Hunger Advocacy
ISAIAH 58:10
“If you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Current Hunger Advocate
Rev. Ryan Althaus
Our Calling
Rev. Ryan Althaus serves as the Presbytery of San José’s Hunger Advocate. An ordained minister, Ryan also serves as Minister of Interfaith Relations for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz, and is the founder of Urban Works, where he serves as Creative Director and Board Member.
As Hunger Advocate, Ryan connects congregations with timely resources, volunteer opportunities, and hunger ministry partners across the South Bay.
A Place at the Table
Read the Hunger Advocate’s regular digest column, A Place at the Table, for reflections on hunger, justice, and community across our presbytery, or visit Ryan’s own hunger blog for additional stories and resources.
Recent Reflections
Soil & Roots: Finding Our Foundation
Shared by Ryan from Rev. Brian Fisher of Soil & Roots, this reflection on Genesis 1 explores creation care as part of following Jesus.
Little Flowers in God’s Garden
Drawing on Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and her image of a “garden of souls,” Ryan’s meditation on gardening invites us to set down the pressure to always do big things and notice that God is just as present in the little flowers. Read it, along with more of Ryan’s reflections, on his hunger blog.
Current Hunger-Related Happenings
- Sonrise Outreach, a ministry of Westview Presbyterian Church, serves breakfast five days a week at Plaza Park in Watsonville and has opened Hope Village, a tiny-home community on the church’s campus. Presbytery members have volunteered at Second Harvest and toured Hope Village — Pastor Dan Hoffman would love to host your church too. To volunteer, call Westview at (831) 724-6222, or reach out to Ryan at ryan@sanjosepby.org.
- The presbytery has also been building a relationship with Miracle Messages, an organization addressing the relational hunger of the unhoused through companionship and encouragement — because community and dignity matter just as much as food and shelter. If you’d like to learn more, or have the team speak at your congregation, let Ryan know.
Resource Guide
Click each section below to explore partner organizations and ways to get involved.
Grant Opportunities
Charis Fund Grant (next cycle: Spring 2027)
Best fit: Congregational mission teams, hunger ministries, housing and homelessness outreach, youth programs, mental health support, domestic violence prevention, substance abuse recovery, and related social-service ministries.
Charis Fund supports small-to-medium nonprofit social service organizations in California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. Grants range from $2,500–$7,500, with priority currently given to organizations with annual budgets under $10 million. Charis Fund runs two funding cycles per year, and application windows are brief. The Spring 2027 cycle is expected to open in mid-January 2027; specific dates will be posted on their website. Applicants submit basic agency information plus a one-page executive summary; selected groups are later invited to submit a fuller proposal.
James Joseph Ford Foundation Grant (annual window: July 15–September 15)
Best fit: Ministries and nonprofit partners serving underserved youth, especially programs connected to education, mentoring, social support, community service, hunger-related outreach, or peace and justice work.
The James Joseph Ford Foundation supports youth-centered services and organizations that help underprivileged youth thrive. Applications are accepted each year between July 15 and September 15, with funding decisions made by December 31. The average grant size has historically been about $2,500, and funding may support anything from capital expenses to direct services or support systems. There is no geographic restriction within the U.S.
Note: Grant cycles and eligibility can change. Please confirm current dates and guidelines directly with each foundation before applying.
Additional Partner Organizations
Association of Faith Communities (Santa Cruz)
An interfaith coalition of nearly 40 faith communities providing shelter, safe parking, mobile showers, and sock distribution for people experiencing homelessness across Santa Cruz County. Visit their website for volunteer and partnership information.
Tiny Pantry (Little Free Pantry Movement)
Small, weatherproof take-what-you-need, give-what-you-can pantry boxes placed in neighborhoods, offering free food and everyday essentials to anyone, no questions asked. Their website includes a map of existing pantries and a guide for starting your own.
Homeless Garden Project (Santa Cruz)
A nonprofit offering job training and transitional employment to people experiencing homelessness through an organic urban farm, CSA, and retail shops in Santa Cruz. Volunteer opportunities and CSA sign-up are available on their website.
Common Roots Farm (Santa Cruz)
An inclusive urban farm where people with disabilities gain job skills growing organic produce and flowers; also recognized as a national PC(USA) Hunger Site. Farm tours and seasonal CSA sign-up are available through their website.
Get Involved
To share a resource or learn about upcoming opportunities, please reach out to ryan@sanjosepby.org.