![]() ![]() Recipients of CalFresh, California’s version of the federal food stamp program, were given the maximum benefits available for their household size during the pandemic, or at least $95 more a month if they were already at the maximum. Instead of functioning as sources of emergency aid, food banks say they are becoming long-term supermarkets for Californians facing food insecurity. That is reducing benefits to 5.3 million Californians - and prompting the statewide food banks association to warn of a “catastrophic hunger crisis” this year. “I’m requesting more food every month at my distributions.”Ĭalifornia food banks, which saw more families seeking help during the pandemic, are now serving more people every month as extra benefits started during the pandemic come to an end. “With inflation going up and CalFresh food assistance going down, I see people in their 20s to people of retirement age all coming out for help,” said Geo Dinoso, who manages distributions for the food bank. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, which organizes the Vallejo distribution, is serving 350,000 people every month across the two counties - double the 175,000 people it served per month before the pandemic. Santiago is one of the thousands of Californians visiting food banks this year, some for the very first time. “When you go to Savers or the Filipino grocery, $50 is hardly enough.” And I’ll cook chicken adobo with the chicken and vegetables,” said Santiago, who visited the distribution Wednesday for the first time this month and expects to return again. While Whitney Houston songs play over a speaker, volunteers load 39 pounds of food into each trunk - canned tuna, eggs, potatoes and other staples.Įlvira Santiago, a retired medical assistant living in senior housing, is particularly excited about the bag of apples. Every two weeks, cars line up at The Hill Church in Vallejo for a drive-thru food distribution.
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