The Bay ‘Everybody Needs Food’: How a Solano County Food Pantry Is Dealing with SNAP Delays
Nov 5, 2025
Heather Pierini, the executive director of Food Is Free Bay Area, shares her mission to combat food insecurity in Solano County. She discusses how recent SNAP delays have led to a dramatic rise in families needing assistance, with numbers soaring to over 670 families served in a single day. Heather highlights the challenges faced by vulnerable populations, including elderly and disabled individuals, and the role of nonprofits in addressing failures in social systems. The conversation sheds light on the pervasive food insecurity exacerbated by the ongoing federal shutdown.
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Front Yard Project Grew Into Regional Relief
- Heather started Food Is Free from a front-yard food stand and a permaculture food forest she planted in Benicia.
- The project scaled during COVID into Food Is Free Solano and then Food Is Free Bay Area, serving many towns across the region.
Low-Barrier Access Shows Real Need
- Food Is Free accepts anyone in need with minimal intake requirements: a name, zip code, and household size.
- This low-barrier approach recognizes that standing hours in line signals real need, not fraud.
High Need Meets Low Funding In Solano
- Solano County faces especially high need and low nonprofit funding compared with wealthier Bay Area counties.
- That combination creates a 'perfect storm' when federal benefits are delayed or cut.