The nearest grocery store is about 20 miles away in neighboring Kern County, making fresh food nearly unreachable for residents without transportation. Instead, fresh fruits and vegetables are available only through monthly food distributions organized by Inland Empire Health Plan. This monthly distribution in Trona is part of IEHP’s initiative to combat food insecurity throughout the region. With nearly two dozen distributions across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, IEHP aims to ensure nutritious food reaches the areas with the highest need.

“Wherever I go in the Inland Empire, food access is often the top issue facing communities,” said Cesar Armendariz, senior director of Community Health at IEHP. “The need grew during the pandemic and rising grocery prices have made healthy food unaffordable for many working residents.”

Trona is not alone; food insecurity affects both rural and urban communities across the Inland Empire. San Bernardino County data indicates that nearly 11% of residents in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area experience food insecurity — defined as not having access to enough food for a healthy lifestyle. Alarmingly, one in six children in San Bernardino County faces hunger, while one in seven in Riverside County.

Food insecurity stems not only from limited financial resources and food affordRiverside ability but also from limited access to healthy options, particularly in designated food deserts. These areas, often found in low-income neighborhoods, have a high concentration of liquor stores, convenience stores and fast-food restaurants that primarily offer ultra-processed foods.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a food desert as a region where at least 33% of residents live more than one mile from a grocery store in urban areas or more than 10 miles in rural settings.

Research makes clear the connection between food insecurity and poor health outcomes. Individuals deprived of healthy, nutrient-rich options face heightened risks of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. For children, inadequate access to nutritious foods can hamper educational performance and success, extending the impact of food deserts beyond individual physical health to overall community well-being.

Many working families are often forced to make difficult choices between essentials like food, housing and health care, perpetuating health disparities in the region. Amid these challenges, community-based organizations work to improve food access. Alongside IEHP, local nonprofits are dedicated to feeding families and also to providing resources and tools to establish healthier eating habits.

FIND Food Bank, part of the Feeding America network, distributes more than 20 million pounds of food each year through more than a hundred local food pantries and mobile markets throughout the Coachella Valley.

“FIND Food Bank is addressing food insecurity across the Coachella Valley with targeted, community-driven solutions that meet people where they are,” said Lorena Marroquin, vice president of Community Impact at FIND Food Bank. “We serve over 125,000 people monthly across a vast 6,000-square-mile region, including many rural and remote communities where traditional food access is limited.”

Their neighboring sister food bank, Feeding America Riverside and San Bernardino, addresses the broad food needs in the two counties. Operating under five focus pillars, Feeding America Riverside and San Bernardino hosts 12 hunger relief programs that cater to various demographics, including veterans, seniors and school-aged children.

Both organizations, however, along with many others in the social services sector, are concerned about the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program included in the signed budget reconciliation bill, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” SNAP, once referred to as food stamps, is critical to California’s CalFresh program, which helps more than 2.6 million households statewide.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that this legislation could reduce federal SNAP funding by $186 billion by 2034 — around 20% — the largest cut in the program’s history. The reductions stem from work requirements and shifting costs from the federal government to states, along with the elimination of SNAP-ED, which offers free health education to SNAP participants.

For many low-income working families, SNAP is their first line of defense against hunger. When SNAP benefits are reduced, people turn to food banks, said Feeding America Riverside and San Bernardino CEO Carolyn Fajardo, who is concerned about the shift in federal policy and the effects it will have in the region.

“These programs are lifelines for millions of individuals and families. Any reductions would make it significantly harder for people to access the support they need,” Fajardo said. “As a result, food banks like ours will face even greater demand, all while operating with fewer resources.”

As we work to build a strong, healthy future for the Inland Empire region, ensuring all residents have access to affordable, nutritious food is essential. Whether in Trona, San Bernardino, Indio, or Moreno Valley, food is a central ingredient for healthy families and healthy communities.

If you’re interested in finding ways to support those facing food insecurity, we encourage you to visit feedingamericaie.org or findfoodbank.org.

IEHP Foundation provides resources and support to strengthen the local leaders and nonprofit organizations that make Inland Empire families healthier. Because when everyone in the Inland Empire lives a full and vibrant life, our region thrives. Learn more about IEHP Foundation at iehpfoundation.org

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These aren’t just numbers — they’re people. Kristen, a young woman in my district, lives with a genetic disorder that causes developmental, learning, and cardiovascular issues. Every four months, she travels from the Inland Empire to San Diego for vital testing, care made possible by Medi-Cal. She works hard, dreams of owning a bakery, and fights to stay healthy. This bill threatens her care and her dream.

Trump and Republicans call it “One Big Beautiful Bill,” but let’s be clear: it’s one big betrayal. The bill cuts healthcare coverage, slashes food assistance, and raises costs, choosing instead to fund extravagant trips for the super-rich on private jets and yachts.

This isn’t just a budget bill, it’s a statement of Republican values that puts billionaires over our families, a calculated effort to take from the many and give to the few. Nearly 16 million Americans will lose healthcare. Three million will lose food assistance. In the Inland Empire, cuts mean longer emergency room wait times, getting turned away from a shortage of hospital beds, and fewer doctors and nurses.

Republicans voted to slash over $1.2 trillion from healthcare— $700 billion from Medicaid (known as Medi-Cal to Californians) and $500 billion from Medicare — breaking promises to protect seniors, children, and people with disabilities. Our state has 15 million on Medi-Cal, and more than half are children. Medi-Cal also covers 2.7 million here in the Inland Empire and 1 in 5 working Californians. These cuts don’t just hurt the most vulnerable — they put hard-working Californians’ health in jeopardy.

For those relying on Covered California, Republicans voted to raise premiums by ending an Affordable Care Act tax credit. A family of four making $126,000 could see costs nearly double from $10,710 to $19,643.

Republicans didn’t stop there; they’re cutting funding that helps families put food on the table. While families are struggling, Republicans are slashing $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that helps low-income families buy groceries. Nearly 90 percent of SNAP participants are in households with either a child, a senior, or a person with a disability. In my district, over 112,000 people rely on these benefits. The average benefit is just $6 a day; no Member of Congress, regardless of party, should support taking that away.

Republicans claim they are helping the economy, but you can’t have a healthy economy without healthy people. These cuts are all to improve the quality of life for billionaires. People earning $4 million a year get $400,000 richer, while families earning less than $50,000 will pay more for healthcare and basic needs.

In the wealthiest country in the world, no one should go hungry or lose healthcare so the rich can get more handouts.

This is not what California stands for. In the Inland Empire, we take care of each other. Families, healthcare workers, business owners, unions, food banks, disability advocates, and faith leaders are standing up. I urge you to keep pushing my Republican colleagues. There are so many stories like Kristen’s — so many families who will suffer.

To my nine California Republican colleagues: Why didn’t you stand up for your own constituents? Just one vote was needed.

When this bill returns from the Senate to the House for a final vote, you’ll have one more chance to do right by the families you represent. I hope you’ll put people over politics. If you don’t, the constituents you’ve abandoned will remember.

Norma J. Torres represents California’s 35th congressional district.

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