Contra Costa County is stepping up to help our neediest County residents due to the Federal government’s failure to fund its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which is called CalFresh here in California. SNAP serves 1 in 8 Americans and is a major part of our nation’s social safety net.
Failing to fund this benefit threatens the food security of 107,000 County residents, 55% of whom are children and seniors. The average monthly benefit for a family of 3 is $573 per month.
The Federal Government’s failure to fund SNAP benefits also threatens the financial sustainability of 706 retailers (most are locally owned neighborhood markets) who sell groceries to CalFresh families…