Newsom deploys National Guard to food banks during shutdown
October 22, 2025
Gov. Gavin Newsom
By KAREN VELIE
Governor Gavin Newsom today announced plans to deploy the California National Guard and California Volunteers to support food banks as the federal government shutdown delays food benefits for 5.5 million Californians.
In addition to the California National Guard, Newsom is fast-tracking up to $80 million ahead of funding delays triggered by the shutdown. The deployment mirrors the governor’s action in March 2020, where the California National Guard supported food banks during the pandemic.
At that time, California created an urgent force overseeing the deployment of the California National Guard, the California Service Corps, and tens of thousands of volunteers to support food bank operations during the pandemic, serving more than 800 million meals.
The California National Guard will not be acting as law enforcement, according to Newsom’s press release.
“Trump’s failure isn’t abstract – it’s literally taking food out of people’s mouths,” Newsom said. “This is serious, this is urgent – and requires immediate action. Millions of Americans rely on food benefits to feed their families, and while Republicans in Washington drag their feet, California is stepping up once again to fill in the gaps.”
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