Contra Costa County announces emergency funding for CalFresh recipients

RICHMOND, Calif. - CalFresh recipients in Contra Costa County will, starting Monday, be able to get debit cards to cover the cost of groceries while their benefits are on hold. 

Kalona Foster relies on the $700 a month she receives in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, called CalFresh in California) benefits, but the ongoing federal government shutdown has paused payments to the program, and left her scrambling to cover the cost of food. During a recent visit to the county social services office in Richmond she learned the county is taking steps to help her and other CalFresh recipients.

"People need to eat. I am thankful they are doing that. They should. I buy vegetables, meat, and lunch for my daughter she takes to school with the SNAP benefits," Foster said.

The debit cards will be available at four locations:

• 1395 Macdonald Avenue, Richmond
• 151 Linus Pauling Drive, Hercules
• 400 Ellinwood Way, Pleasant Hill
• 4545 Delta Fair Boulevard, Antioch

"We recognize the hardship this creates for many in our community," Candace Andersen, District 2 supervisor said in a press release. "The lapse in government funding for SNAP benefits not only impacts vulnerable residents who depend on food assistance but also threatens the stability of local grocers and the capacity of the Contra Costa County Food Collaborative to meet increasing demand."

People in need

What we know:

There are 107,020 county residents who rely on CalFresh, over half of whom are children or older adults.

"We will have thousands of people here starting on Monday," County Supervisor John Gioia said.

The county is paying for the debit cards by allocating $21 million from its general fund. The Board of Supervisors approved the funds in a vote on Wednesday, and is expected to pay for one month of CalFresh benefits.

"We want to keep money in people's pockets, so they do not have to go to the Food Bank or go to the pantry to get food," Gioia said.

Contra Costa County is not alone. Sonoma County is allocating $1 million for the Redwood Empire Food Bank to expand food distribution through January. Marin County is allocating $800,000 to supplement SNAP. 

Funds withheld

Big picture view:

Counties have been scrambling to find and allocate money for CalFresh recipients while the federal government shutdown drags on. As of Nov. 5, it is the longest shutdown in the history of the United States. The second-longest shutdown lasted 35 days, from December 2018 to January 2019.

SNAP funds were set to lapse on Nov. 1, as a result of the shutdown. The Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, announced ahead of that deadline that it would not provide November payments, and that the agency wouldn't tap into emergency funds.

Nearly two dozen states filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over halting SNAP funding. The U.S. District Court in Rhode Island ruled in October that the federal government is illegally withholding available funds and must make that money available to all states. 

The U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on the same day ruled that the federal government is statutorily mandated to use previously appropriated SNAP contingency funds available to them during the shutdown.

The court ruled that the Department of Agriculture has the discretion to use $23 billion in Section 32 funds for SNAP.

The Trump Administration, in response to the rulings, announced it would partially fund SNAP.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, wrote that SNAP funds "will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up the government."

However, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in speaking with reporters earlier this week, said the administration is "fully complying with the court order."

"I just spoke to the president about it. The recipients of these SNAP benefits need to understand it’s going to take time to receive this money because the Democrats have forced the administration into a very untenable position," Leavitt said. 

The administration said it would provide states with details on Monday about calculating the per-household partial benefit. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. 

The USDA warned in a court filing that it could take weeks or even months for states to make all the system changes to send out reduced benefits. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.

Feeding families

Local perspective:

Caught in the middle of the political back-and-forth, SNAP recipients are just worried about feeding their families.

"I think it is immature..The Republicans and Democrats should come to terms," said Foster. "It is both of their responsibilities. It is a check and balance. But right now they need to check themselves."

Contra Costa County officials say residents who need emergency food can visit the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties online at foodbankccs.org to find their nearest pickup location.

For more information, click here. 

NewsSNAP