In lower than per week, Tony & Alba’s Pizza and Pasta served meals to 150 youngsters whose federal meals stamps are being minimize. Monster Pho in Oakland has served a minimum of 130 to-go baggage of soup. Al Pastor Papi, a taqueria in San Francisco’s Union Sq., handed out so many free burritos in a day the proprietor can’t sustain.
Together with the overwhelming demand from dad and mom to feed their youngsters as the federal government shutdown enters its sixth week, one other attention-grabbing phenomenon is going on:
Paying prospects are lining as much as assist the restaurant house owners, buying further massive orders, donating baggage of groceries to present to folks and in some instances, handing over $100 payments to assist the trigger.
Rhyis McMack, 9, provides a thank-you hug to Monster Pho proprietor Tee Tran after receiving a free pho from him, as his mom, Lileiti Grew, holds it at Monster Pho in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. Additionally, the mom and her youngster bought free baggage of meals provides donated by prospects on the restaurant, which presents free beef, rooster, or vegetable pho to youngsters 12 and underneath who obtain SNAP advantages. Kids are additionally signed up for the restaurant’s upcoming Christmas toy drive. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
“It breaks my heart to think about these kids going hungry,” stated Anna Tran, 45, who drove from Milpitas to San Jose to order further pizzas from Tony & Alba’s, one of many first Bay Space eating places to announce a giveaway program. “Our families that are working hard, they shouldn’t have to pay the price of what’s going on with our government right now.”
So many donations in money and meals have flooded into Tony & Alba’s, an Italian restaurant throughout from upscale Santana Row, that house owners Al and Diana Vallorz are beginning to share a few of their sudden bounty with different restaurateurs to assist them prolong their free meals by November. They’ve additionally discounted meals for fogeys.
On his Instagram web page this week, Al Vallorz posted a problem for different Italian eating places, delis and pizzerias — together with the “white tablecloth” eating places of Santana Row — to supply free meals to youngsters whose dad and mom current their SNAP debit playing cards. He was impressed, he stated, by a taco truck proprietor difficult his fellow Mexican eating places to do the identical.
“I know it’s a tough time, but people are coming in and really need some help,” he stated, videotaping a selfie within the parking zone outdoors the restaurant that he and his spouse bought in 2010 from her dad and mom, Tony and Alba Salciccia. “Let’s do it. Have a slice day!”
Some 5.5 million Californians — about 13% — depend on the federal Supplemental Diet Help Program (SNAP) referred to as Cal-Contemporary within the Golden State. Nationally, 42 million People — or about 12% — depend on SNAP. That’s about 1 in 8 People who depend on the federal government program that pays a median month-to-month advantage of $187 per particular person.
Due to the congressional deadlock that led to the shutdown, the advantages have been set to cease this week. After a federal decide’s ruling, nonetheless, the Trump Administration is being compelled to make use of an emergency fund to partially fund this system. Which means most advantages are anticipated to be minimize in half — to a median of $3 a day per particular person.
Within the Bay Space, the place rents are so excessive that decrease revenue individuals have little left for groceries, dad and mom are scrambling to make up the distinction. In Santa Clara County, roughly 133,000 individuals — additionally about 1 in 8 residents — depend on SNAP. Within the southern California counties of Tulare and Imperial, about 1 in 4 residents use SNAP.
In Alameda County, the place greater than 175,000 individuals, or 15% of the inhabitants makes use of SNAP, Tee Tran of Monster Pho is serving free to-go baggage of pho for kids. As a refugee together with his household from Vietnam in 1989, his dad and mom and two brothers all relied on authorities help to get by in these early years. He was impressed, he stated, by Tony & Alba’s social media submit to feed the kids.
“We’re not a big restaurant, and I’m telling you, honestly, since the beginning of the year, we’ve lost about 30% of business,” Tran, 41, stated. “But it makes me feel good to be able to give back to these families and to these kids.”
Sabrina Coleman, a longtime buyer, proper, palms over baggage of donated meals provides to Lileiti Grew, left, and her son, Rhyis McMack, 9, at Monster Pho in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. Monster Pho proprietor Tee Tran presents free beef, rooster, or vegetable pho to youngsters 12 and underneath who obtain SNAP advantages. Children are additionally signed up for the restaurant’s upcoming Christmas toy drive. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Quite a few prospects have introduced in baggage of groceries that he palms out to SNAP moms. Sabrina Coleman introduced in 5 baggage of dry items on Wednesday. And plenty of extra have additionally supplied him money donations, however he’s turned these down.
As an alternative, “I always encourage customers, if you really want to help us to continue doing this, either come in and eat and dine with us, or order to go,” Tran stated. “When you do that, it helps me keep my doors open.”
Anna Beliel, who stays house along with her two autistic youngsters whereas her husband works as a cashier, introduced her 8-year-old daughter, Marcy Smith, on Wednesday. She choked up when she talked about Tran, who handed her the pho.
Monster Pho proprietor Tee Tran, left, palms a bag of meals provides to Anna Beliel, together with a free pho for her daughter, Marcy Smith, 8, at Monster Pho in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. The restaurant presents free beef, rooster, or vegetable pho to youngsters 12 and underneath who obtain SNAP advantages. Kids are additionally signed up for the restaurant’s upcoming Christmas toy drive. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
“He shook my hand. He gave me a hug. It was the best experience I’ve had in all of Oakland, hands down,” Beliel stated.
In San Jose, Amber Rivera was equally grateful. The one mom, who just lately earned her educating credential however has been out of labor since she was injured in a automotive accident, stated a pal advised her about Tony & Alba’s.
“Honestly, I cried because I just thought, how amazing is that, that the community is stepping up in this time of need?” Rivera stated.
She’s been going by “every little penny” to chop corners, she stated. She defined to her daughter that “it might be just peanut butter and jellies for a while.”
To Al and Diana (pronounced Dee-awna) Vallorz, they’re merely dwelling their religion.
“Mother Teresa said ‘you don’t have to do great things, you just need to do little things with great love,’” Al stated, paraphrasing the well-known Catholic nun from Calcutta. “So I’m doing little things.”
Others have been doing small issues that add up. Sysco, the multinational meals company, donated sacks of flour to Tony & Alba’s. C’est Si Bon, a south San Jose bakery, donated chocolate chip cookies handy out with the pizza slices and bowls of pasta.
Al Vallorz, co-owner of Tony & Alba’s Pizza and Pasta, palms a free meal to a mom, who didn’t need to be recognized, for her 3-year-old son, in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. They’re making a gift of free meals to youngsters and discounting meals for his or her dad and mom as a result of federal authorities shutdown which is affecting the Supplemental Diet Help Program (SNAP). (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
In San Francisco, the demand for burritos was so excessive that Al Pastor Papi’s introduced on social media it must impose a 100-burrito-a-day cutoff. Vallorz stated he plans to write down the proprietor a test to assist.
The phrase is simply getting out at Livermore’s Mornings on First, which is providing free breakfasts to youngsters on SNAP. Though solely about 10 households had taken benefit of the provide by Wednesday morning, 13 patrons had added an additional $22 on to their payments to “pay it forward” and assist defray the expense of the free meals.
“I have never seen anything like this,” stated server Megan Masters. “It’s really nice to be able to do something like this for the town.”
For the house owners of Tony & Alba’s and Monster Pho, their mission is bittersweet.
“When you see the kids, it makes you feel good,” Al Vallorz stated. “Then when they leave, you’re wondering if they’re gonna get a meal tomorrow.”
