Struggling Central Valley Residents Line Up for Groceries Amid California’s Cost-of-Living Crisis

California boasts the world’s ‘fourth largest economy’ and the nation’s highest poverty rates. Its middle class hangs in the balance.

Vicente, who had been waiting in line since the night before, waits to enter the Fresno Mission for food on Oct. 1, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

FRESNO, Calif.—Vicente, a man in his early 70s, arrives at the Fresno Mission at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday. By 7 a.m. Wednesday, he’s first in a long line that snakes through the parking lot, onto the sidewalk and around the block.

Like superfans camping out for concert tickets, people bring their folding chairs and huddle under blankets, sometimes for more than 12 hours. But they are not here for a show—they’re lining up for a market where they can get around $250 worth of groceries free of charge.