California improves access to CalFresh food benefits, helping college students get up to $306 a month to buy groceries
At the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Governor Newsom, joined by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Director Jennifer Troia, and members of the Breakthrough Advisory Group, discussed these recent changes with students. The Breakthrough Advisory Group was created last year to make California more efficient and more effective by bringing cutting-edge solutions to state government.
Today also marks the launch of an outreach campaign, “Full Carts,” to let students know about CalFresh and encourage them to apply for CalFresh now.
“Thanks to the Breakthrough Initiative, more students can now access the help that’s available to them,” said Chris Larsen, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Ripple. “It’s an example of what’s possible when government leads with common sense and doesn’t lose sight of who it’s working for. When public, private, and nonprofit partners work together, you see the results. In this case, hundreds of thousands of students can get help putting food on the table.”
To drive real change right now, and connect thousands of students to the benefits they deserve, Chris Larsen, executive chair of Ripple and a member of the Breakthrough Group, contributed $1.5 million to fund the outreach campaign. Instacart and Snap have also contributed and will support outreach to students on both platforms.
“Students shouldn’t have to choose between their education and their next meal,” said Casey Aden-Wansbury, Vice President and Head of Global Public Policy at Instacart. “By making it easier for eligible college students to enroll in CalFresh, Governor Newsom is helping these Californians access food they need. As a member of the California Breakthrough Project, Instacart is proud to help students learn about this opportunity, fueling their success.”
CalFresh is federally funded but administered locally by California counties to help low-income California residents purchase food. CalFresh serves nearly 5.2 million individuals each month in more than 3.1 million households.
“College is challenging enough — students should not have to worry about where their next meal will come from,” said CDSS Director Jennifer Troia. “I’m proud of our continued work and commitment to streamlining government in ways that truly help Californians. This is what government is supposed to do: help the people we serve. It is my hope that these changes will continue to make it easier for students to access CalFresh, the largest anti-hunger program in the country.”
For information on how to apply, visit BenefitsCal.com. EBT Cardholders can download the free mobile application ebtEDGE to manage and protect their benefits; more information is available on the ebtEDGE webpage. Data on CalFresh enrollment can be found on the CalFresh data dashboard.
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