30,000 Sacramento Neighbors: Why Food Insecurity Is Growing and What River City Food Bank Is Doing About It

Every month, 30,000 Sacramento residents walk through the doors of River City Food Bank. Some are college students working part-time jobs. Others are seniors who spent decades in the workforce and never imagined needing assistance. Many are working families where two incomes still don’t stretch far enough. The common thread: inflation and rising costs have outpaced their paychecks, leaving them with impossible choices between rent, utilities, and groceries.

What makes River City Food Bank stand out is their commitment to removing shame from the process. There’s no income verification, no required identification. Executive Director Amanda McCarthy describes it as a judgment-free space where neighbors are welcomed with dignity and compassion. But their work goes deeper than just distribution. The organization aims to make at least half of all food distributed consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, recognizing that access to real nutrition changes lives. When people have healthy food, they can stay employed, maintain stable housing, and take care of their families better.

Operating across two distribution sites four days a week, River City has been serving Sacramento for nearly 60 years. The exponential growth in demand this year isn’t a reflection of community failure—it’s evidence of a systemic economic challenge. If you or someone you know is facing food insecurity, River City Food Bank welcomes you. Have you noticed changes in how your family budgets for groceries and essentials over the past year?