Calfresh Is One Of The Most Effective Tools To Fight Hunger And Poverty
Federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), CalFresh is a critical lifeline for families in California. With as many as 1 in 8 kids in the state facing hunger, one of the best ways to help families put food on the table is to put dollars for groceries directly in their pockets.
Evidence continues to show that CalFresh has been successful at reducing poverty, preventing hunger, and promoting healthy eating and living. In addition to improving their health and well-being by allowing them to purchase nutritious food, CalFresh enables families to stretch their household budgets to meet other basic needs.
According to research conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, prior to the pandemic (January-March 2020), an average of 4.1 million Californians living in 2.2 million households received CalFresh benefits. By June 2020, 4.8 million Californians in 2.6 million households received them. Without this program, nearly 700,000 additional Californians could have fallen into poverty.
At the Edge of the Hunger Cliff
A recent No Kid Hungry survey showed how continued rising food prices are affecting a staggering number of families nationwide. Of families surveyed, one in five middle-income families said they or their children have skipped a meal in the last year due to rising food costs. Additionally, 41 percent of parents with lower incomes and 45 percent of middle-income parents noticed a negative change in their children’s mental health as a result of not having enough to eat.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress authorized temporary Emergency Allotments (EA) to help individuals and families afford a healthy, nutritious diet. The EA provided households with at least an additional $95 in benefits per month. However, when these vital allotments expired in March 2023, families saw a reduction in their CalFresh benefits at the same time that inflation made it harder to afford food, transportation, and other necessities. Some families saw their benefits cut by more than $250 per month.
As administrative flexibilities and nutrition assistance policies expire alongside the federal public health emergency declaration, an opportunity for change is on the horizon! As it does every five years, this year Congress will take up the nation’s largest and most important piece of food and farming legislation: the Farm Bill. We invite you to join No Kid Hungry in its mission to end childhood hunger by telling your members of Congress to protect and strengthen SNAP.
Thawing the Chilling Effect Through Awareness
Many eligible families are unaware the program exists, they are eligible to receive CalFresh or aren’t sure how to apply or access benefits. Stigma and fear have also prevented families from participating.
Although the previous administration’s harmful changes to the public charge rule were repealed, research shows more than three in four immigrant families were unaware the policy had been reversed and were still wary of using critical safety net programs like school meals and CalFresh.
CalFresh is a safe resource for families, and No Kid Hungry believes addressing the negative “chilling effect” of this now-reversed policy is critical to ensuring an equitable pandemic recovery. The public charge chilling effect is a phenomenon that keeps eligible families from applying to public programs because of fear that accessing these benefits will have negative immigration consequences.
To thaw the chilling effects, No Kid Hungry California started the CalFresh Outreach Challenge and created the CalFresh Outreach Social Marketing Toolkit to help school partners get the word out to families about CalFresh food benefits.
When kids are enrolled in CalFresh, they get the food they need to succeed both at home and school.
We invite you to join No Kid Hungry, schools, community organizations and government agencies during CalFresh Awareness Month to educate the public and elected representatives about CalFresh food benefits, dispel myths about eligibility, and help families with the CalFresh application process. Happy CalFresh Awareness Month!
Additional Resources & Information
- Visit the No Kid Hungry California website for more resources and toolkits.
- To celebrate CalFresh Awareness Month, visit CalFreshAwarenessMonth.org for resources to share on social media and in your community.
- Read about public charge and how you can raise awareness on the issue.
- To access downloadable flyers and FAQs about the CalFresh Emergency Allotments, please visit the DPSS CalFresh Allotment Page.
- If you are an individual or family, we encourage you to apply online at www.BenefitsCal.com, GetCalFresh.org, or contact your county social services agency.
- For immediate food assistance, find your local food bank. You can also call 2-1-1, a resource helpline for referrals for childcare, affordable housing or shelter, cash assistance, healthcare, and more.
Last Reviewed: May 17, 2023