FILE ART - Fruit is displayed in the produce section of a supermarket.
FREMONT, Calif. - A state program that helps low-income California residents with extra money for fresh fruits and vegetables has returned with a one-time $20 million influx, after facing financial troubles this summer.
$20M on fresh fruits and vegetables
Why you should care:
Chair of the Human Services Committee, Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-Fremont), pushed to secure that money to make the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program more robust, at least until the end of the year.
The program relaunched on Thursday.
For every $1 of CalFresh benefits spent on any fresh fruits and vegetables at a participating retailer, CalFresh recipients get $1 back on their EBT card to spend on any CalFresh-eligible food for up to $60 monthly.
Recipients do not need to sign up for anything, since the instant rebate is automatically applied to anyone on CalFresh.
Participating retailers
Local perspective:
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Contra Costa County residents receive November SNAP benefits
Contra Costa County residents receive November SNAP benefits
A total of 92 retailers, including Santa Fe Foods and Arteaga’s Food Center in the Bay Area, are providing supplemental benefits through the program.
Since launching in 2023, it has served over 546,000 Californians, providing more than $44 million in rebates by the end of May 2026, Lee's office said.
"As the federal government slashes our anti-hunger programs, we are stepping up to ensure people have access to affordable and nutritious food," Lee said in a statement. "The CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program is a national model for reducing hunger, delivering real dollars back into the pockets of over half a million people."
Federal policy cuts
By the numbers:
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SNAP cuts put added stress on farmworkers and Spanish-speakers, with immigration fears and language barriers
The Hijas del Campo non-profit says language barriers and technology gaps meant some farmworkers never knew they were losing SNAP benefits in November. One farmworker and mother of a U.S. Marine says she had to choose between paying the rent or buying groceries for her family.
The federal H.R. 1 policy changes that took effect in November 2025 are projected to reduce monthly benefits by an average of $39 for hundreds of thousands of CalFresh recipients, Lee's office said.
The policy also disqualifies undocumented immigrants from CalFresh, impacting roughly 34,000 people, Lee's office said. In addition, H.R. 1’s expanded work requirements are expected to put over half a million Californians at risk of losing food assistance.
For a two-person household, the maximum monthly CalFresh benefits is $546, and most recipients use up their benefits before the end of the month, Lee's office said.
For a list of participating retailers, click here.
The Source: Information for this story comes from Assemblymember Alex Lee's office.