Thousands of Our Military Families Go Hungry Because of a Legal Loophole

At first glance, Robert and Alyssa (names changed) are a picture-perfect military family stationed in San Diego. While he serves in the Navy, she cares for their infant daughter and works a few hours per week at the local school. Despite the rosy image, making ends meet is a challenge. “We try to make our money stretch, but life happens,” says Alyssa. “There are many things that we deal with that are different for military families than for civilian families…it can be hard.” Robert and Alyssa are not alone. Feeding America reports that nationally, one in five of the households they serve includes a military member or veteran.

Our fellow citizens join the military to serve our country. They too clip coupons and a manage a tight budget, yet military families face unique obstacles that make it more challenging for a family to put food on the table each month - especially for those stationed in San Diego County.

“Food is the most common and pressing need we see from military families in crisis,” says Tony Teravainen, U.S. Navy (Retired) and CEO of the San Diego non-profit Support The Enlisted Project (STEP). Low military incomes combined with high San Diego living costs make for tight budgets. Yet many of these families are not able to access the same federal assistance programs that other Americans rely on every day. So when inevitable life events happen – an expensive car repair or a child in the emergency room - it can become impossible to make ends meet for months.

“To make sure their kids have enough to eat, military parents may go hungry or forgo medicines and other basic needs. Thousands are forced to seek the help of emergency food services just to get by for another few days,” says Teravainen.

Those that dedicate their lives to serving our country deserve better.

We need to give military families the same access as civilian families to federal food assistance. CalFresh, federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is one of the most effective anti-hunger programs available. CalFresh is designed for civilian and military families alike, but while civilians across the U.S. rely on SNAP, many military families are ineligible because of where they are stationed.

On average in San Diego, CalFresh provides $4.27 per person, per day for food. That might not sound like much, but it can help a struggling family with a limited income. It also gives families the dignity to purchase the food they need at their local grocery store rather than standing in line at a food bank.

So why do many military families miss out on this resource? CalFresh eligibility is based primarily on income, and calculating military income gets complicated. It’s in these details where hungry military families get left behind.

Military families are provided with a Basic Allowance for Housing, which is determined by where they are stationed, among other factors. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency that sets CalFresh eligibility requirements, considers the housing allowance provided to military families as income -- even though the IRS doesn’t.

San Diego housing costs are twice the national average, so families stationed in San Diego are given a higher allowance.  Although the IRS does not consider the housing allowance as income -- and it’s not considered income for other federal assistance programs – for some reason it’s counted when calculating eligibility for CalFresh. 

This tangle in the red tape leaves tens of thousands of San Diego’s military families struggling needlessly.

You can help remove this barrier. San Diego Hunger Coalition represents the voice of these families and the nearly half a million San Diegans who don’t have ready access to healthy, affordable food. We share their experiences with policymakers nationwide and advocate for improvements to anti-hunger policies and programs. Ensuring our military families can provide healthy food for their children is a bipartisan and common sense issue, but it will take a coordinated effort from Americans like you to close this loophole. 

Make your voice heard. Sign this petition to let congressional leaders know that military families facing hunger is unacceptable. Donate to the San Diego Hunger Coalition to fuel a strong, swift advocacy effort that can’t be ignored. Bring more voices to this movement by sharing the petition and this article with your friends and colleagues. Together, we can provide our military families with the dignity and food security they deserve.

Connecting College Students to CalFresh

Photo courtesy of Miramar College

Higher education is crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty. However, the rising cost of education has made getting a college degree extremely difficult for people with limited resources. Making sure that students can meet their basic needs, like food and housing, can help them succeed.  

This year, there has been a greater focus on the issue of food insecurity among college students with the release of a new study that showed that half of all community college students are struggling with food and/or housing insecurity. Another study found that four in 10 University of California students do not have a consistent source of high-quality, nutritious food. 

The California Department of Social Services is working with advocates across California to make it easier for eligible low-income students to receive CalFresh. At San Diego Hunger Coalition, we are working to address hunger among college students on a local level.

Wins for College Students from the CalFresh Task Force

Over the last six months, CalFresh Task Force members have created new solutions for connecting college students to food resources, beginning with CalFresh, a monthly food budget supplement. Representatives from San Diego State University’s Student Disability Services Department and San Diego City College’s Extended Opportunity Program Services (EOPS) attended our last countywide meeting on September 1, 2016, and the group discussed ways to reach students who may be struggling with hunger and may be eligible for CalFresh. 

Three Recent Successes from the CalFresh Task Force:

1.    Five new partnerships now connect San Diego County community colleges with organizations that help students access CalFresh:

• Miramar College and San Diego Food Bank
• San Diego Mesa College and 211 San Diego 
• San Diego City College and Feeding San Diego
• Mira Costa College and Feeding San Diego
• Southwestern College and La Maestra Health Center

2.    Now, local colleges have new outreach and application assistance models, including guidance for onsite CalFresh enrollment, thanks to collaboration between community college representatives and CalFresh application assistance organizations. 

3.    Colleges interested in opening food pantries on campus have more resources to help them get started.

What’s next?

The Hunger Coalition’s work to connect college students to food assistance continues. As these new partnerships develop, we will also move forward with our work to simplify the process for college students with disabilities to access CalFresh. In addition, we’ll work with college campus retailers to allow students to use their CalFresh benefits to purchase meals on campus using an EBT card.

Why Thousands of Military Families Don’t Have Access to Food Assistance

Civilian families across the U.S. depend on SNAP -  known as CalFresh in California - to purchase the food they need to make ends meet. But thanks to a tangle of legal red tape, many military families in need are denied access to this vital food resource.

Roughly 1.4 million men and women serve as active duty personnel in the United States military. Their families comprise another nearly 2 million people. Just as the men and women in uniform serve and sacrifice for the safety and security of our nation, so do their spouses and children. These families cope admirably with the stress and instability of frequent moves and deployments and, sometimes, injury or death of their loved ones.

They also sacrifice financially. Unemployment of military spouses reaches up to 30% according to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, which has been attributed to frequent moves, deployments, a lack of job opportunities in some station locations, and increased parenting responsibilities due to the service members’ long hours. With reduced ability to have two breadwinners, the FINRA Investor Education Foundation found that in 2012 more than 40% of military personnel nationwide had difficulty making ends meet, rising to 56% of entry level personnel. Yet many of these families are not able to access the same federal assistance programs that other Americans rely on every day.

A Tangle of Red Tape

Rather than building and maintaining additional government-owned base housing, the Department of Defense (DoD) often relies on the private sector to address the housing needs for currently serving military families.  Military service members living off base receive a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). The BAH is based on geographic duty location, pay grade, and dependency status. The intent of the BAH is to provide uniformed service members adequate and equitable housing compensation based on housing costs in local civilian housing markets.  Since BAH is provided in lieu of on-base housing, federal tax law exempts BAH from taxation as income; however, there is lack of uniformity in how the BAH is treated in various basic needs assistance programs for military families. For example:

• The IRS does not consider BAH taxable income and does not consider BAH to be earned income when determining eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program.
• The Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program gives states the option to not count BAH as income for the purposes of determining eligibility and benefits.
• Treatment of BAH in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program varies state by state.
• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that states must count BAH as income for the purposes of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility. 
• Eligibility for free and reduced price school meals is also impacted by a military family’s housing.

The Basic Allowance for Housing was never intended to be considered income. We need to uniformly exempt the BAH from consideration as income or asset for any government assistance program. This is a common sense fix to streamline how military housing allowances are assessed across government programs. Our military families should never have to worry about how they will provide enough food for their children.

We can untangle the red tape and help these military families put food on the table.

We need your help. Will you sign this petition to help make sure our military families don't have to go to bed hungry? Together, we can help our nation's heroes.

Sign the Petition

The Hunger Advocacy Network, facilitated by the San Diego Hunger Coalition, represents the voice of these families and the nearly half a million San Diegans who don’t have ready access to healthy, affordable food. We share their experiences with policymakers nationwide and advocate for improvements to anti-hunger policies and programs.

Tackling The Unique Hunger Challenges of Rural Communities

People struggling with hunger in the rural communities of San Diego County often face severe barriers to accessing vital food assistance through CalFresh. When Lisa (name changed) found herself homeless and without enough food, she attempted to enroll in CalFresh to obtain the nutrition she needed. Lisa qualified for expedited services and,  if she lived in urban San Diego County, she may have been able to apply for CalFresh and start purchasing food through the program that same day. But in her rural area, Lisa had to wait without CalFresh support for a full week. 

Without a car or consistent phone reception, Lisa faced a number of serious challenges. Fortunately, one of our East County CalFresh partners, Mountain Health and Community Services, stepped in to help Lisa with the CalFresh enrollment process. But even using all the tools available at Mountain Health and Community Services, Lisa wasn’t able to obtain CalFresh for more than a week.

In order to help people like Lisa access the food they need, the Hunger Coalition has partnered with Mountain Health and Community Services and San Diego County’s Health and Human Service Agency to make accessing CalFresh easier and more efficient for people who live in rural areas of San Diego County.

Unique Challenges in Rural Communities

• Transportation: Rural areas have fewer bus lines, less stops and longer wait times, making it difficult to apply for CalFresh in person. For those who have cars, the nearest County office can be up to an hour away. In times of need, this gas money and time away from work and childcare is difficult to find.
• Communication: Cell phone, landline and mail service is limited in rural areas.
• Food Access: Many rural areas are food deserts with a limited number of grocery stores. Many people in rural areas have to rely upon convenience stores, where healthy food may not be available and prices are much higher.
• CalFresh and Tribal Reservations: Tribal areas have specific CalFresh regulations that make the application process more confusing and time consuming.
• Limited Resources: Social services like meal sites, food pantries and homeless shelters are much less common and more difficult to access in rural areas – if they exist at all. 

Recent Success In Bringing CalFresh Access To Rural Areas… 

Our CalFresh Task Force continues to work together and with different County government entities to solve these problems. Here are a few recent victories: 

1. Most people in rural areas use a P.O. Box for their mail, since they don’t have postal service to their homes. Previously, CalFresh applicants with a P.O. Box were required to go through extra steps to provide additional documents and data that required more time and complications. Our CalFresh Task Force worked with the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency to successfully remove these extra hurdles for people in rural communities.
2. We worked with Mountain Health and Community Services to train County staff at the El Cajon Family Resource Center on the unique challenges of clients in rural areas and the best ways to improve service.
3. San Diego Hunger Coalition met with managers at the El Cajon County office, as well as County leadership to develop new, innovative strategies for bringing rural communities better access to CalFresh. These conversations have led to, among other exciting potential improvements, the development of new ways to administer the CalFresh interview required in the application process for rural clients.

…And More to Come

We’re look forward to announcing more victories in the near future. Want to be a part of the change? You can get involved: subscribe to our newsletter, follow along on social media, make a donation.

Disrupting The Cycle of Poverty and Hunger At Community College

Community college students are rapidly becoming one of the most food insecure populations in America. A recent survey of 4,000 community college students revealed that half of students were food insecure and 40 percent had struggled to find enough food to eat in the last thirty days.

Higher education has never been more important for breaking the cycle of poverty, but poverty is becoming an increasingly prohibitive barrier to a college degree. 65 percent of jobs now require post-secondary education, but community college costs have increased 28 percent since 2000. Only 26 percent of community college students seeking associates degrees earn them within three years, and the majority of those who don’t complete their degree cite financial reasons for leaving early.

Assistance to purchase healthy food is available through SNAP, called CalFresh in California. However, only 27 percent of community college students who are eligible for the program are enrolled. CalFresh is a monthly supplement to a household’s food budget that can offer community college students independence and food security, making the path to a degree more accessible. In turn, their family may also take another step toward breaking the cycle of poverty.

Our CalFresh Task Force recognized this important opportunity and chose to utilize our quarterly countywide meeting to begin the process of building CalFresh assistance into San Diego County’s community college system.

On May 26, 2016, nearly 50 CalFresh outreach organizations, community colleges and local state universities came together to build partnerships that connect more eligible students to CalFresh. Notably, San Diego Food Bank and Miramar Community College are now working together to develop a Fall CalFresh Application Clinic for Miramar students. This partnership will leverage the knowledge of the lifestyles and needs of Miramar students with the resources of campus and community-based organizations to help eligible students access CalFresh and a life-changing degree.

Collaborations such as this are an important step towards transforming San Diego County’s higher education infrastructure, making food security and a college diploma more accessible to all.

Good Talk: Exchanging Stories for Success

Collective action is the best way to help people throughout California access the food they need – and it all starts with a conversation. By sharing stories across county lines, we are better able to demonstrate the struggles that people face, drive changes at the county and state level, and learn about innovative programs from partners outside our normal circle of contacts.

During March 2016, San Diego Hunger Coalition facilitated discussions related to best practice collaborations with county offices for the San Francisco Marin County Food Bank and two local partners, San Diego Food Bank and Feeding America San Diego. In the same month, we also hosted a CalFresh 101 training for Imperial Valley Food Bank to share client advocacy strategies that can improve clients’ experiences with their county office. 

Helping clients to access food assistance through the local county office is a task shared by many anti-hunger organizations in California. The Hunger Coalition brought these statewide partners together to provide guidance on working with the county office to resolve issues that may arise when clients apply for assistance, tracking client case issues to monitor trends and identify systemic barriers, and various innovations and progress that the Hunger Coalition has made with our partners to make the process of applying for CalFresh easier. 

How can your organization improve clients’ experiences applying for food assistance? Here are three of the best practices we discussed:

1.     Learn the regulations. In San Diego, we provide CalFresh 101 trainings. You can also go online to brush up on state regulations or learn about other resources.

2.     Get to know your County. Every County has a different structure, so take the time to learn how your county office, advisory board, or state representative can help resolve issues.

3.     Document issues as they arise. Ten stories about the same challenge are more powerful than one anecdote. We find that when we bring up specific client stories, the county is better able to make improvements.

Organizations interested in learning how we’re tracking case issues may contact Marcia Garcia, San Diego Hunger Coalition’s CalFresh outreach coordinator.

Now You Can Enroll in CalFresh Without Setting Foot in a County Office

For many low-income San Diego residents, there is a simple but significant barrier that stops them from getting access to the food they need: they would have to visit a County office. While San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency has been working hard to improve customer service and the environment in their Family Resource Centers, unpleasant experiences from the past create expectations for the future that keep people from seeking the help they need.  Also, for some, applying at a County office means driving upwards of 60 miles round trip for multiple visits – an impossible hardship for many families in need of assistance.

Here are three ways to apply for CalFresh benefits that don’t involve a county office visit:

1.     Online at www.GetCalFresh.org or www.MyBenefitsCalWin.org.

2.     Over the phone through 2-1-1 San Diego (dial 211) or the County’s Access Call Center (1-866-262-9881).

3.     In person by visiting a community based organization. Community organizations and 2-1-1 San Diego can also connect people to additional food resources. For a list of San Diego County community-based organizations providing CalFresh application assistance, visit San Diego Hunger Coalition's CalFresh Assistance page. 

Online Application Gets a Makeover

A particularly helpful feature of the online application now allows people with smart phones to take pictures of necessary verification documents like pay stubs or ID cards and upload them online. For those who do not currently have access to a smart phone, various free or low cost phone programs can make this feature available.

Success in Action: Encinitas Community Resource Center

The Community Resource Center (CRC) is one of the outstanding community-based organizations using innovative options to help people apply for CalFresh, a monthly supplement to a household’s grocery budget. After walking a client through the application process, the Community Resource Center would traditionally set up a time for the client to come back to the office and complete their interview. But now, CRC gives clients the option to virtually complete their interview online using web-based technology. Both the Community Resource Center and the partnering County Family Resource Center in Oceanside have computers set up with cameras, speakers and microphones.  Clients can choose to complete their interview privately or have CRC staff present to assist them in better understanding questions. CRC staff can also then help the client gather and submit any additional information that the County requested during the interview.  This model works incredibly well because clients can:

1.     Choose an interview time that works well for them.

2.     Conduct their interview at a convenient location where they feel comfortable and safe.

3.     Seek support from Community Resource Center staff during the interview.

4.     Complete the application process immediately after the interview by working with CRC staff to ensure any additional information or verifications are submitted on the spot.

As a result, nearly 100 percent of the applicants that use web-based interviews are successful.  The Community Resource Center also works to share lessons learned and best practices with fellow community-based organizations. Thanks to the staff’s dedicated collaboration, the Community Resource Center was voted the 2015 CalFresh Outreach Partner of the Year by peers from San Diego Hunger Coalition’s CalFresh Task Force.

Celebrating Progress in the Fight to End Hunger

On May 10, 2016, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors presented San Diego Hunger Coalition with a Live Well San Diego Proclamation in recognition of our work to end hunger countywide. We are honored to continue collaborating with the network of Live Well San Diego champions and partners to achieve the greatest collective impact possible for creating and sustaining safe, healthy and thriving communities. 

Live Well San Diego is the County of San Diego's vision for a region that is Building Better Health, Living Safely and Thriving. It involves partners in all sectors - from government, to business, to schools, to faith-based and community organizations - through a shared purpose. Working together allows for planning and implementation of innovative and creative projects to bring the Live Well San Diego vision of region that is Building Better Health, Living Safely and Thriving to life.

From the CalFresh Task Force to our research initiatives, the coordinated action we lead for hunger relief is only possible with the help of our committed partners. While there is still much work to be done, we have made great strides in the fight against hunger by working together. We are grateful to all those working alongside us to ensure that everyone in San Diego County has access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

Why Are PPIC Measurements Of CalFresh Enrollment So Low?

A Letter From San Diego Hunger Coalition Executive Director Anahid Brakke

Dear Partners,

You may have heard about the Public Policy Institute of California’s (PPIC) recent release of CalFresh participation data by county.  It was mentioned in the Voice of San Diego’s Morning Report in a bullet under “Quick News Hits.” CalFresh is one of our most powerful anti-hunger tools and the percentage of eligible households enrolled in CalFresh is an important metric in our effort to end hunger in San Diego County. 

PPIC reports that 30.7 percent of those eligible for CalFresh are enrolled.  Voice of San Diego compares this number to the 2007 rate of 35 percent, which they take from a different source (Food Research & Action Center) using different methodology. 

The San Diego Hunger Coalition believes the PPIC estimate to be low.  Our Director of CalFresh Outreach, Amanda Schultz, has provided the following explanation.  She spoke with the Union Tribune yesterday, who reached out to us for comment. Hopefully that conversation will yield broader sharing of this information. We also invite you to share this blog post through your own outlets to help inform other hunger advocates and the public.

Why Are PPIC Measurements Of CalFresh Enrollment So Low?

PPIC's reported CalFresh enrollment rates are so low because of the denominator used to measure eligibility.  Instead of the 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Line denominator currently used by USDA, California Department of Social Services, and CA Food Policy Advocates -- the other organizations that release CalFresh participation indices -- PPIC uses a 200 percent Federal Poverty Line denominator. This artificially inflates the number of California and San Diego County residents eligible for benefits.

Due to the intricacies of the CalFresh eligibility process, which utilizes two layers of income testing, not everyone who passes the first income test of 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line is eligible for CalFresh. 

To keep it simple, there are two income tests for CalFresh, and most households have to meet both income tests to be eligible for benefits. The first income test is easy, which is whether gross income (all income before taxes) falls below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.  Measuring eligibility becomes trickier in the second income test.

Federal guidelines require that a very specific set of formulas be used to determine what portion of a household’s income could potentially be used for food.  These formulas deduct a percentage of federally-approved basic living expenses from a household’s gross income.  The remaining income, after deducting amounts for basic living expense, has to be below 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level in order to qualify for benefits. 

Unfortunately, CalFresh eligibility calculations are based on antiquated federal formulas that do not deduct the full cost of basic living expenses in the modern era, especially in regards to housing costs in San Diego, and thus are not an accurate reflection of need. While the first (advertised) gross income test is 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line in California, we find that households close to this measurement may or may not end up qualifying for benefits.  San Diego Hunger Coalition believes that a more accurate CalFresh utilization rate would start with the 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Line population.  However, 125 percent is what is available through the Census and most often used.  

Our Work To End Hunger In San Diego County

San Diego Hunger Coalition is working with the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) and advocates statewide to develop a more accurate indicator for measuring CalFresh utilization.  In the meantime, community-based organizations and HHSA come together every month through the Hunger Coalition’s CalFresh Task Force to work together to successfully address barriers to CalFresh enrollment, which has increased by 221 percent since 2007.

• In March of 2007, 91,939 San Diego County residents were enrolled in CalFresh.
• In March of 2016, 295,124 San Diego County residents are  currently enrolled in CalFresh. 

Are You Eligible For CalFresh?

The Hunger Coalition strongly recommends that individuals or families who are close to 200 percent of the federal poverty line still apply for CalFresh.  Application is free and accessible through the following routes: 

1. Online at www.GetCalFresh.org or www.MyBenefitsCalWin.org.
2. Over the phone through 2-1-1 San Diego (dial 211) or the County’s Access Call Center (1-866-262-9881).
3. In-person by visiting a community based organization or County Family Resource Center.  Community organizations and 2-1-1 San Diego can also connect people to additional food resources.  A list of San Diego County community-based organizations in providing CalFresh application assistance can be found on San Diego Hunger Coalition's CalFresh Assistance page. 

We are happy to provide additional information as requested. 

Sincerely,

Anahid Brakke
Executive Director
San Diego Hunger Coalition

Fighting Hunger with Customer Service

Task Force visits County’s Access Customer Service Call Center

Many San Diego families who have fallen on tough times rely on CalFresh (the modern iteration of food stamps) to purchase food from local grocers and farmers markets. But all too often, confusing guidelines and complex processes prevent people from receiving this vital food assistance. The County of San Diego’s Access Customer Service Call Center helps community based organizations and their clients navigate the process and access the benefits they’re eligible for. When a resident or community agency needs to speak with the County about a CalFresh case, they call the Access line. In some cases, however, clients need the additional support of a community partner to help them better understand the application or what’s happening with their case.

In 2013, on behalf of the CalFresh Task Force, the San Diego Hunger Coalition advocated for the launch of a separate phone line specifically for community-based organizations that help individuals apply for or maintain their CalFresh, Medi-Cal and CalWORKS benefits. The County responded and launched the “Access CBO Line” for Community Based Organizations.

Today, over 20 Access Customer Service Call Center staff answer an average of 270 calls each day on the Access CBO Line, continually decreasing the wait times for callers. Community advocates rely heavily on the Access CBO Line, because it enables them to skip the wait and quickly connect with a County staff member and ask about multiple client cases at the same time. This is the only county information phone line in the state specifically developed for community partners.

The Hunger Coalition continues to keep communication channels open between the Access Call Center team and community based organizations through the CalFresh Task Force. The Call Center’s staff presented at the countywide CalFresh Task Force meeting in August 2015, and invited Task Force members to visit and tour the Call Center in October. We look forward to continuing this open dialogue and feedback loop with the County and Call Center staff to support their commitment to providing the highest levels of customer service to individuals struggling with hunger and the community based organizations that support them.

You may learn more about the Access Customer Service Center on its website. In addition to the CBO line, the Access Call Center offers other specialized services such as Access2Health. The Access2Health team, created with implementation of the Affordable Care Act, handles calls and process applications from Covered California customers who are potentially eligible for expanded Medi-Cal. Access also responds to email requests received via the County’s public assistance email account (pubassist.HHSA@sdcounty.ca.gov) and call back requests generated through the MyBenefitsCalWIN website.  

Collaborating to Address Senior Hunger

CalFresh Task Force February Meeting

From lack of transportation to isolation, seniors across the U.S. face distinct challenges to make ends meet. In San Diego, the high cost of living adds an extra burden for our local elders -- and aging in place is especially difficult. Data from the Insight Center for Community Economic Development shows that a San Diego County senior needs to bring in $2,034 each month simply to cover minimum basic expenses such as housing, food and healthcare. A shocking 42 percent of older adults (65+) in San Diego County do not have enough income to meet their most basic needs.  

CalFresh, a monthly supplement to a household’s food budget, can help seniors access the food they need. Based on income, seniors can receive $16 to $196 per month for food. Unfortunately, while many San Diego County seniors are eligible for CalFresh, few enroll in this vital program.

To address this disconnect, San Diego Hunger Coalition’s CalFresh Task Force dedicated its first quarterly meeting of the year to building bridges between organizations that serve seniors and agencies that provide CalFresh application assistance. On February 25, 2016, representatives from Aging and Independence Services, Meals on Wheels, Dreams for Change, and the County Health & Human Services Agency joined the Task Force meeting to discuss opportunities for partnership to help more seniors get CalFresh.

The conversation will continue at the March regional CalFresh Task Force meetings.  

Does your organization help seniors? We’d love you to join us for a CalFresh Task Force meeting to learn and share your ideas. Our March 2016 regional meetings will take place at the following locations:

• South San Diego: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 2:30 p.m.
  Chula Vista Community Collaborative at New Directions FRC (Rice Elementary), 915 Fourth Ave, Chula Vista, 91911
• East San Diego: Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.
  Mountain Health and Community Services, 1620 Alpine Blvd Suite 211, Alpine, 91901
• Central San Diego: Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. 
  BAME Community Development Corporation, 3085 K Street, San Diego, 92102
• North San Diego: Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. 
  Community Resource Center, 650 Second Street, Encinitas, 92024

Same Day Service: A Better Way to Help Homeless with CalFresh

Photo Credit: US Department of Agriculture

CalFresh, a monthly supplement to a household or individual’s food budget, is one of the most effective tools we have to help people facing tough times access the food they need. But enrolling in CalFresh can be a complicated and long process, especially for homeless individuals without a mailing address or regular phone access. What if we could turn that complicated month-long process into a streamlined four-hour visit? San Diego Hunger Coalition, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency and Feeding America San Diego worked together to make that dream a reality.

The new model makes same-day CalFresh service possible for the first time. Individuals are prescreened for CalFresh eligibility, guided through completing the application, and then a County Eligibility Worker conducts an interview immediately. Eligible individuals can walk in seeking assistance and leave the same day enrolled in CalFresh with the option to pick up their card at the closest County office. The Hunger Coalition is exploring how CalFresh EBT cards can be made available on the spot at community organizations, rather than requiring a person pick up their card at a County office. This would allow organizations that aren’t within walking distance of a County office to take advantage of this easier model. 

This successful project is being implemented by Feeding America San Diego at community centers across San Diego County. In less than a year, eight same-day service clinics have helped more than 50 homeless individuals access CalFresh. The pilot began at the Third Avenue Charitable Organization downtown and has now expanded to Pacific Beach United Methodist Church and Bread of Life in Oceanside. The County has been applauded for its execution of Same Day Service at the state and national level, and agencies nationwide are looking at how to implement this model in their locations.

2015 CalFresh Task Force Awards

Angel Flores, CalFresh Outreach Partner of the Year, with Amanda and Marcia

The collaborative power of the CalFresh Task Force is fueled by the passion and innovation of its members.  The annual CalFresh Task Force Awards honor individuals and organizations making major strides toward ending hunger in San Diego County. Awardees are nominated and selected by Task Force members.
 

CalFresh Community County Partnership of the Year

San Diego Food Bank, Feeding America San Diego, and Health Coverage Access

Applying for public assistance is a stigmatized and complicated process, and can be exhausting. These organizations have used a client-focused model of service to make San Diegans seeking CalFresh benefits feel welcomed and respected.

CalFresh Outreach Partner of the Year

Angel Flores, Community Resource Center

Even though the Community Resource Center in Encinitas has a small team, they were able to serve more participants in 2015 than ever before. Angel has improved CRC’s outreach by creating new partnerships in the North County community he serves. Angel has also capitalized on the County’s dedicated phone line for organizations providing CalFresh assistance and video conferencing for interviews to create a strong rapport with the residents he serves.

CalFresh County Liaison of the Year

Jennifer Cunningham, CalFresh Liaison North Inland

Jennifer uses new ideas to provide hard-to-reach populations with access to the food they need. In 2015, Jennifer partnered with the Julian Backcountry Collaborative to reach hungry households in the remote areas of Julian and organized a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren event to reach underserved, at-risk populations.

CalFresh Task Force Demonstrates Big Progress Toward Ending Hunger in 2015

We will end hunger in San Diego County by working together. Led by the San Diego Hunger Coalition, the CalFresh Task Force brings more than 50 diverse organizations together from across the county to better serve the needs of San Diegans facing hunger.

In 2015, we saw better collaboration, better use of technology and better communication strategies—all of which yielded major progress in our mission to give more San Diegans access to a path out of hunger to self-sufficiency. 

The CalFresh Task Force made progress on all five of its primary goals for 2015:

1. Client Follow Up and Advocacy Strategies

CalFresh Task Force’s monthly regional meetings created better client advocacy strategies and solved a number of specific case issues. Responding to concerns raised by community partners, the CalFresh Task Force invited the Health and Human Services’ ACCESS Call Center to present and engage in discussions with community partners about how to better help clients successfully meet application requirements. The Task Force also equipped its partners with the knowledge and tools needed to guide clients through new CalFresh application changes such as income reporting thresholds, cost of living adjustments and a new recertification form.

2. Better Serving Special Populations

Populations such as seniors and immigrants each have unique barriers to food. In 2015, we shortened the path between these populations and the food they need for an active and healthy life.

• San Diego Hunger Coalition helped pass legislation that reduces barriers to food security for individuals with previous drug felonies. We also worked to make sure that the new legislation was correctly implemented. The CalFresh Task Force partnered with state level partners to create new outreach materials for newly eligible individuals.
• Immigrant families face extra challenges because of language barriers, lack of awareness of food benefits and their eligibility, and misinformation surrounding immigration law. The Hunger Coalition and U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services assisted our 50+ CalFresh Task Force member organizations with guidance on how to best serve the diverse immigrant population of San Diego County. 
• Thanks to our ongoing partnership with the County of San Diego’s Aging and Independence Services Department, the CalFresh Task Force and San Diego’s senior-serving organizations are better connected in order to enroll low-income seniors in CalFresh. More good news on this coming in 2016!

3. Ensuring San Diegans Don’t Lose Access To Food Assistance

CalFresh recipients have to submit new paperwork to maintain their benefits every six months, and many San Diegans struggle with hunger because they miss report deadlines. To better reach San Diegans at risk of losing their benefits due to the complex reporting process, CalFresh Task Force worked with partners to map the process and brainstorm strategies to help clients. In addition, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency launched a text message reminder system to reach San Diegans due for reapplication.

4. Better Technology and Collaboration

In 2014, CalFresh Task Force members came together to improve the County’s online CalFresh application tools (mybenefitscalwin.org), streamlining the process so that more San Diegans could get access to the food they need. In 2015, we’re proud to announce that the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency paid for and implemented many of the updates recommended. The technology supporting the CalFresh application process is now more efficient, effective and able to better serve San Diegans in need. 

5. Sharing Best Practices and Opportunities

San Diego Hunger Coalition’s new CalFresh online resources offer CalFresh Task Force members better access to the tools and up-to-date information they need to better serve their clients. Monthly CalFresh Task Force meetings in each region offered opportunities for member organizations to collaborate on specific challenges, such as verification of applicant income, which we learned was difficult for many partners. This led to the Hunger Coalition working with HHSA to develop a new CalFresh income verification fact sheet. A simple solution that saves everyone time.

Looking Toward 2016

We’re looking forward to building upon our progress in 2015 to make more strides toward ending hunger in San Diego County. CalFresh Task Force partners have identified the following areas of focus for 2016:

• Better service to students, seniors and immigrants
• Continue building a more streamlined CalFresh application process so it’s not a barrier to San Diegans receiving the food assistance they need

The CalFresh Task Force will finalize 2016 goals in January regional meetings.

Building CalFresh Capacity across San Diego County

MARCIA GARCIA, SDHC’S CALFRESH COORDINATOR, PROVIDING CALFRESH 101 TRAINING AT 2-1-1 SAN DIEGO

Over the past two months, our CalFresh Team has been busy training more than 65 CalFresh application assisters across San Diego County. As a part of the Hunger Coalition’s work to increase CalFresh enrollment, we provide a variety of trainings for nonprofit staff and volunteers. Our workshops range from monthly “CalFresh 101” trainings on eligibility screening and effective application assistance to specialized presentations on topics such as working with Legal Permanent Residents or senior CalFresh outreach. Recognized for our expertise and high quality trainings, the Hunger Coalition is regularly invited to provide our workshops across the state via webinars, conference calls and in person visits. 

One organization we have had the pleasure of working more closely with this year is 2-1-1 San Diego. Over the past year, the Hunger Coalition provided training to more than 45 staff from 2-1-1 San Diego.  Claire Oksayan, Director of Programs at 2-1-1 San Diego recently shared that, “The support provided through the years by Hunger Coalition has allowed us to build a highly successful program providing over-the-phone enrollment in programs such as CalFresh, Medi-Cal and Covered California. This program has more than quadrupled in size since inception in 2009, and a key partner in helping us be successful is the Hunger Coalition.”   

The Hunger Coalition has trained more than 180 people this year, and we still have one month to go!  Each full time CalFresh application assister can enroll 300 households per year.  In San Diego County, the average household award is $274 per month.  If the 180 people we’ve trained so far this year enrolled 300 households per year, that would provide more than $96 million in grocery dollars for low-income families.  We are proud to work with our partners to ensure that individuals across San Diego County can apply for and receive the food benefits they need, during the holidays and beyond. 

Hunger and the Holidays: How you can be an anti-hunger advocate at your own Thanksgiving table

Living in a county with the 5th richest city in America, it’s hard to imagine that so many people go hungry each day in our region. Hunger in San Diego County does not always mean starvation, but it does mean not knowing exactly how to pay for groceries, not being able to afford nutritious foods, or regularly skipping meals so your children can eat. We call it “food insecurity,” and it means not having enough food at all times to lead an active, healthy life.

As we head to the table this Thanksgiving, we encourage our supporters to take a moment to help spread the word about the hunger that lives right in the heart of our own communities. Typically, we think of Thanksgiving as a great time to volunteer at the food bank, but did you know that many food banks and pantries actually have to turn away volunteers at this time, since it is one of the only times more people volunteer than they can handle? If you can’t find an opportunity to volunteer, there are still many other ways you can get involved in the fight against hunger this Thanksgiving holiday season!

Suggestions for how you can bring hunger issues to the conversation and be an active advocate for the hungry this Thanksgiving:

1. Create place cards with hunger statistics on the back of them for setting your Thanksgiving table.
2. Enjoy a good Turkey Trot? This one benefits two local anti-hunger organizations (and it is dog friendly!).
3. Create a “Tip the Cook” jar and donate that money to your favorite anti-hunger organization.
4. To spark the conversation around hunger, ask everyone at the table to guess how many people are food insecure in America (49.1 million) and San Diego (470,000).
5. Sometime during Thanksgiving weekend, screen A Place at the Table, an insightful documentary about hunger in America, which includes testimonials from Jeff Bridges and Tom Colicchio.
6. In honor of giving Tuesday on December 1st, give the Hunger Coalition a good old-fashioned donation. Your money in partnership with the Hunger Coalition funds the incubation of new, permanent solutions to hunger. 

CalFresh Outreach Director Amanda Schultz wins Freshy Award for Innovative Leadership!

CFO Director Amanda Schultz with State Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins and her Freshy award

The San Diego Hunger Coalition is thrilled to announce that our CalFresh Outreach Director, Amanda Schultz, was awarded the statewide 2015 CalFresh Forum "Freshy" Award for Innovative Outreach Leader of the Year!

Each year, California Food Policy Advocates hosts the CalFresh Forum to bring together CalFresh policy advocates from around the state to share out and collaborate on improving CalFresh benefits and enrollment. This year the Forum was designed with three plenary speakers each bringing unique insight into modernized business processes and systems which can be adapted to improve CalFresh participation and customer service, including our own Rick Wanne, Director of Eligibility Operations for the County of San Diego.

As part of the Forum and voted on by peers, each year the Freshy Awards honor the actions of individual Californians and organizations from across the state who have worked diligently in the last year to improve CalFresh.

Freshy Awards at the CA Food Policy Advocates CalFresh Forum 2015