By Robert Haugh

It’s week six of the federal shutdown, and many families are squeezed. Santa Clara’s Tony & Alba’s is answering.

The longtime Santa Clara restaurant on Stevens Creek Boulevard is giving free meals to children whose families use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

There are no forms. They don’t ask questions. Tony & Alba’s just gives people who haven’t received SNAP payments a hot slice or pasta with fruit, carrots, and a drink. In less than a week, they’ve fed 150 kids.

The Mission City is rallying to help, too. Customers are buying bigger orders, dropping off grocery bags for parents, and, in some cases, slipping $100 bills to keep the effort going. That support is fueling the giveaway and stretching it further.

Vice Mayor Kelly Cox captured what this means for Santa Clara in her recent newsletter:

“Tony & Alba’s has been part of Santa Clara’s fabric for decades, serving up good food with even better hearts. Their decision to step up during this time reminds us that compassion is as essential to our city as innovation. We are a community that should look after one another, from City Hall to the corner pizzeria; businesses like this make Santa Clara proud and they are what makes Santa Clara home.”