Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) announced anti-hunger advocate and Walnut Creek resident, Caitlin Sly, as his guest to the State of the Union on February 24, 2026. As the President and CEO of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Ms. Sly is at the helm of an operation that provides 2.7 million meals per month as part of its mission to end hunger both by serving residents in our local communities and by advocating for public policy to address food insecurity on a systemic level. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, like food banks around the country, will see increased demand from the nearly $187 billion cuts to CalFresh/SNAP included in Republicans' Big Ugly Bill signed into law by President Trump last year.

"With more than 5.4 million people in California, including 2 million children, relying on CalFresh, I am honored to have Ms. Sly join me to put a human face to hunger and to call attention to the cruelty of this Administration and the urgent need for action at the federal level to fight food insecurity," said Congressman DeSaulnier.

"I am honored to attend the State of the Union at the invitation of Congressman DeSaulnier and to help elevate the voices of millions of Americans who face food insecurity every day," said Caitlin Sly, President and CEO of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. "Hunger affects every state in this country, and federal nutrition programs like SNAP are essential to the health and well-being of our community. The cuts to SNAP and Medicaid represent an attack on the most vulnerable people we serve - seniors, children, working families, veterans, and people with disabilities. Protecting these programs should be beyond partisan politics."

The Congressman and Ms. Sly will be available to press prior to the event. Media interested in conducting an interview should contact Mairead Glowacki at [email protected] or (202) 760-1365.