City Heights emergency food pantry helps fill gap after CalFresh cuts

Hundreds of San Diegans rely on the biweekly pantry as federal food assistance benefits are reduced.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 11:37pm

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An abstract, out-of-focus photograph in warm tones depicting the shelves and aisles of a well-stocked food pantry, with the blurred shapes of people browsing the selection of fresh produce, canned goods, and other groceries.As federal food assistance benefits are reduced, a community-run emergency pantry provides a lifeline for vulnerable San Diego residents.San Diego Today

About 13,000 families in San Diego have lost or are at risk of losing CalFresh benefits due to changes the federal government implemented on April 1. In response, the City Heights Community Development Corporation launched the Feeding City Heights emergency food pantry last November to provide groceries and support to those impacted, and they are now seeing a surge in demand as more residents lose access to federal food assistance.

Why it matters

San Diego's City Heights neighborhood has a large immigrant and refugee population, with one-third of residents being foreign-born. The loss of CalFresh benefits disproportionately impacts these vulnerable communities, making access to emergency food pantries like Feeding City Heights crucial for ensuring families can afford basic necessities.

The details

Medina Husen is one of the thousands of San Diegans who have lost or are at risk of losing their CalFresh benefits. She says the Feeding City Heights pantry helps her save about $200 per month on groceries, which she uses for gas to get to school. Javier Gomez, chief advising officer for the City Heights Community Development Corporation, says they have seen a significant increase in calls and demand for the pantry's services since the federal benefit cuts went into effect just a week ago.

  • The Feeding City Heights emergency food pantry launched in November 2025 during a government shutdown when many families lost access to SNAP or EBT benefits.
  • On April 1, 2026, the federal government implemented changes that have resulted in about 13,000 San Diego families losing or being at risk of losing their CalFresh benefits.

The players

Medina Husen

A San Diego resident who relies on the Feeding City Heights food pantry, which helps her save $200 per month on groceries.

Javier Gomez

The chief advising officer for the City Heights Community Development Corporation, which operates the Feeding City Heights emergency food pantry.

City Heights Community Development Corporation

A nonprofit organization that launched the Feeding City Heights emergency food pantry in November 2025 to support San Diego residents impacted by the loss of federal food assistance benefits.

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What they’re saying

“My favorite part of getting the food is getting the vegetables. I love them so much, I look forward to it.”

— Medina Husen

“It's a huge help. I'm pretty sure there are some residents who are older who I know, I've personally talked to, [who look] forward to every other Wednesday because they don't have the resources and most recently their benefits have been minimized or even cut down.”

— Medina Husen

“You feel safe, you feel like you have somebody that actually provides food for you in case you fall behind.”

— Medina Husen

“We have seen an uptick in calls, an uptick in folks reaching out for the program, and that's only been about a week, a week and a half, and so we are anticipating that the longer this goes on, that we will see a higher need.”

— Javier Gomez, Chief Advising Officer, City Heights Community Development Corporation

“At City Heights, we are one-third foreign-born population, our community is highly refugee, asylum seeker, immigrants.”

— Javier Gomez, Chief Advising Officer, City Heights Community Development Corporation

What’s next

San Diego's 211 service is available to help answer questions and help find food resources around the county. The City Heights Community Development Corporation also has a website with information about the Feeding City Heights pantry.

The takeaway

The loss of federal food assistance benefits is having a significant impact on vulnerable communities in San Diego, particularly immigrants and refugees in the City Heights neighborhood. The Feeding City Heights emergency food pantry is playing a crucial role in filling this gap and ensuring families can afford basic necessities like groceries.