The California Department of Social Services announced Tuesday that individuals and families who live in certain ZIP codes and were affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles or San Diego Counties may be eligible to receive one month of Disaster CalFresh food assistance.
A family of four with a monthly income up to $2,755 per month may be eligible to receive up to $640 in food assistance through California’s Disaster CalFresh program, the department said in a statement released from its Sacramento headquarters.
In San Diego county, the window for applying began Monday and ends Friday while in L.A. County, the window is between Tuesday and Friday. In most cases, Disaster CalFresh food assistance benefits will be available within three days of the date of application, the statement said.
“Disaster CalFresh food assistance is intended to help those negatively impacted by the wildfires,” said CDSS Director Will Lightbourne. `We stand with these hard-working communities as they continue to recover. Giving families the ability to meet the basic need of food is a big step in that effort.
The United States Department of Agriculture approved California’s request for Disaster CalFresh food assistance in response to the wildfires in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties. The program is known nationally as the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or D-SNAP.
Wildfire victims may apply for CalFresh disaster food assistance in- person at local social service agency offices throughout Los Angeles and San Diego. Households unable to apply in person may designate an authorized representative to apply on their behalf and should contact their local social services agency directly for more information on this option.
Disaster CalFresh benefits will be provided via an Electronic Benefits Transfer card, which is like a debit card that can be used to purchase food items at grocery stores and other authorized retailers.
Individuals and families who lived or worked in one of 11 zip codes in Los Angeles County (91342, 91040, 91042, 91355, 91381, 91384, 90077) or San Diego County (92028, 92003, 92084, and 92057) may be eligible for Disaster CalFresh food assistance if the household experienced at least one of the following as a direct result of the wildfires:
— Damage to or destruction of the home or self-employment business;
— Loss or inaccessibility of income, including a reduction or termination of earned income or a significant delay in receiving income due to disaster related problems;
— Disaster-related expenses (e.g. home or business repairs, temporary shelter, evacuation) that are not expected to be reimbursed during the disaster benefit period.
Households already participating in CalFresh are not eligible to receive Disaster CalFresh food assistance but may be eligible to receive supplemental benefits based on their household size.
Households already participating in CalFresh may contact their local social service agency to request supplemental benefits by phone or in person. Some households already participating in CalFresh may also automatically receive supplemental benefits based on the direct impact, such as mandatory evacuations, of the wildfires in their community.
–City News Service