Santa Clara County nonprofits band together to support vulnerable communities in face of severe federal cutbacks
SAN JOSE, CA, UNITED STATES, May 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Emergency Assistance Network (EAN), a network of safety net service providers throughout Santa Clara County, will hold a press conference on Wednesday, May 20th, to highlight the dire need for community support at a time of severe budget cutbacks and rising economic pressure. The EAN’s emphasis is on basic food and housing needs, with the aim of preventing both hunger and homelessness.
The network itself comprises seven organizations serving Santa Clara County: South County Community Services, Sacred Heart Community Service, The Salvation Army, Sunnyvale Community Services, Community Services Agency (CSA), LifeMoves, and West Valley Community Services. All are supported by United Way Bay Area.
Today, EAN is sounding the alarm, urging the community to work across sectors—public, private, nonprofit, individuals—to meet an urgent moment in food and housing assistance before it becomes a catastrophe.
EAN organizations work to ensure that every low-income resident in every zip code in Santa Clara County has access to basic safety net services to prevent homelessness and food insecurity, and to support recovery from emergencies. Their goal: to provide assistance before a crisis turns into a disaster.
Even today, families are struggling:
1 in 4 households struggle to meet their basic needs, such as housing, childcare, food, healthcare, and transportation in Santa Clara County
187,930 people are experiencing food insecurity
100,933 households spend 50% or more of their income on housing
But the situation is about to become much worse. A cascade of budget cutbacks, beginning with HR1, otherwise known as the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” will drive many families to the breaking point, as they lose access to healthcare, food assistance, and rental assistance. Tens of thousands in Santa Clara County will be severely affected, especially parents juggling multiple unstable or low-wage jobs, seniors on fixed incomes, and individuals with disabilities.
HR1’s stricter rules, limited access, and increased administrative burdens are intended to turn the safety net into a complex maze—one that becomes increasingly difficult to navigate, particularly for those already facing challenges. When access to essential support becomes more complicated, conditional, and punitive, the real consequences are evident, especially in our most vulnerable communities, including low-income families and individuals, immigrants, refugees, and communities of color.
Local efforts to staunch the economic bleeding, such as Measure A, offer only partial relief and cannot make up for the sheer size of the cumulative impact of budget cutbacks. When government funding dries up at the same time economic pressures mount, the result is predictable. Unfortunately EAN knows from experience: the worst is yet to come.
That is why it is asking the community for immediate help in emergency rental assistance and food support.
Specifically, EAN needs to backfill $900,000 in financial emergency assistance. These funds prevent eviction and homelessness.
EAN agencies will also need to buy more food and support more new families. $800,000 in support for food operations will help EAN meet the needs of our community.
Importantly, EAN is working to secure a $1 million matching grant for these donations.
Donations can be made either to individual organizations or to United Way.
QUOTES:
1. “Current data shows that 15,000 people in the West Valley region qualify for our services at West Valley Community Services. While we are reaching nearly half of them, the landscape is shifting very quickly. The HR 1 bill imposes federal cuts to Medi-Cal and CalFresh, which will take effect in 2026, putting more families and seniors in need of our services. West Valley Community Services and all the other EANs have built a bridge to keep these families from falling and created a safety net to protect them. Today, we are requesting corporations, foundations, and philanthropies to help us widen the bridge and strengthen the safety net to support those who are with us and those who will need us in the months to come.”
-Sujatha Venkatraman, Executive Director, West Valley Community Services
2. “In Santa Clara County, EAN agencies serve as the safety net of the safety net—the final line of support for families at risk of falling through the cracks.”
-Poncho Guevara, Executive Director, Sacred Heart Community Service
3. “Skyrocketing housing costs are just one factor pushing families to the edge, forcing impossible choices between rent, food, and basic stability. The Emergency Assistance agencies together are the safety net that prevents our neighbors from falling into homelessness.”
– Marie Bernard, Executive Director, Sunnyvale Community Services
4. “The funding cuts EAN agencies are facing directly impact families, one emergency away from losing stable housing. Recently, we at Community Services Agency (CSA) helped a teacher at a local elementary school who experienced a medical emergency in the summer months when he didn’t have his regular income. Paying just one month of rent kept this community member off the streets and safely in his home. Without this funding, hundreds of families in similar situations WILL become homeless in the near future.”
– Tom Myers, Executive Director, Community Services Agency of Mountain View, Los Altos & Los Altos Hills
5. “H.R. 1 funding cuts will have devastating consequences for many South County families already struggling with the high cost of housing, food, and daily living. Without a strong safety net, more hardworking families will face hunger, housing instability, and crisis.”
– Vicky Martin, Executive Director of South County Community Services
EVENT DETAILS:
What: Emergency Assistance Network Press Conference
Date: Wednesday, May 20th, 2026
Start time: 10:30 am
Location: Sunnyvale Community Services
1160 Kern Ave., Sunnyvale, 94085
Parking: 1102 Kern Ave, Sunnyvale
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