Sierra Health Foundation will match donations up to $200,000, and the local United Way will match donations up to $100,000. Designed by Freepik, www.freepik.com

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - As local food banks’ resources are stretched thin to serve record numbers of people experiencing food insecurity, Sierra Health Foundation and United Way California Capital Region are launching the Match for Meals campaign.

All donations made through Match for Meals until Jan. 31, 2026, will be matched up to $300,000 by the two organizations to benefit Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, Interfaith Food Bank of Amador County, El Dorado County Food Bank, Feeding the Foothills in Placer County and Yolo Food Bank. To donate, visit www.MatchForMeals.org or text Match4Meals to 41444. 

Sierra Health Foundation will match donations up to $200,000, and the local United Way will match donations up to $100,000.

The announcement was made recently at a press conference at Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, which supports more than 110 local agencies, including food pantries, community meal sites, senior centers, schools and nonprofits.

On average, nearly 320,000 people rely on Sacramento Food Bank’s 200 distribution sites each month. In October, the food bank broke a 49-year record, serving more than 372,000 people.

Across the state in 2024, food banks distributed more than 950 million pounds of food and served more than 6 million people per month, according to the California Association of Food Banks. Currently one in five Californians – almost 9 million – experience food insecurity. 

“When one in five Californians is struggling to put food on the table, we are reminded that hunger isn’t just a statistic, it’s a reality for our neighbors, our friends and our families,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region.

Sierra Health Foundation is a private philanthropy investing in and serving as a catalyst for ideas, partnerships and programs that improve health and quality of life in Northern California and the San Joaquin Valley. Learn more: www.sierrahealth.org. 

United Way California Capital Region has been a driving force across the region for more than 100 years, listening, responding and taking comprehensive action to meet local needs. From advancing youth opportunities to strengthening local communities and investing in families’ financial security and health, United Way mobilizes communities to build a future where everyone can reach their full potential.

Working across Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties, the local United Way provides books and literacy tutoring, addresses housing and food security, leads the region’s largest tax preparation initiative, works with foster youth across school districts, launched the region’s first guaranteed income program and leads the Community Schools initiative in West Sacramento. Learn more: www.YourLocalUnitedWay.org.