Hunger in Sonoma County

According to the Redwood Empire Food Bank, one of every five people in Sonoma County is effected by hunger. Considering this statistic it is clear that many individuals and families are not getting the help they need. We can attribute the rise in hunger in Sonoma County to not the lack of resources, but instead the lack of utilization of these resources. Considering this, the question remains, how can we help the hungry if they are not utilizing the resources? We first have to consider that many public assistance programs are hard to access. Many food pantries require the individual to have a California ID or even proof of residency in the exact area. In addition, many feel stigmatized by receiving hunger assistance. Despite Sonoma County's efforts to reduce hunger, there are still many who remain hungry in our county.
Undocumented families are especially affected by hunger in Sonoma County. If no one in the family has legal status, they are unable to quality for any kind of public assistance. Because of this, it is not surprising that many remain hungry. By requiring legal documentation, public assistance including food stamps leaves out a large population, leading to increased hunger. The literature on hunger in Sonoma County indicated that residents are hungry due to the fact that federal and local assistance programs are underutilized. Although this may be true, we cannot ignore those who seek out help but cannot receive it.