Santa Clara County might be home to some of the largest tech companies and richest moguls in the world, but it’s not immune from hunger.
Like the other 57 counties in the state, Santa Clara County’s social safety net has been shredded, as food benefits hang by a thread. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is in whiplash mode with the federal government agreeing to partially fund it, President Donald Trump stepping in to defy a court ruling and then snapping back to make payments.
It has left more than 130,000 residents in panic mode over how to pay for groceries since the end of SNAP benefits last Saturday. The situation has county leaders scrambling to resolve a $25.5 million loss in monthly food aid.
Tech giants with hefty philanthropic programs have sat on the sidelines throughout this crisis when they could provide a temporary fix.
It could happen in a flash, if companies like Apple, Nvidia, Google’s parent company Alphabet and Facebook’s parent Meta Platforms stepped in. These corporations have market capitalizations in the trillions. Nvidia just broke through the market cap sound barrier with an evaluation of $5 trillion. Apple is sitting at about $4 trillion, Alphabet at $3.3 trillion and Meta’s is close to $2 trillion. Combined, the four companies have a total net worth of more than $14 trillion on any given day.
Yet, their silence is deafening, even though they preach giving back as part of the culture. It’s time to walk the talk on the local level and redirect those humanitarian efforts to the place where it all started. Where tech companies put down roots and prospered. It’s time to give back at home.
Yes, it’s noble to dish out millions of dollars to causes worldwide. But tech leaders need to roll up the blinds and look out the window at what’s happening in the local community. People are in crisis.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors recently announced they will provide an additional $4.5 million incrementally in the coming weeks to help feed thousands of people. But that’s only about 18% of the county’s normal allotment. The county is still about $20 million short.
In California, an individual can receive up to $298 and a family of four $994 in monthly food subsidies, according to county data. Those dollars don’t go far with food costs continuing to rise. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is whittling it down even further, which equates to more people lining up at food banks.
Ubiquitous Doordash — which isn’t even headquartered in the South Bay — is waving merchant fees and funding the delivery of approximately 1 million meals through its Project DASH food bank partners, according to its website.
Doordash’s market cap is $100 billion, nothing compared to the “Magnificent 7” — Alphabet, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. Five of which are headquartered in Silicon Valley.
The trillion-dollar club and other locals such as Adobe, Intel, Zoom and Netflix have yet to weigh in or offer any sort of lifeline.
These corporations could assist the county by adding to its $4.5 million to meet the $25.5 million need through November. The effort would enable residents to exhale for a minute until the government reopens and restores food aid.
And yes, it sounds like a huge ask — a $20 million contribution. But that’s 10 companies each donating $2 million — a fraction of what sits in the philanthropic branches of these corporations where millions in philanthropy have been doled out over the years.
The dollars are out there to tap down the hunger. It only requires compassion.
It’s time for tech companies and those with the power of the purse to reverse course. Come off the sidelines and help feed people who are going hungry locally and having to choose between paying bills and putting food on the table.
Moryt Milo is an editor at San José Spotlight. Contact Moryt at [email protected] or follow her at @morytmilo on X. Catch up on her editorials here.
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