Residents select fresh produce at a White Pony Express public pantry in Antioch. Photo: White Pony Express
Able-bodied must now document 80 hours a month of work, job training or volunteering
By Tyler McCarthy, Outreach Associate and Eve Birge, CEO, White Pony Express
Until this June, if you were 55 to 64 and on CalFresh, you were exempt from the program’s strictest work rules. Not anymore.
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July 2025, adults in that age range who are considered able-bodied and don’t have a child under 14 at home must now document 80 hours a month of work, job training or volunteering — or lose their food assistance after three months. California’s rules changed June 1.
Think about who that catches. Too young for Medicare. Too early for full Social Security without a permanent cut to the check. Often job-hunting in a market that stopped calling back the moment their resume showed 20 years of experience.
Learn about the new rules for other age groups, here.
Nationally, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) enrollment has dropped by four and a half million people since the law passed — about 11 percent. Fewer people getting help is not the same as fewer people needing it, and this is exactly the age group already reporting the most hardship. Food insecurity among adults 50 and older has been climbing for two decades, and it shows up later as worse health, poorer diets and a harder time managing chronic disease. Meanwhile, groceries cost around 30 percent more than they did before the pandemic. More than 4 in 10 older adults now say prices at the store have outrun their budget, according to AARP.
White Pony Express meets them where they already are. Nearly all its 144 partner agencies serve older adults; 18 serve seniors exclusively. Its drivers bring fresh produce, dairy and protein to senior housing and community centers, and set it out like a farmers’ market, not a handout, so people choose what they want and stay to visit, share recipes and build community.
The program coordinator at a food pantry in San Pablo explained it best: “We serve seniors who have a fixed income and use it to pay bills and rent. Food is something they have to find. They survive through this kind of service.”
Since 2013, White Pony Express (WPE) has done this at no cost to its nonprofit recipients and no cost to the people they feed. Help WPE reach more neighbors: volunteer or donate at whiteponyexpress.org.
White Pony Express is a food rescue nonprofit based in Concord, California.
Sources:
Until this June, if you were 55 to 64 and on CalFresh, you were exempt from the program’s strictest work rules. Not anymore.
“OBBBA raises the age limit for ABAWD (Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents) work requirements, from 55 to 64.” (Think Global Health, 2026)
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July 2025, adults in that age range who are considered able-bodied and don’t have a child under 14 at home must now document 80 hours a month of work, job training or volunteering — or lose their food assistance after three months.
“Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, more adults need to prove they work or volunteer for at least 80 hours a month to access food benefits. These work requirements now apply to veterans, homeless individuals, young adults aging out of foster care, parents with a child between 14 and 17, and people between 55 and 64.” (NPR, 2026)
“People who have to meet the work or community engagement requirement must participate in qualifying activity for up to 20 hours per week, or 80 hours averaged monthly. Qualifying activities include:
“Starting June 1, 2026, the federal government’s rules on CalFresh work and community engagement requirements are changing in California. This means that some CalFresh recipients between the ages of 18-64 will have to meet work and community engagement requirements to keep their CalFresh benefits.” (CDSS, 2026)
Nationally, SNAP enrollment has dropped by four and a half million people since the law passed — about 11 percent.
“We estimate that SNAP participation nationwide fell by more than 4.5 million people (11 percent) between the law’s July 2025 enactment and April 2026, based on the latest month of data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and data from the Georgia Department of Human Services provided in an open records request.” (CBPP, 2026)
Food insecurity among adults 50 and older has been climbing for two decades, and it shows up later as worse health, poorer diets and a harder time managing chronic disease.
“Food insecurity among older adults has risen over the past two decades, contributing to poorer diet quality, declining physical health, heightened risk of cognitive impairment, and more challenging chronic disease management.” (Think Global Health, 2026)
Meanwhile, groceries cost around 30 percent more than they did before the pandemic.
“The price of food purchased for home use rose 33% from 2019 through June 2026.” (AP News, 2026)
More than 4 in 10 older adults now say prices at the store have outrun their budget, according to AARP.
“In a December 2025 AARP survey, more than 4 in 10 adults ages 50-plus said grocery prices now cost more than they can afford, compared with one-third of adults under 50.” (AARP, 2026).
Map of the service are for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California led by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal A. “Bill” Essayli. Source: USAOCDC
Despite sanctuary state laws; part of Operation Take Back America
Almost all charged with illegally re-entering U.S. following removal
By Allen D. Payton
In an Aug. 12, 2026 post on X by First Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bilal A. “Bill” Essayli, he wrote, “Last year I launched Operation Guardian Angel to force sanctuary jurisdictions to hand over criminal illegal immigrants. It’s been a tremendous success. We’ve picked up hundreds of criminal illegal aliens from local CA jails despite state law making it illegal for local law enforcement to cooperate with us. This program is a model for the rest of the nation and a proven strategy to compel states to hand over criminal illegal immigrants to @ICEgov.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s webpage, “the Central District of California serves the seven counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. This includes a population of nearly 20 million people – the largest of any federal judicial district in the country. The role of the Office is to enforce the laws and defend the interests of the United States. It does so through three primary litigating Divisions: Criminal, National Security, and Civil.”
A former California State Assemblyman, Essayli, “leads a team of 500 lawyers, special agents, and staff members enforcing federal criminal law.”
The operation was launched in May 2025, as “a program that seeks to neutralize California’s sanctuary state policy and protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails by issuing federal arrest warrants for them.” The announcement claimed, “The Central District of California…is home to an estimated 1.5 million illegal aliens. Among this population are gang members and other dangerous felons.”
According to a May 19, 2025 FOX News report the operation is “a task force, made up of assets from ICE, HSI (Homeland Security Investigations), DEA, FBI, ATF and Border Patrol.”
An article by the California Post, published earlier Wednesday, entitled, Inside feds’ stealth mission to deport California killers, rapists and child molesters, shared additional details about the operation.
“Federal authorities snared a child molester, a rapist and an accused killer in a sophisticated operation that has rid Southern California of hundreds of criminal illegal migrants” and “has so far collared 362 previously deported illegal migrants using federal law to defeat California’s controversial ‘sanctuary state’ rule prohibiting local police from cooperating with immigration agents even if they wanted to.”
An announcement on Wednesday by the Central District office’s PIO, Ciaran McEvoy, provided details about the operation.
“Since its launch last year, Operation Guardian Angel, a program that seeks to neutralize California’s sanctuary state policy, has resulted in 362 arrests of criminal illegal aliens from county jails into federal custody in the Los Angeles area, the Inland Empire, and the Central Coast.
“Operation Guardian Angel’s goal is to apprehend criminal illegal aliens incarcerated in county jails, (who are) prohibited by ‘sanctuary state’ laws from cooperating with federal immigration officials. SB 54, also known as the California Values Act, signed into law (by Gov. Jerry Brown) in 2017, limits state and local police cooperation with federal immigration officers and restricts local resources from being used to remove illegal aliens – including violent felons.
“Operation Guardian Angel works by securing federal arrest warrants for aliens recently arrested by local law enforcement. Once issued, local jails are legally required to honor the arrest warrants and must hand over the criminal illegal alien in their custody to the federal government.
“The operation began in May 2025 and has resulted in 769 arrest warrants issued, and the actual transfer of 362 defendants – 347 of whom are federally charged with illegally re-entering the United States following removal, or another federal offense. Other federal charges include unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, using a firearm in drug trafficking or a crime of violence, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
“Broken California ‘sanctuary state’ policies endanger the public and cannot go unchallenged by the federal government,” said Essayli. “Operation Guardian Angel is an answer to these misguided policies. Through this task force we are forcing California to do the thing it hates most: handing hundreds of criminal illegal aliens into federal custody to face justice and deportation.”
“ICE ERO’s mission is to identify, arrest, detain, and remove those who are in the United States illegally,” said Thomas Giles, Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Los Angeles Field Office for Enforcement and Removal Operations. “Unfortunately, California’s politicians are forcing local law enforcement agencies to release criminal illegal aliens back into our communities to create more American victims. Our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office here in the Central District of California through Operation Guardian Angel allows us to keep rapists, gang members, and murderers, who shouldn’t be in the U.S. at all, off the streets of California. We will not be deterred. We are not going away. We will continue to enforce the laws passed by the people’s representatives in Congress here in California and everywhere in the United States.”
“Among the defendants taken into federal custody under this program are:
Jaime Rodríguez Ladesma, 70, of Long Beach, an illegal alien from Mexico who was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court in October 2023 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 and who was removed in December 2023. He subsequently illegally returned to the United States and was convicted of being found in the U.S. following removal. He was removed to Mexico in March 2026.
Héctor Bueno-Moreno, 55, of San Luis Obispo, an illegal alien from Mexico who was removed in September 2001 and January 2020, whose criminal history includes a 1995 rape conviction in Kern County Superior Court. He was arrested in August 2025 by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office on a bench warrant out of Santa Barbara County prior to his federal arrest. He pleaded guilty last year to improper entry by an alien. He was removed to Mexico in September 2025.
Ricardo López Jaramillo, 50, a.k.a. “Sharky,” of Pasadena, a five-times-deported illegal alien from Mexico and gang member whose criminal history includes multiple felony robbery convictions in Los Angeles Superior Court, and a 2007 conviction in San Diego federal court of three counts of illegal entry, for which he was sentenced to three years in federal prison. In November 2025, he was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a single-count information charging him with illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal. He was removed to Mexico in June 2026.
Alejandro Lima Ramírez, 46, a.k.a. “Fidel Garcia Vasquez,” of Santa Maria, a four-times-deported illegal alien from Mexico, whose criminal history includes convictions for drug trafficking, stalking, domestic violence, robbery, theft, and driving under the influence. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office transferred him to federal custody last year after Lima was arrested for drug-and-traffic violations. He is serving a 30-month federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in October 2025 to illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal.
Andrés Velásquez Ocampo, 37, of Santa Ana, an illegal alien from Mexico who was deported in January 2019 and was arrested in South Gate in May 2025 on drug charges. His criminal history includes convictions for carjacking and hit-and-run with property damage. He pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal, was sentenced to three months in federal prison, he was removed to Mexico in December 2025.
In February 2025, José Cristián Saravia-Sánchez, 31, of Mexico, shot and killed an Inglewood man who tried to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter. Despite the fact he was an illegal alien who had been convicted of vehicle theft, was removed from the United States in 2013, and had been arrested 11 times between June 2022 and August 2024, local law enforcement was prevented by state law from complying with an immigration detainer request. While his state criminal case is pending, he also faces federal criminal charges of illegal alien found in the United States following removal and alien in possession of a firearm.
“Operation Guardian Angel is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
About Operation Take Back America
Established in March 2025 as a single initiative, Operation Take Back America combines the resources of the DEA’s Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, launched in 1982, and the USDOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, launched in 2001, to implement core policy objectives established by President Trump and the Attorney General which were outlined in a memo, here. The focus of the operation is “to address the Justice Department’s core enforcement priorities: stopping illegal immigration, eliminating Cartels and TCOs (Transnational Criminal Organizations) and ending illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs and human beings.” According to the memo, “In a February 5, 2025 memorandum, the Attorney General established a charging policy around a core principle: in the absence of unusual facts, prosecutors should charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense.”
The operation includes “all efforts to target TdA (Tren de Aragua), MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha), the Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the Northeast Cartel (Los Zetas), New Michoacan Family, United Cartels, the Gulf Cartel, and any other Cartel or TCO designated pursuant to the process established in Executive Order 14157, entitled Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”
WPE Director of Operations Ana Bostick distributes groceries provided by White Pony Express at the Kaiser Permanente-partnered Drive-Thru Giveaway, August 1, 2026. Photos: WPE
By Trish Heaney, Marketing and Communications Manager, Steve Spraitzar, Public Relations, and Tyler McCarthy, Outreach Associate, White Pony Express
Bags of stuffed animals are ready to meet their new owners.
ANTIOCH, Calif. – White Pony Express (WPE) and Kaiser Permanente partnered to hold a Drive-Thru Giveaway Saturday on August 1, 2026, at Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center, distributing groceries and essential goods to 200 local families while marking a milestone of 32 million meals rescued and delivered to Contra Costa County residents since WPE’s founding.
Families were connected to the event through 20 Antioch-based nonprofit partners served by WPE. Each family received two bags of fresh groceries along with hygiene kits, toys, children’s books, and treats. In total, WPE distributed 5,075 pounds of groceries and more than 2,500 hygiene and beauty kits and children’s gifts.
“Extraordinary things are possible when we commit to the shared belief that every one of us belongs to one human family and when one person thrives, we all thrive,” said White Pony Express CEO Eve Birge. “This drive-thru is more than a giveaway — it’s a celebration of a community showing up for itself, with love at the center.”
White Pony Express staff and Kaiser Permanente employees work side by side making sure every family is taken care of.
Antioch Mayor Ron Bernal, who attended the event, pointed to White Pony Express’s outsized role in the city.
“I didn’t realize Antioch gets the most food from White Pony Express out of the whole county,” Bernal said. “This is a great way to address not just food insecurity but having quality food for people — because that’s really the missing element.”
Antioch Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker, a longtime WPE community partner, echoed that sentiment.
“White Pony Express has always showed up and showed out and made sure our families had what they needed,” Walker said. “You bring White Pony Express together with Kaiser Permanente, you get two organizations that are caring for people in very practical ways to make sure their families are healthy.”
Families received hygiene items, birthday kits, toys, stuffies, and two bags of healthy groceries.
Events like the August 1st giveaway come as food insecurity continues to climb across Contra Costa County driven by CalFresh cuts, rising grocery and housing costs, and stagnant wages.
White Pony Express was founded on the idea that hunger is not caused by a lack of food, but by a failure to connect existing surplus with the people who need it. Each day, WPE’s staff and 2,000+ volunteers rescue fresh food and essential goods from local grocers, farms, and businesses and deliver it within 24 hours to families across the county — a model that allows the organization to scale and respond quickly as hunger grows more widespread.
Smiles all around. An Antioch resident beams after receiving her gifts.
About White Pony Express
White Pony Express is a volunteer-powered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 by Dr. Carol Weyland Conner on a simple, radical belief: hunger is not a scarcity problem, it’s a logistics problem. Our mission is to end hunger and poverty by delivering the abundance already all around us to our neighbors in need — with love. Every day, WPE’s staff and 2,000+ volunteers rescue fresh, healthy food and essential goods from local grocers, farms, and businesses, redistributing it within 24 hours to families across Contra Costa County. To date, we’ve recovered and delivered more than 38 million pounds of food through partnerships with 140+ nonprofits, schools and faith-based organizations, guided by the mantra “all of us taking care of all of us”.
Bright Starts Center, a Head Start site in south Los Angeles, provides learning opportunities via play, meals and dual language instruction. Photos credit: Betty Márquez Rosales
Top Takeaways
Current regulations aim to ensure consistency across Head Start sites regardless of geographical location or other local factors.
The proposed changes would cut over 100 pages of regulations down to about 10 pages.
Federal officials say program quality would not be jeopardized; proposal’s critics say Head Start’s standards are what make it high quality.
On a recent Thursday morning, 12 preschoolers at Bright Starts Center in south Los Angeles moved between Spanish and English as they cleaned up after painting and playing with blocks. They stretched before outdoor play and reviewed how to stay safe on the slide, at the water station and while riding bikes.
A teacher and assistant stayed with the children throughout the morning. A third adult prepared meals in the kitchen — mini banana loaf with apple, homestyle cheese pizza with mixed veggies and apple chips with a colby jack cheese stick.
The routines at Bright Starts illustrate the holistic approach toward educating children while caring for them that has defined Head Start for more than six decades. Federal rules set standards for staffing, nutrition, physical activity and services for children who are learning English, among other areas, with the goal of providing low-income children and their families with education as well as behavioral screenings, parent engagement opportunities and other support.
Now, the Trump administration seeks to dramatically reduce those federal regulations with a shorter set of rules, and give states and local programs more authority over how Head Start operates.
The proposal’s critics say it would cut down present regulations, over 100 pages long, to about 10 pages, and fundamentally change Head Start as it’s known now. The changes, if approved, would eliminate regulatory requirements governing classroom ratios, group sizes and services for children who speak languages other than English. It would also require English-only instruction.
The changes could theoretically add, according to federal officials, over 200,000 slots for children nationwide while reducing administrative costs. Federal officials say the changes would reduce administrative burdens, give programs greater flexibility and could allow Head Start to serve more children. Critics say the proposed changes could lead to lower quality and considerable variation from program to program, even within states.
Federal officials disagree. Lizbeth Casco White, director of the federal Office of Head Start, said in announcing the proposed changes that they would not “create a patchwork of standards” or compromise quality.
“Head Start would still exist, but it would not be Head Start as we know it and love it today,” said Melanee Cottrill, executive director of Head Start California.
“One-size-fits-all mandates from Washington cannot fully account for the realities facing more than 1,600 local grantees serving vastly different communities across America,” Casco White said. Her remarks echoed statements from Alex Adams, who leads the federal Administration for Children and Families that controls billions in childcare and preschool funding.
The proposed changes are subject to a 60-day public comment period. Hundreds of comments have already been submitted, and the administration must review public feedback before deciding whether to finalize the changes.
A child enrolled in Head Start at Bright Starts Center cleans his workstation after finishing a painting.
Critics say Head Start would fundamentally change
Federal officials have said that lower administrative burden and greater flexibility for local programs are, in part, why the regulatory changes must be made.
Luis Bautista, executive director of the Head Start and Early Learning Division at the Los Angeles County Office of Education, said reducing some administrative requirements could allow programs to spend more resources on children and families — but only if they do not risk quality.
“I think all of us who are in the program will welcome the opportunity to reduce any unnecessary administrative burden, especially when those changes allow us to spend more time serving children and families,” Bautista said. “But flexibility should never come at the expense of quality or safety or equitable access. And some of these proposed changes are going to actually impact all of those things.”
The L.A. County education office is the state’s largest Head Start grantee — teaching thousands of babies, toddlers and young children — and works with the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, the nonprofit that oversees the Bright Starts Center.
While federal officials say the changes would give local programs flexibility, critics question how much discretion programs would have in practice if federal funding does not increase.
Head Start programs receive federal grants, and their budgets are tied to the number of children they are funded to serve, and the requirements attached to those grants. Cottrill, of Head Start California, said that could limit how much flexibility programs actually have.
Head Start programs are currently required to meet specific staff-to-child ratios.
“When we ask for that grant, we have to justify it. We can pay that many teachers because we’re required to. While the Office of Head Start is saying ‘you’ll have flexibility,’ they still have the ultimate say on those grants,” she said.
Cottrill said she fears that if the federal office requests local programs to serve more children without increased funding, the proposed changes could lead to reduced staffing or services to accommodate the additional enrollment.
“How do you do that? Well, you hire people who are less qualified. You give them more children. You cut services like toothbrushing and monitors on buses and all those wraparound things that make Head Start such a unique program that really creates positive results for those kids,” said Cottrill.
The Office of Head Start did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Casco White of the federal Office of Head Start has said federal regulations are not what solely drive early education services like Head Start.
“Federal regulations establish minimum requirements. They do not define the ceiling of excellence,” she said in announcing the proposed regulatory changes.
The proposed changes come after months of uncertainty for Head Start, including a federal budget proposal that called for eliminating funding altogether. After opposition from Head Start’s advocates, Congress ultimately restored funding to roughly its previous level. Some local Head Start programs temporarily shut down because furloughed federal staff were not able to process grants during last year’s historic federal shutdown.
Five 2-year-olds enrolled at Bright Starts Center in Los Angeles at the end of outdoor activity time.
The Trump administration has pursued other changes to the program as well. In May, federal officials proposed removing certain wage and benefits requirements for Head Start staff, saying the move would “restore needed flexibility and autonomy to local programs” while reducing paperwork.
Most recently, in June, right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation published a report outlining why Head Start should be deregulated “until officials end it.”
Back at Bright Starts, the children returned to their classroom after outdoor play, moving between Spanish and English as they settled into their next activity.
For now, the routines that shape their day remain in place — two adults in the classroom, time for physical activity, meals and snacks, and opportunities for children to learn English while maintaining their home language.
Whether those practices remain federal standards or are left to states and local programs to decide could depend on what happens next. If the changes are approved, legal challenges are likely, particularly in response to new requirements such as English-only instruction.
Bautista said the outcome should ultimately be measured by what happens to children in classrooms like Bright Starts.
“Will these changes improve outcomes for children?” he said. “I think we have to stay rooted in that.”
Betty Márquez Rosales is based in Los Angeles and covers juvenile justice, youth homelessness and other education topics.
Photo cutlines:
8. Bright Starts Center, a Head Start site in south Los Angeles, provides learning opportunities via play, meals and dual language instruction. Credit: Betty Márquez Rosales
9. A child enrolled in Head Start at Bright Starts Center cleans his workstation after finishing a painting.
7. Head Start programs are currently required to meet specific staff-to-child ratios.
4. Five 2-year-olds enrolled at Bright Starts Center in Los Angeles at the end of outdoor activity time.
Historic ministry rooted in evangelism, transformation and lived-out faith brings its vision to the Bay Area
ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA — August 2026 — Truth Bearer International Bay Area (TBI Bay Area) is celebrating the launch of its new church ministry in Antioch, California, under the leadership of Pastor Derrick Holloway.
Officially launched in July 2026, Truth Bearer International Bay Area welcomes individuals and families throughout Antioch, East Contra Costa County and the greater Bay Area to worship each Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Zimmerman Chapel, 2200 Country Hills Drive, Antioch.
With the message “A New Chapter. A New Church. A New You!,” TBI Bay Area is creating a place where people from all backgrounds can experience biblical teaching, spiritual growth, authentic worship and Christian community.
Truth Bearer International has a unique history.
The vision for the ministry was divinely inspired and initially entrusted to Bishop Leon Ralph in 1976. The vision was later passed to Chaplain Mardi Ralph Jackson, who carried it until its appointed time.
That vision ultimately connected with several men at San Quentin State Prison who heeded the call and anointing on their lives to preach the Gospel. Sharing Bishop Ralph’s vision for ministry, these men became part of the foundation through which Truth Bearer International was divinely formed.
From those beginnings, the ministry developed around a commitment to holiness, evangelism, multi-ethnicity and an interdenominational approach to Christian ministry.
Today, TBI Bay Area continues that legacy while addressing the real-life challenges facing individuals and families.
Led by Pastor Derrick Holloway, the Antioch ministry emphasizes straightforward, unfiltered biblical teaching and a faith that extends beyond Sunday morning. Messages frequently focus on real-life transformation, faithfulness over perfection, overcoming past struggles, restoration and developing a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.
TBI’s approach is intentionally authentic — “no fluff,” raw and lived-out faith rather than polished performance.
The church particularly hopes to reach people who may have felt overlooked, judged, disconnected from traditional church environments or who are simply searching for a new beginning.
“Our desire is for people to know that they are welcome,” said Pastor Holloway. “It does not matter where you have been or what your past looks like. God can transform a life. We want to teach the truth of God’s Word, love people, help people grow and give them a place where their faith can become real in their everyday lives.”
TBI Bay Area’s message is reflected in its foundational scripture, John 14:6:
“I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
As the new congregation grows, Truth Bearer International Bay Area seeks to become an active part of the Antioch and greater Bay Area community, building relationships, serving others, sharing the Gospel and providing opportunities for individuals and families to grow spiritually.
Whether someone has been in church for decades, is returning to church after years away or has never attended church before, the invitation is simple:
Truth Bearer International Bay Area is a Christian ministry based in Antioch, California, committed to holiness, evangelism, biblical truth, spiritual transformation and reaching people across cultural and denominational backgrounds. Rooted in a ministry vision first given in 1976, TBI continues a legacy that grew through prison ministry and men called to preach the Gospel. Under the leadership of Pastor Derrick Holloway, TBI Bay Area is dedicated to teaching God’s Word without compromise while creating a welcoming environment where people can worship, grow, heal, serve and experience life transformation through Jesus Christ.
Two of the owners, Ron and Jamie Harrison, and the operators, (L-R) Roger Born, son of Sheri Vallero and her daughter, Terriane Reed, invite the public to their Grand Opening of Mac’s Old House on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Instagram video screenshot.
Under new ownership and management; renovated 101-year-old building, kept same menu
“A labor of love. I did this for my grandchildren,” – co-owner, Joe Martinez
“This is an opportunity for Jamie and me to get one of the last historic places in Antioch,” – co-owner Ron Harrison
By Allen D. Payton
After closing in June 2025 and following the purchase late last year and renovations this year, the new owners and operators of Mac’s Old House will hold a Grand Opening of Antioch’s iconic restaurant Saturday, August 15 at 4:00 p.m. The new owners are Ron and Jamie Harrison and Joe and Desiree Martinez. Sheri Vallero, who also runs Mel’s Diner in Antioch, and daughter, Terriane Reed and son, Roger Born, are the operators.
A drawing of the original owner and namesake, Floyd ‘Mac’ McKinney, hangs inside the front entrance of the restaurant. All photos by Allen D. Payton
Locally famous for their dine-in, family-style prime rib and pasta dinners, “The story of Mac’s stretches back to 1925 when Floyd ‘Mac’ McKinney built the house with his father. In 1956 he began to operate a bar out of a converted part of the home. He operated it for 17 years before selling it and retiring,” according to a report by onlyinyourstate.com. “The restaurant changed hands a few times after Mac, but (the previous) owner bought it in 1983.”
During a soft opening dinner for friends on Tuesday, Aug. 4, Ron and Joe shared their thoughts and excitement about the restaurant.
Co-owners Ron and Jamie Harrisons with two of the three operators, Sheri Vallero and her son, Roger Born during a soft opening dinner on Aug. 4, 2026.
“Joe and I are friends, and I work with him a lot,” Ron Harrison said. “We started talking about it and said, ‘why don’t we buy it?’ To us it’s an historical place.”
Harrison’s other business partner, “Sean (McCauley) and I have so many places out here. This is an opportunity for Jamie and me to get one of the last historic places in Antioch,” he continued.
Keeping their same menu means prime rib and pasta dinner will continue to be served.
“We lease the restaurant to Sheri and required her to keep the same name and menu,” Harrison stated. “We added 15 feet to the back for a bigger kitchen. More parking stalls. Two new beautiful bathrooms.”
“We got all the smoke off the walls and added all new lighting picked out by Desiree,” he shared. “We kept the bar. We wrapped all the beams. We tried to keep it as original as possible. The building is 101 years old.”
“We worked with the City staff and leaned on them as much as possible,” Harrison added.
Co-owner Joe Martinez was joined by friends during a soft opening dinner on Aug. 4, 2026. His wife Desiree was unable to attend.
“This is my first venture together with Ron,” Martinez said. “I bought the property and brought Ron in. I knew I wanted this project. I met with (former owners) Gary and Sue Noe and worked things out.”
“Starting in November I’ve been working on this every day since. A labor of love. It turned out good,” he continued. “We did a complete restoration. I told Gary and Sue, my goal is to honor the legacy of Mac and the family and continue it.”
“I put my heart, soul and love into it,” Martinez shared. “My wife and I picked out all the finishes.”
“The plan is to keep it for the next 40 years, the next generation,” he stated. “Nobody else was going to do it with all the cost involved. I put in my sweat equity. Ron took care of all the City stuff and laid out the plumbing and kitchen. I did all the construction. I’m happy it’s done.”
“I did this for my grandchildren as a family trust,” Martinez added.
Mike and Elisa Van der Valk, of Mike’s Pastry Shop in Antioch, and others enjoy the renovated bar at Mac’s during a soft opening dinner on August 4th.
See a video by the Harrisons showing a tour of the restaurant and announcing the Grand Opening, here.
For now, the restaurant is open daily for dinner from 4:00 – 10:00 p.m. Beginning Monday, Aug. 17, Mac’s will open for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They now accept debit and credit cards for payment.
City of Antioch’s General Plan Visioning Survey closes Monday, August 17
By City of Antioch
The City’s General Plan will help guide decisions about Antioch’s future, including how our community grows, develops, and evolves in the years ahead.
The City of Antioch is updating its General Plan, which provides goals, policies, and guidelines for the physical development of the City for the next ten to twenty years. The General Plan is intended to reflect the goals, values, and priorities of the Antioch community. The following questions will help the City gain a broad perspective of views and values in the community to help craft a General Plan that is reflective of local concerns and priorities. Your opinion and input are greatly appreciated. Please complete one survey per person.
This survey is available in English and Spanish. Please use the language selector at the top left of the survey to choose your preferred language.
Esta encuesta está disponible en inglés y español. Utilice el selector de idioma en la parte superior izquierda de la encuesta para elegir su idioma preferido.
Your input matters. If you haven’t taken the survey yet, now is the time to make your voice heard.
