In the first few months of 2017, the San Francisco Human Services Agency started to notice some disturbing numbers connected to people who enroll for CalFresh benefits, or who maintain their status with the program.
March saw a 150 percent jump in the number of enrolled residents who asked to be taken off the program. The increase comes amidst a political climate that has sparked a rash of questions from participants, ranging from whether their personal information would be released to the federal government, to whether the new administration would start making cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP – as it’s known federally.
With May being CalFresh Awareness Month, the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank joined HSA officials in co-hosting a public forum on the topic. The event brought together a number of other stake holders to talk more about CalFresh, how vitally important it is to managing the state’s hunger problem, and to urge lawmakers to do more to protect it on the local, state and federal level.
NEWS COVERAGE
Read more about the forum from San Francisco Chronicle Reporter Tara Duggan here.
KTSF Channel 26 did a story about the forum…view that story here.
and listen to this story from KCBS Reporter Jenna Lane below.
CalFresh is a federally funded supplemental nutrition benefit (known nationally as SNAP) that increases meal budgets and access to better nutrition for low-income households. Currently, 4 million Californians are being served by this important program, but many more eligible residents are not enrolled.
May is Calhttp://www.sfmfoodbank.org/programs/food-stamp-outreach/Fresh Awareness Month.
For more on CalFresh, visit our website here.
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