Our goal is to ensure people can meet their basic needs—like food, housing, and health care—especially during times of hardship. These programs are not acts of charity but essential tools that reduce poverty, promote stability, and enable families to contribute fully to their communities. When everyone has the support needed to live with dignity, society as a whole becomes stronger, healthier, and more equitable.

We advocate for strong, equitable, and accountable public benefit systems that ensure no one is left behind and that every person has the means to live with dignity and opportunity through—

Expanding access to essential supports that prevent and reduce poverty by:

• Ensuring that every eligible individual can access food and income assistance without barriers or stigma.
• Strengthening programs like CalWORKs and CalFresh, so they effectively meet the rising costs of living and address the root causes of economic hardship.
• Removing administrative and punitive barriers that keep people trapped in poverty and ensuring benefits reach families quickly and fairly.

Preserving and improving the safety net as a foundation for economic mobility by:

• Advocating for sustained investments in programs that provide not just temporary relief but pathways to stability and independence.
• Ensuring benefits systems work in coordination—so that families are supported holistically with housing, healthcare, nutrition, and income security.
• Protecting Californians from cycles of debt, hunger, and homelessness through policies that prioritize prevention over punishment.

Building a more equitable future by:

• Advancing policies that directly tackle poverty and dismantle the systemic racism that perpetuates economic inequality.
• Centering human dignity, stability, and inclusion in all public benefits programs.
• Recognizing that when we reduce poverty and strengthen the safety net, we build stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities for everyone.