Open Heart Kitchen Named Nonprofit of the Year

Open Heart Kitchen, the Tri-Valley's largest nonprofit nutrition provider, has been named the Assembly District 16 Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. - Founded in 1995 as a small interfaith effort, it has grown into a full-scale food justice organization serving free meals daily across Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dublin.

- Over three decades, it has distributed more than 8 million meals, including nearly 1 million in 2025 alone. - In March 2025, it opened the Tri-Valley's first food bank, a 19,000-square-foot warehouse in Livermore.

- The recognition comes amid federal SNAP cuts and a lost $850,000 in federal reimbursement during the 2024 government shutdown. The award highlights the organization's critical role as a lifeline for the community, with Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan stating that such organizations are now "the plan" rather than a backup.