a SNAP card and ID Parents also receive a meal discount Families can receive five burritos per week More info here Details Location varies check instagram com shrimpn aint eazy for the latest updates Al Pastor Papi San Francisco SNAP card recipients are eligible to receive up to four free bean and rice or chicken burritos a week per family starting in November at this Union Square-based restaurant with water included People should bring their SNAP cards and IDs Bring the fam dinner is on us the group commented in an Instagram post Details Open a m - p m Tuesdays-Saturdays at O Farrell St San Francisco Puerto Rican Street Cuisine Oakland This Oakland spot is offering kid meals for SNAP recipients ages or younger The meal comes with a mini chicken beef or jackfruit empanada arroz con gandules a Puerto Rican rice dish with pork and peas or stewed beans fried plantains and water Details Open - p m Tuesdays-Saturdays and - p m Sundays at rd Ave Oakland puertoricanstreetcuisine com OG Tacos Concord and Antioch Until food aid is restored OG Tacos an East Bay food truck specializing in birria revealed it also planed to serve meals people losing SNAP benefits starting in November Eligible people should show their SNAP card and ID to receive tacos dorados up to three meals per family More info here Details Open - p m Tuesdays and - p m Fridays at Epidemic Ales Mason Circle suite J Concord and a m - p m Saturdays at the Antioch Farmers Sphere the parking lot at Third Street I Street Antioch ogtacosonline com