Groups fighting hunger in California say untold suffering could be avoided if the policies championed at the latest White House conference are put into place.

The event was the first of its kind in 50 years, bringing together government agencies, nonprofits and private companies, with the goal of wiping out hunger in the U.S. by 2030.

Itzúl Gutierrez with the California Association of Food Banks said she was glad to hear President Joe Biden voice support for strategies to reduce poverty and thus, fight hunger.

"We were very excited to see raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and also expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, in addition to the Child Tax Credit," Gutierrez outlined. "And also investments in housing and rental assistance."

The conference also promoted ideas long championed by the California Hunger Action Coalition, including expanding free school meals to all kids, and allowing college students, recent immigrants, and formerly incarcerated people to participate in CalFresh.

Gutierrez pointed out she was disappointed the conference made little mention of food insecurity in undocumented families. Many of the proposals face significant Republican opposition in Congress, based on cost concerns.

Tracy Weatherby, vice president of strategy and advocacy for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, said 60% of its clients have less than $250 in savings, and the financial squeeze will get worse once the feds declare the public health emergency is over.

When it happens, she stressed, CalFresh benefits are slated to drop an average of 82-dollars a month per person.

"The White House strategy comes at a crucial time, as nearly all pandemic-era social safety net programs are ending, while food, gas, rent, and other prices are rising," Weatherby noted. "And that's really leaving families across the country struggling to cover their basic costs."

Todd Cunningham, organizer for food and wellness for the Los Angeles Community Action Network, said the pandemic proved when there's a will, there's a way.

"Not only did they do the school meals for all during the regular school year, but also when summer came around," Cunningham recounted. "They also came up with solutions for people who couldn't make it to school to pick them up. We've seen that we can actually come up with creative solutions, if we just put our minds to it and then, we have the will to do it."

Statistics show one in five households experiences food insecurity, with deeper disparities for Black and Latino communities.

San Diego may seem like a wealthy area, but the mountain communities in the eastern part of the county still struggle with hunger and poverty.

Now, a new $100,000 grant from Save the Children's Innovation Lab will fund the development of a program to mailboxes of shelf-stable food to low-income rural families, starting next year.

Anahid Brakke, president and CEO of the San Diego Hunger Coalition, said the program has been a big hit in other communities.

"The parents said, 'It's like Christmas.' The kids feel like it's Christmas, you know, they get this food box; you know, it's for them," Brakke explained. "It really helps supplement the whole household."

A team from the San Diego Hunger Coalition is at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, this week to learn best practices from other communities. The funds will also be used to train community health navigators who can help people sign up for programs like CalFresh and WIC.

Esther Liew with Save the Children says food boxes that arrive by mail provide rural communities greater access to nutritious food.

"There's little public transportation in rural communities, meaning that they then have limited access to grocery stores and places where they can get fresh and nutritious foods," Liew pointed out. "That makes it really difficult to provide the food that they need for their children and their family members."

Hunger Coalition data showed about 35% of children in the Mountain Empire region live in poverty, which is nearly triple the rate for the rest of San Diego County.

In a recent community food survey of local residents, almost three-quarters said they would run out of food at some point in the last 30 days and did not have the resources to buy more.

One North Carolina Housing Authority in Robeson County has plans to launch a mobile "pay-what-you-can" food bus loaded with fresh fruits, vegetables and other foods that will serve families lacking transportation. The pilot program is one of a handful across the country to receive a $100,000 dollar grant from Save the Children's Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab to tackle rural hunger.

Colton Allen Oxendine, resident services director with the City of Lumberton's Housing Authority, said many residents have to walk miles to the nearest grocery store because they have no transportation.

"So this bus is going to reach well over 3,000 to 5,000 people," he said. "The goal is to make this a success."

He said residents will be able to use debit, credit, food stamps and whatever cash they have on hand at the mobile bus, and added he expects the program to be up and running by August. According to data from UNC-Chapel Hill, more then 30% of kids living in Robeson County live in food-insecure homes.

Allen Oxendine said many housing authority residents persist largely on processed, unhealthy foods.

"A lot of them resort to the smaller stores like gas stations, Family Dollar, Dollar General. We all know they do not carry fresh fruit and vegetables," he said.

Esther Liew, Lead Associate for Food Security Projects with Save the Children, said solutions to stop child hunger must come from within rural communities.

"What we're hoping is that they will be able to develop ways of working that maybe look a little bit different from how these similar types of programs would work in urban settings, so that we can help them to develop solutions that are specifically for rural contexts," Liew said.

A recent survey by Save the Children and the Child Action Network found 77% of rural parents report being worried they might not be able to afford enough food to feed their family.

Mountaineer Food Bank is partnering with DoorDash to home-deliver groceries to Mercer County's neediest families. The pilot program is one of a handful across the country to receive a $100,000 dollar grant from Save the Children's Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab to tackle rural hunger.

One in six West Virginia kids struggles with an empty stomach every day, according to Feeding America.

Gabriela Schoolcraft, communications coordinator for Mountaineer Food Bank, explained most families in the state's rural counties do not have a vehicle or are limited by fuel costs. She added the program, which begins this year, will initially serve 200 families.

"We'll get the foods in Mercer County and DoorDash will meet us at a pickup location," Schoolcraft said. "And we'll deliver the food to families that need it within the county. "

Schoolcraft said the food bank worked with the Mercer County Board of Education to determine which families would benefit the most. She added DoorDash drivers will be paid for their deliveries, and called it a win-win to increase job security in the region while helping families.

Schoolcraft said the food boxes will be tailored to individuals' household circumstances, noting that many families lack the resources to cook meals from scratch.

"For example, some families only have a microwave," she said. "So if that's the case, we'll only provide foods that are microwave centered, but they'll also receive fresh produce and proteins and dairies."

Esther Liew, the Lead Associate for Food Security Projects with Save the Children, said solutions to stop child hunger must come from within rural communities.

"What we're hoping is that they will be able to develop ways of working that maybe look a little bit different from how these similar types of programs would work in urban settings, Liew said. "So that we can help them to develop solutions that are specifically for rural contexts."

A recent survey by Save the Children and the Child Action Network found 77% of rural parents say they are worried they might not be able to afford enough food to feed their family.