CalFresh

We Are The CalFresh Outreach Team
How Can We Help You?

The CalFresh Outreach Program helps low-income, food-insecure individuals and families gain access to nutritious food through the California Department of Social Services CalFresh Program by helping them navigate every step of the application process. This includes distributing fliers, providing pre-screening service, and assisting with application completion and submission.

In 2017, the program expanded to include outreach at community colleges, where the number of food-insecure students has been sharply increasing over the past couple of years, as they struggle to pay for tuition and housing.

The CalFresh team assists with the application process throughout Los Angeles County, including at community colleges, health clinics, senior centers, community centers, WIC offices, and libraries, among other locations.

For more information on any of these opportunities, please contact the Food Bank’s CalFresh Outreach Team directly at (323) 234-3030 ext. 169.

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What is CalFresh?

CalFresh is the name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in California. Formerly known as the Food Stamps Program, this is a federal program run through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Eligible individuals can apply for CalFresh benefits through an application process through the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services (LADPSS).

CalFresh is intended to help low-income people put healthy food on their tables each month. The program also stimulates state and local economies by bringing federal dollars into our communities, where CalFresh benefits can be redeemed at grocery stores or Farmers’ Markets.

California has much to gain by ensuring that all eligible residents enroll in the program and receive their CalFresh benefits. Unfortunately, CalFresh is not used enough here in Los Angeles County. Many eligible low-income residents (and the grocery stores in their neighborhoods) are missing out on valuable help because they do not participate in the program.

What can the benefits be used for?

CalFresh benefits are based on the number of people in the household and the household’s monthly net income. CalFresh dollars can buy bread and cereals, fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products. CalFresh dollars cannot be used to buy alcohol, non-food items, or prepared foods. California has other food and nutrition benefit programs that households can participate in, in addition to CalFresh. These programs include the School Breakfast and Lunch Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Do I qualify for CalFresh?

For CalFresh, a household can mean an individual who buys and cooks food for themselves or a group of people who buy and cook food together. There may be multiple households living under one roof, and people in a household do not need to be related. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank can pre-screen you, help you with the application, and submit it to the county. Please see the following Income Guidelines for the CalFresh Program.

If you, or someone you know, would like to learn more about CalFresh or to register, please COMPLETE THIS FORM, and someone from the Food Bank team will contact you.

How do I apply for CalFresh?

As part of our mission to mobilize resources to fight hunger in our community, the Food Bank runs a CalFresh Outreach Program in partnership with the LA County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) and our charitable agency partners. Through this program, the Food Bank sends trained outreach workers to food pantries during food distribution times. While visiting the pantries, outreach workers are available to answer questions about the CalFresh program and accept applications from clients who wish to apply. After the preliminary parts of the application are completed, Food Bank Outreach Workers deliver them to the appropriate local DPSS office (determined by zip code) for processing.

Are you eligible for CalFresh? The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank can pre-screen you, help you with the application, and submit it to the county. Throughout the week, CalFresh outreach workers are stationed at different partner organizations in the community.

To find out when a CalFresh Outreach Worker may be in your community, please contact the Food Bank’s CalFresh Outreach Team directly at (323) 234-3030 ext. 169.

Would you rather apply online? You can apply online through the Los Angeles Department of Social Services. If you live in LA County, visit BenefitsCal.

I already applied for CalFresh and have questions about the next steps

Your application will be processed after you apply with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank or through the Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services (DPSS). If you have a question about your application, the best place to call is your caseworker at DPSS. A caseworker will explain the program rules and help your household complete any part of the application that has not yet been completed.

After you submit the application, your household must undergo an interview to receive CalFresh benefits. The interview can take place at the county office or by telephone. A follow-up interview is required annually.

Local CalFresh office officials may waive the face-to-face part of the interview requirement if traveling to the county welfare department would be a hardship for your household. The face-to-face requirement must be waived if your household consists solely of elderly or disabled members with no earned income.

After the interview, the CalFresh office will send a Notice of Action letter. If your household does not qualify for CalFresh benefits, the notice will explain why. If your household does qualify, the notice will explain the CalFresh benefit amount. It will also explain how many months you can receive CalFresh benefits (the certification period) before you need to be recertified.

There are several ways you can help the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank spread awareness about CalFresh.

• Host a Los Angeles Regional Food Bank CalFresh Outreach Worker
  Connect with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank CalFresh Outreach team to have an outreach worker come to your organization to provide prescreening and application assistance. For information, call 323-234-3030 ext. 169.
• Contact the Department of Social Services
  The Los Angeles Department of Social Services has many CalFresh outreach opportunities. For information on the mobile office visit: http://www.ladpss.org/dpss/outreach/default.cfm.