With CalFresh benefits delayed in November due to the ongoing government shutdown, FIND Food Bank expects a surge in demand and is requesting National Guard assistance to ensure Coachella Valley residents do not go hungry.
The federal government has directed states to hold November data that would normally allow people to receive funds for CalFresh, the California version of the SNAP federal food benefits program that helps low-income individuals.
That means more than 37,500 Coachella Valley residents will go without their normal government nutrition assistance, according to statistics provided by FIND. In addition, federal employees have been working without a paycheck since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, and many of them have been forced to rely on FIND’s services to feed themselves.
“People that are already struggling to make ends meet, now will have one of the primary resources that they feed themselves with gone until the government reopens again,” said FIND President and CEO Debbie Espinosa. “We’re going to have to be ensuring that the community has regular access so they literally don’t starve.”
FIND expects a surge in demand not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. The regional food bank has already seen heightened need for its services. For the past three months, it has experienced around 30% higher client interactions, bringing the figure to around 150,000.
“For us, what’s important is that the community understand, for the short term, we’ve got it for the first couple of weeks, but we’re really going to need the community’s help in order to sustain,” Espinosa said. “This is like an emergency where we’re going to see a spike very quickly. We will draw down on these emergency supplies. These are for short term.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom has authorized the California National Guard to deploy at food banks around the state to aid with distribution.
Espinosa said she hoped to receive an allocation of 10 to 12 guardmembers, who would mostly be used to package food boxes at the warehouse in Indio.
The issue is particularly pressing in the Coachella Valley because the volunteer base has not yet fully returned from their summer homes.
“It takes a whole bunch of volunteers to be able to do that,” Espinosa said. “With our increases in distributions, we really need volunteer support.”
What is CalFresh? What is SNAP?
SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the federal program that provides monthly food benefits to low-income people. CalFresh is the name for California’s version of the federally funded program.
That means people in California apply for CalFresh through the state Department of Social Services, and if they receive benefits they are receiving a version of SNAP.
Can I still apply for CalFresh benefits?
Yes. Applications for CalFresh are still being accepted at www.benefitscal.com,1-877-847-3663, or even at a county social services office, according to the California Department of Social Services.
However, the benefits may be delayed due to the government shutdown.
The department also encouraged all current enrollees to continue to submit all forms and recertifications as normal, even if the processing of those forms is delayed due to the shutdown.
When will the government shutdown be over?
It’s not immediately clear how much longer the government shutdown will last. As of Friday afternoon, there was no indication that lawmakers had any intention to reopen the government.
Negotiations between Republicans and Democrats have hinged on extensions to Affordable Care Act tax credits that are set to expire. Democrats have pushed for the extension, while Republicans have held firm against it.
The stoppage of food assistance may put pressure on Congress to reopen negotiations, but so far both sides have dug in with seemingly little intention of budging on their principles.
The longest government shutdown in history happened between Dec. 22, 2018 and Jan. 25, 2019, lasting 35 days.
This is currently the second longest ever recorded, at 24 days on Friday, and it is still going.
Will WIC be impacted by the government shutdown?
The California Women, Infants & Children Program serves around 1 million children under the age of 5, and pregnant and postpartum Californians, according to the California Department of Public Health.
In an email to The Desert Sun, the department said benefits should remain available through Nov. 30, assuming no changes at the federal level.
“CDPH continues to monitor the federal budget situation and the potential impact of a government shutdown on the WIC program, which is federally funded and administered by the state,” CDPH said in the email.
Reporting by Paris Barraza contributed to this story.
(This story was republished to mark it as free access.)
Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Shutdown delays CalFresh benefits as FIND food bank braces for surge
Reporting by Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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