As a result of the federal government shutdown, millions across the country are facing food insecurity.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has deployed the National Guard to assist food banks across the state, providing security to those in need.
With millions of Americans losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the National Guard aims to provide food for the community.
“We are here to assist during this time in our communities because, after all, the emergency going on right now is resources, and people are going hungry,” said Capt. Gabriela Glavis of the California National Guard.
Some food banks, due to their size or other factors, are unable to utilize the assistance of the National Guard.
Different organizations utilize the National Guard in various ways, depending on their specific needs and requirements.
“Right now, we are using them behind the scenes to package food and prepare food so we can get more food out into the community later,” said David May, senior director of marketing for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
Currently, 5.5 million Californians are at risk of losing a cumulative $1.1 billion in SNAP benefits, also known as food assistance, according to the California State Portal. This leaves many more mouths to be fed through food pantries supplied by food banks such as the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
“There are about a million households in L.A. County, which represent about 1.5 million people. Since those people are experiencing a gap in their benefits, more people will need to access food assistance through organizations like ours. That’s why Gavin Newsom deployed them — to help with that anticipated surge in the need for food assistance in the community,” May said.
With the aid of the National Guard, food banks are now able to provide food at a significantly more efficient rate.
“To date, we’ve managed to put together 18,266 meals,” Glavis said.
However, with the Trump administration increasingly utilizing the National Guard in immigration enforcement, some individuals who require food assistance may be deterred by the presence of the National Guard, according to the Mercury News.
In June 2025, the Trump administration deployed 4,100 National Guard members to quell the L.A. protests, with some still scared by the National Guard, according to the American Immigration Council.
However, members of the Guard, such as Glavis, remain determined to assist others in their time of need.
“We’re ultimately here to serve our communities and in our home state first. After all, we are also members of the community. People shouldn’t really be deterred just because they see the uniform. We really hope people who need the assistance come out and get the assistance and are not afraid that we are the ones putting together the kits,” Glavis said.
Amid recent political tensions between immigrants and other lower-income individuals against government agencies, Glavis intends to give back to the community and mend the bridges burned by political alienation.
“I myself come from immigrant parents. Over these last couple of days, they’ve been really proud of what we’ve been doing and impressed by the impact we’ve been making so far. Helping others when it’s needed is, after all, what humanity is all about. I really hope people see past the uniform during this time and receive the assistance if they really do need it,” Glavis said.
The National Guard intends to remain involved in its humanitarian efforts as long as it is needed and as long as Newsom has it deployed.
