LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday proclaimed May “CalFresh Awareness Month” in an effort to expand access to federally funded food benefits for students, seniors and other vulnerable households.
About 1.1 million people countywide receive federally funded CalFresh benefits, but authorities say many more are eligible, including many college students.
A 2018 federal study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that 40 percent of students surveyed from University of California campuses and 42 percent from California State University campuses have experienced “food insecurity.” The term refers to the lack of reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
Food-insecure students are more apt to have poor physical health, depression and psychological stress, leading to higher dropout rates, according to the Department of Social Services.
In June, California is also expanding the CalFresh program to serve low-income seniors and disabled individuals who receive state and federal welfare benefits. More than 206,000 Los Angeles County residents are estimated to become eligible under the new rules.
A kick-off event to reach students will be held May 7 at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Some individuals and families in need are unaware that they qualify for benefits to help pay for food. Others worry about the stigma of using what was long referred to as “food stamps.”
More information on the CalFresh program can be found at https://dpssbenefits.lacounty.gov.
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Emmy says
I began keeping the monthly, and yearly tally of groceries for our family of two seniors in 2009. my husband shops locally and I do the grocery list for him. I list the specials at each store weekly, so whenever he is out and about, he can check the list for necessary items.
Unfortunately, he isn’t skilled at cooking and I’m too disabled for that activity. so our main meal is nearly always frozen dinners. We add salads or fresh vegetables, and skip dessert.
Even so, you can see that our Yearly Grocery Total [double it for a family of 4], is nowhere near $1000 monthly.
2009 $1896.90 [incomplete]; 2010 $ 3547.88; 2011 $ 3366.99;
2012 $ 3307.96; 2013 $ 3465.22; 2014 $ 3481.85; 2015 $ 3568.38;
2016 $3313.18; 2017 $ 3199.01; 2018 $ 3117.51;
Cher says
Calfresh is a life saver. It helps growing children. Anyone who receives aid knows that calfresh don’t feed a family for a whole month. A family of four to feed costs about 1000 a month and they may get around 5-6 hundred from calfresh. There should be no excuse for hunger in this country. Yet it happens more often than not.
Food Secure says
Wherever I go, I see nothing but overweight and obese people.