May is CalFresh Awareness Month, and ensuring that people have access to nutritious food has become more urgent than ever. Millions of Americans were already food insecure prior to COVID-19, and in California alone, 4.6 million people have filed for unemployment so far. The pandemic and accompanying economic crisis have drastically deepened the inequities.
CalFresh (or SNAP, as it is known federally) continues to provide critical aid to help Californians put healthy food on the table. Since the pandemic started, CalFresh applications have been up 250% statewide compared to last year, bringing in thousands of new benefits recipients. Here some common questions you might have about CalFresh, including additional resources available during the pandemic.