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Open Heart Kitchen is celebrating being named Assembly District 16 Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan.
“Now more than ever, organizations like Open Heart Kitchen are not a backup plan; they are the plan,” said Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) of the Tri-Valley’s largest nonprofit nutrition provider.
“Recognizing them this year isn’t just about celebrating what they’ve built. It’s about elevating their critical work and proclaiming that the state of California stands behind them. I am honored to name them the Assembly District 16 Nonprofit of the Year,” she added.
The recognition was formally presented during the California Nonprofits Day celebration held May 20 in Sacramento, where OHK Executive Director John Bost and Operations Director Shawnda Bost attended on behalf of the organization, according to a statement from the nonprofit announcing the honor.
Also in attendance were representatives from Three Valleys Community Foundation which was also recognized as Nonprofit of the Year for Sen. Jerry McNerney’s State Senate District 5.
OHK was founded in 1995 as a small interfaith effort to address hunger in the Tri-Valley and has since grown into a full-scale food justice organization serving free meals daily across Pleasanton, Livermore and Dublin.
The Livermore-based organization has distributed more than eight million meals in the last three decades — and in 2025 alone, served just shy of one million meals.
In March 2025, OHK opened the Tri-Valley’s first-ever food bank: a 19,000-square-foot warehouse in Livermore capable of redistributing three million pounds of food annually to nine local partner pantries. The food bank distributed the equivalent of nearly 837,000 meals in its first year, according to OHK officials.
“We see every day how quickly families can find themselves struggling to afford food, housing, and other basic necessities,” said John Bost in the statement. “Being named Nonprofit of the Year is an incredible honor, but more importantly, it shines a light on the growing level of need in our community. Behind every meal we serve is a senior, a family, a neighbor doing their best to get through a difficult time with dignity and hope.”
Spotlighting the work of OHK comes at a critical time for nonprofits overall that have been impacted by federal cuts to SNAP benefits and the reduction in Community Project Funding support.
When the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, otherwise known as HR1, was signed into law, it enacted the largest cuts to SNAP in the program’s history, slashing roughly $187 billion over a decade and reducing benefits for an estimated four million people, according to a statement from Bauer-Kahan’s office.
In 2025, OHK lost an anticipated $850,000 in federal reimbursement when the nationwide Community Project Funding program allocated zero dollars for the fiscal year, leaving OHK to absorb the cost of its new food bank on its own. The organization enacted budget cuts, froze hiring and dipped into reserves to account for the loss.
Even in the face of these challenges, OHK has persevered — expanding services to ensure anyone facing hunger can access nutritious food with dignity.
“Our staff, board, volunteers, and supporters are profoundly grateful for Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan’s recognition and support of Open Heart Kitchen’s mission,” Bost said.
He continued, “More than a charity, Open Heart Kitchen represents essential community infrastructure and investment that affirms the importance of ensuring Tri-Valley neighbors can access nourishing food in ways that uphold dignity, strengthen community, and remind every person that they are valued and worthy of care. Together, we are building a community where no one is left behind and where compassion is put into action every single day.”
