LOS ANGELES – The Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) outreach and program teams joined County of Los Angeles and community partners on May 8 to launch activities for CalFresh Awareness Month (CFAM) and to provide essential resources to Mar Vista area residents.
“Just putting three meals a day on the table is a daily struggle for too many families in Los Angeles County,” stated DPSS Director Jackie Contreras, who shared her personal story of how food subsidy programs helped her family. “I am so grateful my mother had the courage to reach out for help when we needed it.”
The event was held at Mar Vista Park to raise awareness about the program and with the goal of eliminating the stigmas associated with receiving public assistance and removing the barriers to applying for CalFresh.
“This particular event provided over 400 residents with information and resources and through an aggressive social media, community engagement, and media outreach plan, our goal is to reach over 1 million residents countywide this month,” said the department in a statement.
Recent data from DPH’s L.A. County Health Survey (LACHS) reveals that hardworking families continue to struggle with putting food on the table. The survey also provides a deeper look into how food insecurity impacts communities of color.
In 2023, 35.8% of Latinx adults reported living in nutritionally insecure households. Food insecurity, defined as the lack of consistent access to enough food to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle, is a serious public health issue, negatively impacting the cognitive, physical, and emotional development of children, putting them, as well as adults, at greater risk for obesity, diabetes, and other illnesses.
CalFresh is California’s name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administered in L.A. County by DPSS. The program has proven to be an effective way to ensure the health and well-being of thousands of low-income individuals and families across the county.
The community kick-off event helped launch a series of outreach strategies to inform residents on how to stretch their food budgets and purchase healthier foods. This year’s CFAM theme is “Eat Better, Live Better.”
CFAM campaign is also an opportunity to highlight the strong collaboration between local government agencies and community-based organizations in educating the public about the many benefits of the CalFresh Program.
Participating alongside DPPS were the L.A. County Youth Commission, Office of Immigrant Affairs, Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, Internal Services Department’s Delete the Divide Program, Department of Public Health’s Child Passenger Safety Program, Aging and Disabilities Department, Metro, L.A. Regional Food Bank, Hunger Action L.A., L.A. Vets, WIC, Korean American Federation of L.A., L.A. Food Policy Council, Food Access L.A., Center for Living & Learning, Venice Family Clinic, and the DPSS’ Outreach Division, CalFresh Nutrition Program, and Toy Loan Program staff.
CalFresh Awareness Month started in May of 2011 and is the official month dedicated to increasing public awareness of CalFresh.
To sign up for the CalFresh program visit https://benefitscal.com/.
