Agenda

Return

PR.4

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Kathy Gallagher, Employment & Human Services Director
Date:	May 22, 2018

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

CalFresh Awareness Month

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 05/22/2018

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

Contact:

Elaine Burres, 608-4960

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: May 22, 2018
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

PRESENTATION recognizing May as CalFresh Awareness Month.

FISCAL IMPACT:

None.

BACKGROUND:

May 2018 is designated as CalFresh Awareness month. CalFresh known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP at the federal level is our nation and county's most important anti-hunger program. CalFresh provides food to low-income households. On a monthly average, the Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD), who administers the program, serves 65,000 people most of which are in families with children. While the number of CalFresh cases have leveled, EHSD has experienced a rise in applications from the prior program year.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

EHSD works in close collaboration with several community partners, known collectively as the CalFresh Partnership Group, to outreach to potential CalFresh recipients and to provide various approaches in streamlining and supporting expanded access to CalFresh benefits. Rubicon and Opportunity Junction in collaboration with EHSD and the Community College Foundation currently operate an Employment and Training (E&T) program designed for those CalFresh recipients who are interested and voluntarily enroll in various training and employment opportunities.

Currently, EHSD along with many community partners is planning for a requirement that would impose restrictions to CalFresh benefits for those adults considered able-bodied and do not have any dependent children. These individuals, known as Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWD) would be required to maintain a specified number of work hours each month to continue to receive CalFresh benefits.