To win the hearts and minds of the California public and our elected leaders, it is clear that storytelling and communications must be at core of our advocacy efforts. The California Association of Food Banks has engaged in direct story collection of clients and stakeholders to illustrate of the value of the federal nutrition safety net to California. We have also provided pass-through grants to three of our member food banks, Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and the Central California Food Bank to support their advocacy work to protect SNAP and the nutrition safety net from federal threats. Our food banks have hosted in-person events, created new materials and tested messages in regions with policymakers critical to deciding the future of these programs that are our first defense against hunger. Click below to see examples of our projects and materials.
Farm Bill Roundtable Highlight Video
Congressman Jim Costa on Hunger in the Valley
College Student Hunger – Fresno State
College Student Hunger – Rebecca Casillas
Food Banks Fight Hunger – Central California Food Bank
Thank you to The California Endowment, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and Sunlight Giving for their generous support of this communications work.
Cindy’s story via Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services
People are more likely to listen to people who they relate to, in fact, according to the 2006 Edelman Trust Barometer survey, 68% of US opinion leaders trust “a person like me” as the most credible source of information — and yes, this includes elected officials.
We need stories about CalFresh and safety-net programs that represent the diverse and complex program that it is.
CAFB is here to guide you
We’re making this section of our website a hub for all the tools you need to find and create stories. Please check back regularly here and on our blog for resources.
Below is our online story bank form. We encourage you to submit your story, no matter what shape it is. Bullet points, quotes, or a general braindump are all welcome.
Story and photo release form for download here. Please note that you will get a copy of your story emailed to you after you submit it.
