ShipRelyEx: Reliable Shipping Solutions for Your Business Needs
Statistics from the US Department of Transportation show more than 700,000 registered motor carriers are traversing our highways and roads. These trucks, which can be packed with everything from bricks and stone to dog food and grocery items, keep thousands of American businesses afloat. For business owners shipping these products across the country, precise planning and high-level tracking are required. But with increasing rates and a wide range of delays to overcome, overseeing a shipment of LTL freight is easier said than done.
For overworked business owners, managing multiple shipments can seem impossible in today's freight landscape. But the reality is that many businesses rely on less-than-truckload shipments to keep their doors open. When these shipments are compromised, their business is too. But there's a viable solution: LTL freight brokers Near Me San Jose, CA like RelyEx provide reliable solutions to common LTL shipment problems, eliminating the stress and worry of LTL shipping.
With more than 30 combined years of LTL experience and a solutions-oriented team, RelyEx is your go-to choice for streamlined, efficient LTL shipping services. To understand the true value of RelyEx's less-than-truckload shipping options, it helps to understand first what LTL shipping is and why it's used.
In the freight industry, LTL stands for "less-than-truckload." It is a widely-used method of transportation for smaller shipments that don't require the space of a full truckload. In an LTL shipment, several customers' loads are placed onto one truck, which helps reduce how much it costs to ship those products.
In fact, if your freight doesn't fill an entire trailer but weighs 150-15,000 lbs., LTL freight shipping Near Me San Jose, CA, may be the most efficient, cost-conscious way to transport your products. That's because, in an LTL setup, you're only paying for the space your freight takes up. LTL shipping companies like RelyEx optimize LTL loads by choosing the most efficient routes at the best rates so your cargo gets to where it needs to go without any issues.
Business owners often choose LTL freight services in the following circumstances:
When it comes to LTL delivery options, there are a lot to choose from. But not every LTL broker is created equally. Some LTL companies do not have the tools or technology to track your shipments and optimize your routes. In worst-case scenarios, they may not be insured or reliable. If you're looking for an experienced LTL carrier that exceeds expectations with time-tested strategies and innovative technologies, look no further than RelyEx.
With more than two decades of experience in LTL operations, our team utilizes the power of GlobalTranz to compare rates across hundreds of approved carriers in the blink of an eye, while also providing the most cost-effective options for moving your freight. When you choose RelyEx for LTL shipping, you can leverage our expert team to handle your shipments. You can also manage the process yourself via GTZShip, which is Globaltranz's user-friendly management system. With GTZShip, you can access and compare LTL shipping rates, track your shipments, and manage your financials, all from one intuitive platform.
When it comes to LTL freight Near Me San Jose, CA, clients trust their products with RelyEx for many reasons, including the following:
Because GTZShip keeps outsized freight available, it can negotiate the best LTL rates on your behalf. Our clients can access these extra-low rates in one of two ways:
Regardless of the option you choose, RelyEx's knowledgeable customer care reps will cover all of your LTL shipping options, so you can make an informed shipping and purchasing decision for your freight.
Yes, you read that right - in addition to giving you access to industry-leading rates, RelyEx's partnership with GTZShip gives you full management of your freight. We're talking about access to reporting, tracking, and much more. This extensive visibility is essentially a one-stop shop for everything related to the status of your freight.
Unlike some LTL shipping software, this system requires no contracts or signup fees, making it simple to provide quotes and book immediately when you're ready. Whether you use GTZShip directly or rely on our team to book your freight, your company will always have access to this free technology.
While it's true that RelyEx provides customers with the best rates and technology in the LTL industry, we go above and beyond the normal call of duty. Why? Because we strive to treat your shipment as if it's our most important one. Put simply, we put a lot of time and effort into making sure we do things right the first time around. Our fierce commitment to the customer and to quality protects not only your reputation, but your bottom line by preventing lost customers and sales.
RelyEx excels at LTL shipping because we are:
From dedicated LTL solutions to transactional relationships, RelyEx is here to help. Unlike other LTL companies, we get the job done right with customer-focused service, industry expertise, and Globaltranz's industry-leading Transportation Management System.
Our dedicated team of LTL specialists provides you with the best freight visibility available, whether you need a few shipments a week or you need hundreds. In order to do so, we communicate with carriers throughout the entire shipping process, so you know your items are delivered on time. Though rare, if we spot an issue, we'll provide you with an alternative solution immediately.
Plus, if you have large quantities that need to be shipped, our team is happy to provide you with customized reporting for free. That way, you can access at-the-moment updates and important shipment documentation with a few clicks or taps.
When your freight is too light for full truckloads but too heavy for basic parcel carriers like UPS, LTL shipping is a great option to consider. When you use an LTL shipping company like RelyEx, you get even more value. We've been over some of the basics associated with LTL freight shipping - now let's touch on some of the biggest benefits of using a company to handle logistics from start to finish.
One of the most common reasons clients use LTL services is because they're able to save money. LTL shipping is much less expensive than the alternative, which is to hire a private driver and truck. When you go in on LTL services with other shippers, you can have your products delivered at a fraction of the cost of going private. In this setup, you pay for space you use, not the space you don't use, which is common in full truckload freight shipping.
As an added benefit, relying on an LTL freight company like RelyEx can lower your warehouse costs since more shipments can be sent at a time. That means you don't have to wait weeks or even months for a trailer to fill up.
When you use a parcel carrier like FedEx, you can only ship up to 150 pounds at a time. That means you'd have to break down your shipment into separate boxes in order to ship. With LTL freight shipping, your packages can be palletized and shrink-wrapped so they're shipped in a single load.
At RelyEx, our team knows how important your shipment is, whether you're sending thousands of pounds of products or a single pallet. That's why we ensure your products are packaged correctly and have security protocols baked into every service we offer. Plus, by keeping your freight together, we decrease the chance of damaging your cargo, which pleases your clients and boosts your customers' satisfaction.
The magic of LTL shipping lies in the fact that we fill fewer trailers with more freight. Doing so reduces global emissions and makes the process much quicker. Imagine using a semi-truck to haul products that only fill a quarter of the trailer. It would waste money, time, and space that could be used for other products. With LTL shipping, you're protecting the environment and reducing the number of partially-filled trucks on the road. This, in turn, saves you money and makes you an eco-friendly company - something you can use as a selling point for your business.
LTL providers like RelyEx use advanced logistics technology to ensure your cargo arrives on time and without damage. By investing in technology like GlobalTranz, we save our clients from doing so themselves. With GlobalTranz, our clients gain access to robust tracking options like real-time freight locations, so you can monitor your shipment's progress. With GlobalTranz, you get more than just a way to book your LTL cargo â you benefit from our qualified network of carriers, expert logistics support, and leading technology features.
It's impossible to say exactly how much your LTL shipping may cost because the NMFC, or National Motor Freight Classification, determines those prices. Using this standard, pricing is dictated for commodities moving in intrastate, interstate, and foreign commerce. Items are grouped into 18 different classes, based on four characteristics:
If you're shipping a product that is more likely to be damaged, stolen, or cause damage to other items, it may affect LTL shipment pricing.
Does your product require specific care or handling instructions? If so, you can probably expect higher prices.
This factor accounts for how much space your item occupies in relation to its weight or the weight per cubic foot for each piece of freight you are shipping.
How easy is it to load and transport your commodity? Can it be loaded and transported with other items?
When combined, these characteristics are used to establish an NMFC code for your LTL cargo. These codes are crucial, as they help your LTL carrier understand the challenges of shipping your products. If the item you need to ship has a high NMFC code, it's because it's more difficult to transport, which usually means it's more expensive to ship.
Depending on where and how often you ship LTL freight, your broker may choose a regional or national LTL carrier. Regional carriers often service a group of states within a region. National carriers have a larger footprint and can often eliminate the need to use several carriers for your shipments. RelyEx has the infrastructure and strategies for all of your LTL shipping - contact our office today to learn more about your options.
Though regional and national carriers are different, they often use similar models for shipping. Two of the most popular types of shipping methods include hub and spoke distribution and LTL consolidation.
In this traditional model, your shipments go through a network of warehouses, terminals, and hub facilities where your products are grouped with other shipments. Your freight then travels to local "spokes" (or terminals), where they are delivered. If you need to ship freight over short distances, this model may be a good choice to consider.
Some common benefits of the hub and spoke model include:
LTL consolidated shipping is a model where LTL carriers bring several shipments from different shippers to a final destination. Instead of using hubs and spokes along the shipping route to bundle freight and move cargo, LTL consolidation works by taking multiple shipments and turning them into a single truckload. This truck then makes multiple stops, where your products are delivered.
Some of the most common benefits of LTL consolidation include:
At RelyEx, our goal is to expertly manage the movement of your freight so you can focus on your core business. With more than 20 years of combined experience with LTL freight shipping Near Me San Jose, CA, our team can select the most efficient and cost-effective model for your needs. That way, you can accomplish your day-to-day tasks while we handle the heavy lifting and any logistical challenges.
At RelyEx, we believe that trustworthy, comprehensive, and streamlined LTL shipping options are better for your business. And for us, what's better for your business is better for ours. That's why, when it comes to LTL shipping, we work tirelessly to ensure every aspect of your freight experience is embedded excellence. We take this unique approach because our management were once customers like you. They were people who, for one reason or another, had to deal with frustrating and often unsolved shipping and logistics challenges. Today, we take pride in solving those challenges and only partner with carriers who match our high standards.
If you're looking for an LTL company Near Me San Jose, CA that prioritizes customer service, strong communication, and proactive thinking, we're here to help you avoid delayed shipments and missed expectations.
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San Jose continues to operate under extreme supply constraints even as the broader California housing market normalizes. The metro carries just 1.1 months of inventory, compared with 2.3 months statewide, underscoring the region’s sharply limited supply and persistent seller leverage.San Jose also maintains premium pricing. The median price per square foot sits at $939, or 129% above California’s $409 median. Price reductions remain less common as well, with 24.9% of San Jose listings cutting prices vs. 36% statewide....
San Jose continues to operate under extreme supply constraints even as the broader California housing market normalizes. The metro carries just 1.1 months of inventory, compared with 2.3 months statewide, underscoring the region’s sharply limited supply and persistent seller leverage.
San Jose also maintains premium pricing. The median price per square foot sits at $939, or 129% above California’s $409 median. Price reductions remain less common as well, with 24.9% of San Jose listings cutting prices vs. 36% statewide.
Active inventory stands at 389 homes. Weekly absorption reached 92 homes, while just 57 new listings came to market, reinforcing the structural imbalance between supply and buyer demand.
Homes spend a median of 35 days on market, half of California’s 70-day median. The Market Action Index remains above the neutral threshold, signaling continued seller advantage even as statewide dynamics move closer to balance.
The median list price reached $1,668,888 in October, up 4.4% from $1,599,000 a year earlier. Meanwhile, 2.6% of active listings increased their asking prices, slightly above the statewide 2.2% rate. Relisted homes represent 11.3% of activity, close to California’s 10.3%, signaling stable transaction completion in a tight market.
The 1.1-month supply remains the defining constraint in San Jose. Use the 35-day median days on market as a benchmark for setting speed-to-offer expectations. The $939 per square foot pricing benchmark, second highest in the nation, helps frame valuation discussions in a premium-priced market.
Tracking buyer activity through absorption can help determine whether tight supply continues to support firm pricing even as other California markets move toward balance.
HousingWire used HW Data to source this story. To see trends in your market, generate a local housing report. Enterprise users can license market data at scale through HW Data.
With an unusually high concentration of smoke shops in East San Jose, Councilmember Peter Ortiz cannot be accused of using hyperbole when he says that if you throw a rock there, you are likely to hit one of those stores.But after years of attempting to rein in the problem, the San Jose City Council has approved a temporary moratorium on tobacco retailers and a ban on nitrous oxide sales in those establishments — efforts it says that put the well-being of youths and their families first.“Both these items take an impo...
With an unusually high concentration of smoke shops in East San Jose, Councilmember Peter Ortiz cannot be accused of using hyperbole when he says that if you throw a rock there, you are likely to hit one of those stores.
But after years of attempting to rein in the problem, the San Jose City Council has approved a temporary moratorium on tobacco retailers and a ban on nitrous oxide sales in those establishments — efforts it says that put the well-being of youths and their families first.
“Both these items take an important step to protect the health and safety of our residents by closing a dangerous gap in our laws,” said Ortiz, who represents District 5. “Over the past several years, East San Jose and other working-class neighborhoods have seen a dramatic rise in smoke shops, often located just blocks away from schools, youth centers and family homes. In fact, I first thought of this policy when a smoke shop under the guise of a gift shop opened directly across the street from the James Lick (High School) and the Alum Rock village business district.”
The 45-day moratorium approved by the City Council can be extended for up to two years. Existing retailers can continue to operate and seek permit renewal during the moratorium, while the city suspends new applications.
During the temporary ban on new establishments, the city intends to review its licensing program, including the possibility of additional regulations and increased fines to address the growing number of complaints about smoke shops and illegal sales to minors.
In 2021, the city banned the sale of flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes and limited the distance retailers could open from youth-sensitive areas. But health and youth advocates have argued that the city could do more to limit the impacts.
“Strengthening the (tobacco retailer licensing program) can better hold retailers accountable, prevent illegal sales, and foster healthier, more equitable environments for all San Jose residents,” wrote Carol Baker and Vanessa Marvin, co-chairs of the Tobacco-Free Coalition of Santa Clara County, in a letter to the City Council,” Six out of 16 jurisdictions in Santa Clara County currently have a comprehensive TRL policy — San Jose is not one of them. Let’s work together to make the changes needed to get San Jose there.”
In May, Ortiz and a few of his colleagues on the dais introduced the concept of a smoke shop ban following the release of the 2025 Latino Health Assessment report, which found that Latinos faced more dire health outcomes than their counterparts.
In East San Jose, the area Ortiz predominantly represents, the report highlighted that tobacco retailers were more prevalent than in other parts of the county. East San Jose has 6.7 tobacco retailers per square mile, more than two times the countywide density.
“The truth is, while we believe in freedom and consumer choice and options and all those sorts of things, there’s an over-concentration of these retailers and these products in our lower-income neighborhoods that have been historically underinvested in,” Mayor Matt Mahan said. “We see tactics targeting our children and we see the impacts — the negative impacts — far outweighing any benefit, frankly. And so it’s high time we get a better handle on the activities of some of these retailers and certainly ban nitrous oxide.”
While the city acknowledged there are specific legitimate uses for nitrous oxide, such as in the medical, dental and industrial fields, state law left a gap in its enforcement abilities.
Along with banning the sale of nitrous oxide in smoke shops and similar retail establishments, the newly enacted rules would hold property owners jointly liable, allow the city to declare violations a public nuisance, and potentially seek license revocation.
As of September 1, the city reported issuing 551 tobacco retail licenses. However, there is a growing number of complaints about unpermitted stores.
Rachel Roberts, deputy director of code enforcement, said that of the 101 businesses facing complaints, 30 were operating without a tobacco permit, while another 35 were also operating with a general business tax license.
“This isn’t a problem that involves one or two bad actors,” said Vivek Sharma, policy lead for the Community Advocate Teens of Today. “This is a system that has been quietly spiraling out of control.”
San Jose’s actions on Tuesday put it among a growing number of California cities looking to curb the number of tobacco retailers or tobacco use.
Tiburon became the third California local government to ban tobacco sales after its town council approved the initiative last month, following in the footsteps of Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach, which passed bans in 2021.
District 6 Councilmember Michael Mulcahy said that as the city evaluates its options during the moratorium, he hoped it would lead to a “more permanent fix with bad actors in our community.
“This stuff is literally killing people in our community and harming our most vulnerable youth,” Mulcahy said.
OpenAI said Tuesday it would restructure as a for-profit company in a way that addresses concerns from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who signed off on the transformation.But details of the move could revive worries that San Francisco-based OpenAI is misusing charitable tax exemptions, experts and advocates told CalMatters. The ChatGPT maker is putting its nonprofit arm nominally in control of the for-profit entity, but there are numerous ways the for-profit company could end up calling the shots, these people said.Ther...
OpenAI said Tuesday it would restructure as a for-profit company in a way that addresses concerns from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who signed off on the transformation.
But details of the move could revive worries that San Francisco-based OpenAI is misusing charitable tax exemptions, experts and advocates told CalMatters. The ChatGPT maker is putting its nonprofit arm nominally in control of the for-profit entity, but there are numerous ways the for-profit company could end up calling the shots, these people said.
There are also important, unanswered questions about the safeguards that are supposed to keep that from happening.
Under the restructuring, the newly-formed OpenAI Foundation will hold about 26 percent of OpenAI’s valuation, a share amounting to $130 billion, instantly making it one of the most well-endowed philanthropic organizations in the world. Microsoft, company employees, and other investors will hold the rest.
The controlling nonprofit foundation can appoint members of the for-profit board of directors and, through a special committee, step in to address AI safety concerns. The company also pledged to remain in California.
OpenAI did not respond to a CalMatters request for additional details about potential safeguards to preserve the independence of the OpenAI Foundation.
OpenAI’s plans came under scrutiny in California because Bonta, along with Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, wanted to ensure the company stayed true to the mission laid out in its charter when the organization was founded as a nonprofit a decade ago to make artificial intelligence that benefits humanity. The company had pledged all “assets are irrevocably dedicated” to this purpose.
OpenAI has faced criticism for a wide range of impacts on society. In August, the parents of California teenager Adam Raine alleged in a lawsuit that ChatGPT coached him on how to commit suicide. The company put restrictions on its generative AI video app Sora 2 after depictions of Martin Luther King Jr were criticized as disrespectful. Lawmakers in California have also moved to mitigate rising power consumption and proliferation of data centers driven by ChatGPT and similar tools. At the same time, the company has helped drive an AI boom that has seen Big Tech companies surge money into state tax coffers.
Bonta and Jennings have both now signed agreements with OpenAI blessing its new structure.
“We will be keeping a close eye on OpenAI to ensure ongoing adherence to its charitable mission and the protection of the safety of all Californians,” Bonta wrote.
Robert Bartlett, a professor of law and business at Stanford Law School, has studied and worked in the venture capital ecosystem for three decades. He said OpenAI’s start as a nonprofit was unusual and related to its unique mission around artificial intelligence. But it found being a nonprofit restrictive, making it difficult to raise capital and compensate its employees with equity in the company. Its restructuring should pave the way for an eventual initial public offering.
Bartlett said the new arrangement that the nonprofit, a minority stakeholder, will have oversight of the public benefit corporation is also unusual. He said the deal envisions a “pretty active role” for the nonprofit’s safety committee, which will include the right to control safety procedures and halt the release of AI models made by the corporation. OpenAI previously named four members of the safety committee on its website and has said all current members of the non-profit board will serve on the for-profit board, with some as observers.
But not knowing exactly how much overlap there might be between the boards of the nonprofit and the corporation is a big question, as is the ultimate composition of the committee, Bartlett said.
“We’ll have to see what happens, who’s on the committee, how active (they are), and their relationship to OpenAI,” Bartlett said. “Will (the structure) be meaningful and consistent with the AG’s focus on safety?”
Steven Adler previously led a product safety team at OpenAI. On Tuesday he published an op-ed in the New York Times that argues that the company can’t be trusted when they say they can safely deploy erotica chatbots in part because it has a history of ignoring risks.
He told CalMatters that under the restructure that he thinks the nonprofit’s safety committee needs more independence to operate effectively. “I hope that a truly independent body will do a better job of protecting the organization’s mission than one that feels any pull toward profits,” he said.
OpenAI’s restructuring drew ire from Eyes On OpenAI, a coalition of more than 60 California nonprofit organizations who have argued for more than a year that attorneys general should force the company to transfer its assets to an independent nonprofit entity. The precedent for this approach comes from Blue Cross of California, which started as a nonprofit. Following a transfer of assets to a for-profit subsidiary in the 1990s, that organization gave more than $3 billion in stock to two foundations.
San Francisco Foundation chief Impact Officer Judith Bell, a member of the Eyes on OpenAI coalition, said the deal could set a precedent for startups to evade taxes, and is also concerned that under the restructuring the same people can serve on boards of directors for the for-profit and the nonprofit.
“There’s a bazillion conflicts of interest here,” she said, adding that those conflicts are particularly worrisome given the broad potential harms the foundation needs to keep an eye on, including how the tech impacts children, the economy, the workplace, and society.
The deal speaks to the tremendous influence of a corporation to push forward a deal, said Orson Aguilar, director of the advocacy nonprofit LatinoProsperity and a member of the Eyes On OpenAI coalition.
He believes OpenAI lost its way when key executives realized they could make an enormous amount of money for themselves. Members of the nonprofit board, meanwhile, variously quit and lost influence after some of them attempted to oust CEO Sam Altman in 2023.
“The nonprofit continues to operate under the influence of the for-profit it supposedly oversees and that’s been our biggest objection and nothing today tells us that anything meaningful has changed that,” he said.
Khari Johnson and Levi Sumagaysay are reporters with CalMatters.
What you need to know: After months of negotiations, the City of San Jose has agreed to collaborate with Caltrans to address unsheltered homelessness within its city limits.SAN JOSE — California announced today that the City of San Jose has entered into an agreement with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to help clear encampments that migrate onto state rights-of-way in the city. San Jose is joining 21 other cities that have already signed such agreements.“Livin...
What you need to know: After months of negotiations, the City of San Jose has agreed to collaborate with Caltrans to address unsheltered homelessness within its city limits.
SAN JOSE — California announced today that the City of San Jose has entered into an agreement with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to help clear encampments that migrate onto state rights-of-way in the city. San Jose is joining 21 other cities that have already signed such agreements.
“Living in dangerous and unsanitary encampments should never be someone’s only option. In California, we’ve built systems of care — real alternatives that get people indoors and connected to treatment, housing, and stability.
“I’m glad to see San Jose stepping up with the state to reduce unsheltered homelessness and address encampments in the city. As a former mayor myself, I get how tough local management can be — but this is what partnership looks like – the city and state rolling up their sleeves to support this community together.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
The agreement streamlines the process of clearing encampments that have migrated onto state rights-of-way within San Jose city limits by authorizing the city to conduct removal operations directly. It requires San Jose to conduct encampment cleanups and maintenance activities in a manner aligned with state and local policies. And it requires specific reporting and accountability to ensure that eligible costs reimbursed by the state are tracked and used effectively and transparently.
Cleanup operations will continue to prioritize encampments that pose health and safety risks, such as those located near active traffic lanes, confined spaces, unstable structures, or areas where unhoused individuals face a heightened risk of injury. Under the agreement, San Jose maintenance and landscape crews will be responsible for removing litter, debris, weeds, and resolving encampments in designated state right-of-way areas. Similar agreements have already been established between Caltrans and the cities of San Francisco and San Diego.
These agreements add to work that has been underway since 2021 by the state, with Caltrans having removed more than 19,000 encampments on state right-of-way and collected approximately 354,000 cubic yards of litter and debris. From July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, Caltrans removed 115 encampments in the City of San Jose — an increase of more than 50 percent from the previous fiscal year — and collected 9,200 cubic yards of debris.
Since 2019, through the Department of Housing and Community Development, the state has provided the City of San Jose $482.6 million to create new housing, which includes $126.8 million to specifically assist San Jose in addressing homelessness. California has also provided the County of Santa Clara with $246.7 million, which includes projects benefiting the City of San Jose.
The collaboration is a hallmark of Governor Newsom’s work with local governments, including through the State Action for Facilitation of Encampments (SAFE) Task Force — established to urgently address encampments and accelerate access to care and services. Although San Jose informed the state it was unable to provide required services to assist with the task force, since August, SAFE has executed removal operations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Anaheim and Fresno, marshaling state agencies and local partners to remove unsafe encampments and deliver social services, health care, substance use support and temporary and longer-term housing options.
Governor Newsom is the first Governor to make addressing homelessness – an issue decades in the making – a top priority. Since taking office in 2019, the Governor has created unprecedented policy and structural changes in state government to help California better address its housing and homelessness crises, including additional and unprecedented support for local governments, stronger accountability and enforcement, transformational changes to mental health services and state government, and groundbreaking reforms to create more housing, faster than ever before.
Bay Area restaurants are stepping up to provide meals to families affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown and the looming loss of food stamps.Tony & Alba’s Pizza & Pasta in San Jose is offering free meals to children and a 25% discount to parents until the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is funded. While the program, known as CalFresh in California, allows struggling families to buy food, the Trump administration has said no food aid will go out starting Saturday. Roughly 2 million of the sta...
Bay Area restaurants are stepping up to provide meals to families affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown and the looming loss of food stamps.
Tony & Alba’s Pizza & Pasta in San Jose is offering free meals to children and a 25% discount to parents until the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is funded. While the program, known as CalFresh in California, allows struggling families to buy food, the Trump administration has said no food aid will go out starting Saturday. Roughly 2 million of the state’s 5.5 million recipients are children, according to state data.
Tony & Alba’s customer Carlos Renteria, a single parent with six kids, said providing food to the community is a huge help. Customer Linda Gonzalez appreciates it as well.
“People are in need right now,” Gonzalez told San José Spotlight. “The owners are really nice people and they’re always giving. They even give to the homeless.”
Diana Vallorz, who owns Tony & Alba’s with her husband Al, said she knows what it feels like to depend on others for assistance. When she was young, her father was hospitalized for three months, leaving her mother, who spoke limited English, to raise four children on her own. She said providing children with a meal consisting of pizza or pasta, carrots, fruit and milk or juice will make them feel like somebody cares.
“There are many, many children that are having to go through this right now,” she told San José Spotlight, referring to the food benefit freeze. “Their parents are working, and they need that extra help, but now that extra help is gone.”
After the Italian restaurant posted on social media about the free meals, other restaurants throughout the Bay Area followed, including the Shrimp’n Ain’t Eazy food truck in East San Jose, Monster Pho in Oakland and Al Pastor Papi in San Francisco. Starting Nov. 1, Shrimp’n Ain’t Eazy is providing a free chicken garlic rice burrito and a drink for children. Al Pastor Papi is contributing a free burrito and Monster Pho beef, chicken or vegetarian pho.
Monster Pho owner Tee Tran said his family depended on government support and food banks when they emigrated from Vietnam. Now he donates meals to homeless people and older adults.
“I understand what it’s like to not have food on the table,” he told San José Spotlight. “So, when I saw (Tony & Alba’s) do it … I didn’t even think twice about it. Even though restaurants have a hard time right now, when we hear about kids not getting enough food to eat, we just want to help.”
Tony & Alba’s plan to take their offer of free and discounted meals a step further. Al Vallorz said in early November he plans to contact local schools to share a list of restaurants offering free food to children. He’s also compiling the list to share on his restaurant’s website.
He said community contributions help support the restaurant’s ongoing charity program “Random Acts of Pizza,” which includes giving gift certificates to churches to distribute and providing farmworkers with socks. The program has roots in the pandemic, when the restaurant delivered free pizza to older adults.
“Our business succeeds because of the community. So, it’s our responsibility to give back,” he told San José Spotlight.
“They’re wondering, ‘What are we going to do? We have these kids that we have to feed,'” she said. “They were just appreciative knowing that we are thinking about them. It makes me feel good that like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel like my father … would be happy about this.”
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com.