On CalFresh? How to Get $60 of Free Fruits and Vegetables Each Month
Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill to Cost San Francisco $400 Million, End Care for Thousands
SNAP Benefits Hung in Limbo for Weeks. It Was a Peek at Life Under Long-Term Cuts
Food Insecurity on Campus: How SNAP is a 'Lifeline' for Many Students
California Moves to Protect CalFresh Payments From Federal ‘Confusion and Chaos’
How San Francisco and Contra Costa SNAP Users Can Find Prepaid Grocery Cards
More Bay Area Counties Join Push to Send Prepaid Grocery Cards Amid Federal SNAP Lapse
California's Food Banks Mobilize to Fill Benefits Gap Left by Gov. Shutdown
How to Best Support Your Local Food Bank During Shutdown SNAP Delays
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"title": "On CalFresh? How to Get $60 of Free Fruits and Vegetables Each Month",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s only been a month since\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\"> the federal government shutdown\u003c/a> caused the 5.5 million Californians who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — to see their payments delayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And although payments of SNAP (formerly referred to as food stamps) have restarted, another holiday season is around the corner, putting extra strain on folks who are food insecure in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One positive development: the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program — a state program offering SNAP recipients up to $60 of free produce each month — has restarted as of November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://a24.asmdc.org/press-releases/20251120-calfresh-program-relaunches-make-healthy-food-more-affordable\">The program, which first launched in 2023\u003c/a>, is dependent on state-allocated annual funds that are spent until they’re used up, and the 2024 cycle ran out for CalFresh users back in January of this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this year, the program has received an injection of $36 million, which is projected to last until summer 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In previous years, the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program has made “a real, real difference to so many families,” before its funds were used up, said Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San José), who chairs the state Legislature’s Human Services Committee with oversight of CalFresh policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11792620\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11792620 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/ap_17271692702067-ea1b97e98e157d598fa245d9c752f917e6c25c57-e1576950264238.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT program has officially restarted, offering SNAP recipients up to $60 in free monthly produce. \u003ccite>(Danny Moloshok/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But despite that, he said, “still only a small percentage of all CalFresh-eligible families are using it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While only six stores in the Bay Area are participating in the program right now — almost all of them in the South Bay — anyone receiving CalFresh benefits can automatically receive $60 worth of fresh produce each month if they’re able to reach one of these locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for how the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program works, where it’s available and how to redeem your money in-store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you don’t need this information yourself right now, consider sharing it with someone else who might: “One in five Californians suffer from food insecurity,” Lee said. “So statistically speaking, you are, or you know someone who is struggling with food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can anyone on CalFresh use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes: If you receive any CalFresh (SNAP) benefits, you have automatic access to the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program at participating stores (see below).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t need to apply for anything, as your EBT card itself is your proof of eligibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program in any store that accepts EBT?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No: You’ll need to visit one of the specific stores participating in the program.[aside postID=news_11974262 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/GettyImages-1322106041-1536x1024-1-1020x680.jpg']In the Bay Area, almost all of these stores are in Santa Clara County:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Santa Fe Foods, 860 White Road, San José\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Arteaga’s Food Center, 204 Willow St., San José\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Arteaga’s Food Center, 1003 Lincoln Ave., San José\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Arteaga’s Food Center, 2620 Alum Rock Ave., San José\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Arteaga’s Food Center, 6906 Automall Pkwy., Gilroy\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In Alameda County, you can use the program at:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Santa Fe Foods, 7356 Thornton Ave., Newark\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>There are also participating stores in Monterey and Salinas counties, and several in the Los Angeles area. See a full list of grocery stores participating in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project\">the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How do I use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program in the store?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First, make sure you’re in one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project\">the stores participating in the program\u003c/a> — mistakes can happen — and that you’ve brought your EBT card with you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next, do your shopping as normal, and pick up fresh fruits and vegetables as part of your trip. You don’t have to separate the produce or pay for it in a different transaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the register, tell the cashier you’d like to use your EBT card to pay for your shopping, like you usually would. When it comes to the fresh fruits and vegetables in your cart, you’ll initially see the costs of those particular items come off your EBT funds — but then those funds will be immediately returned, making that produce effectively free at the register.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943822\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11943822 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1144627849-scaled-e1764880413771.jpg\" alt=\"A young Asian man with short dark hair and round glasses carries a 1-year-old girl, with tiny black pigtails, in a harness on his chest, with the girl facing out. They stand in the light of a vegetable display in a supermarket. The man holds a plastic container full of green vegetables, maybe cucumbers, smiling as his daughter reaches out to touch the box.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">If you receive any CalFresh (SNAP) benefits, you have automatic access to the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program at participating stores. \u003ccite>(d3sign/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another way of seeing it: If your cart amounts to $15 of EBT-eligible food, including $5 of produce, you’ll initially see $15 debited from your card on the screen — but then you’ll see the instant rebate of $5 for your produce, meaning your final receipt will only be $10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People don’t have to enroll and do anything different; they don’t have to keep track of some paper coupon or some other card,” said Eli Zigas, executive director of Fullwell: the Bay Area nonprofit advocacy organization partnering with the state to administer the program this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s all built into the EBT card at the participating locations,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while you can get these instant rebates for up to $60 worth of produce each month, remember: You don’t have to “spend” that $60 up in one transaction. Your EBT will automatically keep track of your produce purchases and just stop issuing the instant rebates once you’ve hit that $60 cap for the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Does the amount of produce I can buy using the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program depend on how much I’m receiving in CalFresh benefits?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No: Every CalFresh household can get up to $60 of free fresh fruits and vegetables with their EBT card, regardless of the amount of benefits they receive. It’s a flat amount for all SNAP users in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>My EBT balance is at $0 right now. Can I still use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No: To get the instant rebate on money spent on fresh fruit and vegetables, you’ll first need to actually spend those funds using your EBT card — even though you’ll immediately get the money back onto that card.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you don’t have any money on your EBT card available, you’ll have to wait until your CalFresh funds are reloaded next month to be able to use the program again. But remember that if your EBT funds are running low, you can still spend a smaller amount — or whatever’s available on your card — on fresh fruit and vegetables and receive the money back instantly, until you’ve maxed out that $60-per-month cap.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is there a deadline to use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The $36 million approved in the most recent state budget by the California legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom for the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program “is three and a half times more money than this program has ever had previously for an annual cycle,” Zigas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In previous years, Lee said, the funding would last for different periods “because the program was so wildly successful and oversubscribed that it would run out for a while.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11104718\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11104718 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/11104717-thumb-e1764880797557.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1350\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">CalFresh (SNAP) recipients have automatic access to the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program at participating stores. \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So what about 2026? “We estimate, based on previous usage, that the program will have funds to run through the summer,” Zigas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after summer arrives, Zigas said, “it’s all going to depend on what the usage is, and whether there’s renewed funding.” So while you still have many months to try the program, you shouldn’t wait too long — not least because each month that passes will bring another $60 for you to spend on produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the wake of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062685/eating-for-survival-with-november-snap-delays-how-will-bay-area-families-cope\">the SNAP delays caused by the government shutdown\u003c/a>, “I think people have seen recently more than ever before how important CalFresh is and how much people are struggling to put food on the table,” Zigas said. “We would love to see this program not only operate continuously all year long without interruption, but also expand — because it’s a limited number of grocery stores right now offering this program, and it could be so much bigger.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program the same as Market Match, and can I use both?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://marketmatch.org/\">Market Match\u003c/a> is a statewide program that distributes funds to farmers’ markets across California, allowing people using CalFresh to “match” an amount of their choosing from their EBT card at the market with tokens to spend at that location — essentially doubling their funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial/video/7244672340460637482\" data-video-id=\"7244672340460637482\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@kqedofficial\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@kqedofficial\u003c/a> If you use CalFresh, otherwise known as food stamps, you could be getting extra money to spend at your local farmer’s market. It’s called Market Match, and here’s a step-by-step guide for when you use your EBT card there. \u003ca title=\"calfresh\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/calfresh?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#CalFresh\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"foodstamps\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foodstamps?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#FoodStamps\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"ebt\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ebt?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#EBT\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"farmersmarket\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/farmersmarket?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#FarmersMarket\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ original sound - kqed\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7244672377030757162?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ original sound – kqed\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>[tiktok]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Market Match is a separate state program from the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program, but people on CalFresh can use both programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://marketmatch.org/\">Learn more about the Market Match program\u003c/a>, and watch KQED’s video on how to use your EBT card at your local market.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why does the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program focus on fresh produce specifically?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The program’s focus on fresh fruit and vegetables “is recognizing that CalFresh benefits, as good as they are, are often insufficient for people to afford the food that they want for their families,” Zigas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is especially true of fresh fruits and vegetables, he said, “which are harder to justify buying when you have less income because they’re not shelf stable, and you don’t know if your kids are necessarily going to like them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People would like to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and often just don’t feel like they can make that choice — or afford it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program has restarted, offering SNAP users in the state instant rebates on up to $60 of produce. Here’s where to use it.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s only been a month since\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\"> the federal government shutdown\u003c/a> caused the 5.5 million Californians who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — to see their payments delayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And although payments of SNAP (formerly referred to as food stamps) have restarted, another holiday season is around the corner, putting extra strain on folks who are food insecure in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One positive development: the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program — a state program offering SNAP recipients up to $60 of free produce each month — has restarted as of November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://a24.asmdc.org/press-releases/20251120-calfresh-program-relaunches-make-healthy-food-more-affordable\">The program, which first launched in 2023\u003c/a>, is dependent on state-allocated annual funds that are spent until they’re used up, and the 2024 cycle ran out for CalFresh users back in January of this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this year, the program has received an injection of $36 million, which is projected to last until summer 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In previous years, the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program has made “a real, real difference to so many families,” before its funds were used up, said Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San José), who chairs the state Legislature’s Human Services Committee with oversight of CalFresh policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11792620\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11792620 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/ap_17271692702067-ea1b97e98e157d598fa245d9c752f917e6c25c57-e1576950264238.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT program has officially restarted, offering SNAP recipients up to $60 in free monthly produce. \u003ccite>(Danny Moloshok/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But despite that, he said, “still only a small percentage of all CalFresh-eligible families are using it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While only six stores in the Bay Area are participating in the program right now — almost all of them in the South Bay — anyone receiving CalFresh benefits can automatically receive $60 worth of fresh produce each month if they’re able to reach one of these locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for how the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program works, where it’s available and how to redeem your money in-store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you don’t need this information yourself right now, consider sharing it with someone else who might: “One in five Californians suffer from food insecurity,” Lee said. “So statistically speaking, you are, or you know someone who is struggling with food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can anyone on CalFresh use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes: If you receive any CalFresh (SNAP) benefits, you have automatic access to the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program at participating stores (see below).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t need to apply for anything, as your EBT card itself is your proof of eligibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program in any store that accepts EBT?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No: You’ll need to visit one of the specific stores participating in the program.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In the Bay Area, almost all of these stores are in Santa Clara County:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Santa Fe Foods, 860 White Road, San José\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Arteaga’s Food Center, 204 Willow St., San José\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Arteaga’s Food Center, 1003 Lincoln Ave., San José\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Arteaga’s Food Center, 2620 Alum Rock Ave., San José\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Arteaga’s Food Center, 6906 Automall Pkwy., Gilroy\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In Alameda County, you can use the program at:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Santa Fe Foods, 7356 Thornton Ave., Newark\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>There are also participating stores in Monterey and Salinas counties, and several in the Los Angeles area. See a full list of grocery stores participating in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project\">the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How do I use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program in the store?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First, make sure you’re in one of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project\">the stores participating in the program\u003c/a> — mistakes can happen — and that you’ve brought your EBT card with you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next, do your shopping as normal, and pick up fresh fruits and vegetables as part of your trip. You don’t have to separate the produce or pay for it in a different transaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the register, tell the cashier you’d like to use your EBT card to pay for your shopping, like you usually would. When it comes to the fresh fruits and vegetables in your cart, you’ll initially see the costs of those particular items come off your EBT funds — but then those funds will be immediately returned, making that produce effectively free at the register.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943822\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11943822 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/GettyImages-1144627849-scaled-e1764880413771.jpg\" alt=\"A young Asian man with short dark hair and round glasses carries a 1-year-old girl, with tiny black pigtails, in a harness on his chest, with the girl facing out. They stand in the light of a vegetable display in a supermarket. The man holds a plastic container full of green vegetables, maybe cucumbers, smiling as his daughter reaches out to touch the box.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">If you receive any CalFresh (SNAP) benefits, you have automatic access to the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program at participating stores. \u003ccite>(d3sign/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another way of seeing it: If your cart amounts to $15 of EBT-eligible food, including $5 of produce, you’ll initially see $15 debited from your card on the screen — but then you’ll see the instant rebate of $5 for your produce, meaning your final receipt will only be $10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People don’t have to enroll and do anything different; they don’t have to keep track of some paper coupon or some other card,” said Eli Zigas, executive director of Fullwell: the Bay Area nonprofit advocacy organization partnering with the state to administer the program this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s all built into the EBT card at the participating locations,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while you can get these instant rebates for up to $60 worth of produce each month, remember: You don’t have to “spend” that $60 up in one transaction. Your EBT will automatically keep track of your produce purchases and just stop issuing the instant rebates once you’ve hit that $60 cap for the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Does the amount of produce I can buy using the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program depend on how much I’m receiving in CalFresh benefits?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No: Every CalFresh household can get up to $60 of free fresh fruits and vegetables with their EBT card, regardless of the amount of benefits they receive. It’s a flat amount for all SNAP users in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>My EBT balance is at $0 right now. Can I still use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>No: To get the instant rebate on money spent on fresh fruit and vegetables, you’ll first need to actually spend those funds using your EBT card — even though you’ll immediately get the money back onto that card.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you don’t have any money on your EBT card available, you’ll have to wait until your CalFresh funds are reloaded next month to be able to use the program again. But remember that if your EBT funds are running low, you can still spend a smaller amount — or whatever’s available on your card — on fresh fruit and vegetables and receive the money back instantly, until you’ve maxed out that $60-per-month cap.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is there a deadline to use the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The $36 million approved in the most recent state budget by the California legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom for the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program “is three and a half times more money than this program has ever had previously for an annual cycle,” Zigas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In previous years, Lee said, the funding would last for different periods “because the program was so wildly successful and oversubscribed that it would run out for a while.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11104718\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11104718 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/09/11104717-thumb-e1764880797557.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1350\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">CalFresh (SNAP) recipients have automatic access to the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program at participating stores. \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So what about 2026? “We estimate, based on previous usage, that the program will have funds to run through the summer,” Zigas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after summer arrives, Zigas said, “it’s all going to depend on what the usage is, and whether there’s renewed funding.” So while you still have many months to try the program, you shouldn’t wait too long — not least because each month that passes will bring another $60 for you to spend on produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the wake of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062685/eating-for-survival-with-november-snap-delays-how-will-bay-area-families-cope\">the SNAP delays caused by the government shutdown\u003c/a>, “I think people have seen recently more than ever before how important CalFresh is and how much people are struggling to put food on the table,” Zigas said. “We would love to see this program not only operate continuously all year long without interruption, but also expand — because it’s a limited number of grocery stores right now offering this program, and it could be so much bigger.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program the same as Market Match, and can I use both?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://marketmatch.org/\">Market Match\u003c/a> is a statewide program that distributes funds to farmers’ markets across California, allowing people using CalFresh to “match” an amount of their choosing from their EBT card at the market with tokens to spend at that location — essentially doubling their funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" style=\"max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;\" cite=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial/video/7244672340460637482\" data-video-id=\"7244672340460637482\">\n\u003csection>\u003ca title=\"@kqedofficial\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@kqedofficial\u003c/a> If you use CalFresh, otherwise known as food stamps, you could be getting extra money to spend at your local farmer’s market. It’s called Market Match, and here’s a step-by-step guide for when you use your EBT card there. \u003ca title=\"calfresh\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/calfresh?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#CalFresh\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"foodstamps\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foodstamps?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#FoodStamps\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"ebt\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ebt?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#EBT\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"farmersmarket\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/tag/farmersmarket?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#FarmersMarket\u003c/a> \u003ca title=\"♬ original sound - kqed\" href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7244672377030757162?refer=embed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">♬ original sound – kqed\u003c/a>\u003c/section>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Market Match is a separate state program from the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program, but people on CalFresh can use both programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://marketmatch.org/\">Learn more about the Market Match program\u003c/a>, and watch KQED’s video on how to use your EBT card at your local market.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why does the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program focus on fresh produce specifically?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The program’s focus on fresh fruit and vegetables “is recognizing that CalFresh benefits, as good as they are, are often insufficient for people to afford the food that they want for their families,” Zigas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is especially true of fresh fruits and vegetables, he said, “which are harder to justify buying when you have less income because they’re not shelf stable, and you don’t know if your kids are necessarily going to like them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People would like to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and often just don’t feel like they can make that choice — or afford it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill to Cost San Francisco $400 Million, End Care for Thousands",
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"content": "\u003cp>President \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Donald Trump\u003c/a>’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to cut hundreds of millions of dollars annually from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s budget, with up to 50,000 people potentially losing access to public benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s according to a new report from the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Human Services, which estimates the federal budget could cost the city up to $400 million annually once fully implemented in 2038.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our economy is recovering, and we made real progress eliminating hundreds of millions of dollars every year from our structural deficit,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement. “But these changes at the state and federal level represent a real threat to San Francisco, to our residents and to our budget.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Signed into law on July 4, the Big Beautiful Bill, as it’s officially known, strips federal funding for a variety of public healthcare programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, while cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans by tens of thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Public Health stands to lose $315 million in 2027–28 alone, and the city’s Department of Human Services, which administers CalFresh, the state’s food stamp program, estimates it will lose $81 million annually. Around 21,000 San Franciscans could lose food benefits by 2027 if they do not have an income, largely due to newly imposed work requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 112,000 San Franciscans receive food assistance through CalFresh, according to the report.[aside postID=news_12064551 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/GettyImages-1352132356-2000x1333.jpg']“The strict work and paperwork requirements are really about layering on a whole lot of red tape,” said Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, adding that CalFresh and other SNAP programs already have income limits and work requirements. “This will all make a big administrative entanglement and create more burden and disinventive for people who need and deserve benefits to even apply.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between 25,000 and 50,000 San Franciscans are also projected to lose access to Medi-Cal, the report shows. Undocumented residents are particularly vulnerable to the cuts, and starting in January, Medi-Cal recipients will have more hurdles to jump through for benefits, including verifying their eligibility every six months rather than once per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city is already charting out mitigation strategies, including keeping residents enrolled in benefits programs. It is also looking to expand programs like Healthy San Francisco, a city program that provides health coverage for residents who are not eligible for Medi-Cal and Medicare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Despite these actions, the City and County will face difficult financial decisions, and we will need to prioritize programs, services and staffing,” the report reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dramatic projections come after the city earlier this year cut millions from its own budget in order to balance an $800 million shortfall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are really concerned about what this means for people who are just struggling to make ends meet,” Crosby said. “We have among the highest rates of food insecurity … There is a lot of opportunity for bold change that we can make within our state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie’s budget, passed earlier this year, anticipated federal cuts and included $400 million in reserves to help combat future shortfalls. The city is now preparing to start developing its next annual budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Over the next several months, I will work with the Board of Supervisors, community leaders, and residents across the city to ensure we take care of San Franciscans and deliver another responsible budget that supports our residents and strengthens our recovery,” Lurie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "President Donald Trump’s major budget bill is slated to cut $400 million annually in federal funding for San Francisco by 2038, according to a city report. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>President \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Donald Trump\u003c/a>’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to cut hundreds of millions of dollars annually from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s budget, with up to 50,000 people potentially losing access to public benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s according to a new report from the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Human Services, which estimates the federal budget could cost the city up to $400 million annually once fully implemented in 2038.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our economy is recovering, and we made real progress eliminating hundreds of millions of dollars every year from our structural deficit,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement. “But these changes at the state and federal level represent a real threat to San Francisco, to our residents and to our budget.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Signed into law on July 4, the Big Beautiful Bill, as it’s officially known, strips federal funding for a variety of public healthcare programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, while cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans by tens of thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Public Health stands to lose $315 million in 2027–28 alone, and the city’s Department of Human Services, which administers CalFresh, the state’s food stamp program, estimates it will lose $81 million annually. Around 21,000 San Franciscans could lose food benefits by 2027 if they do not have an income, largely due to newly imposed work requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 112,000 San Franciscans receive food assistance through CalFresh, according to the report.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The strict work and paperwork requirements are really about layering on a whole lot of red tape,” said Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, adding that CalFresh and other SNAP programs already have income limits and work requirements. “This will all make a big administrative entanglement and create more burden and disinventive for people who need and deserve benefits to even apply.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between 25,000 and 50,000 San Franciscans are also projected to lose access to Medi-Cal, the report shows. Undocumented residents are particularly vulnerable to the cuts, and starting in January, Medi-Cal recipients will have more hurdles to jump through for benefits, including verifying their eligibility every six months rather than once per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city is already charting out mitigation strategies, including keeping residents enrolled in benefits programs. It is also looking to expand programs like Healthy San Francisco, a city program that provides health coverage for residents who are not eligible for Medi-Cal and Medicare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Despite these actions, the City and County will face difficult financial decisions, and we will need to prioritize programs, services and staffing,” the report reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dramatic projections come after the city earlier this year cut millions from its own budget in order to balance an $800 million shortfall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are really concerned about what this means for people who are just struggling to make ends meet,” Crosby said. “We have among the highest rates of food insecurity … There is a lot of opportunity for bold change that we can make within our state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie’s budget, passed earlier this year, anticipated federal cuts and included $400 million in reserves to help combat future shortfalls. The city is now preparing to start developing its next annual budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Over the next several months, I will work with the Board of Supervisors, community leaders, and residents across the city to ensure we take care of San Franciscans and deliver another responsible budget that supports our residents and strengthens our recovery,” Lurie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "snap-benefits-hung-in-limbo-for-weeks-it-was-a-peek-at-life-under-long-term-cuts",
"title": "SNAP Benefits Hung in Limbo for Weeks. It Was a Peek at Life Under Long-Term Cuts",
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"content": "\u003cp>She’d been waiting for over an hour, and Trozalla Smith was still nowhere near the front of the line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside the East Oakland Collective’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">food pantry,\u003c/a> the mass of people stretched half a block in either direction around her. Women with babies strapped to their backs shifted their weight from one foot to another, bored kids sat on the sidewalk, and elderly men stood stiffly in place as they waited to pick up whatever was left of that week’s offerings — fresh produce, instant ramen, milk and, if they were lucky, eggs and meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was the end of October, and food pantries were absorbing the shock of around 5.5 million Californians anticipating \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">delays to their federal food benefits\u003c/a> amid the government shutdown. Unsure of the status of her aid, Smith, 24, was relying entirely on pantries to feed herself and her boyfriend. “It’s our lifeline,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The uncertainty was only the latest reminder of how precarious life on the economic margins already is. The struggle to afford one of the country’s most expensive regions, with grocery prices still soaring, started long before the shutdown and will continue long after it finally ended on Nov. 12.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For two weeks, the country’s largest anti-hunger program hung in the balance — and it may have been only a glimpse of what’s to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Smith and thousands more across the Bay Area scrambled to get by during the shutdown, state leaders were wrestling with a more enduring threat to food aid: policy changes recently signed into law by President Trump that \u003ca href=\"https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/federal-funding-cuts-to-snap-calfresh-will-have-sweeping-impacts-on-californians/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">are expected to reduce\u003c/a> benefits for over 3 million California households.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064444\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064444\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00687_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00687_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00687_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00687_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith arrives at the Alameda Food Bank on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>New eligibility limits and benefit reductions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5090\">mean some 400,000 to 750,000 Californians\u003c/a> could lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program altogether, according to estimates by the state Legislative Analyst’s Office and policy experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And all the recent attention on SNAP has \u003ca href=\"https://newrepublic.com/article/203120/trump-snap-food-stamps\">placed the program\u003c/a> in the Trump administration’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/14/trump-usda-snap-participants-reapply-benefits-00651874\">crosshairs\u003c/a>, leading many to brace for still more blows to food aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are unprecedented changes to the program that will have impacts for many years,” David Swanson Hollinger, chief deputy director at the California Department of Social Services, \u003ca href=\"https://www.senate.ca.gov/media-archive?time%5bmedia-element-18223%5d=2999.428751\">told a state Senate committee\u003c/a> last week, warning that lawmakers will have to “reimagine our path forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Everything is so expensive’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some of the newly enacted changes haven’t yet rolled out in California, and others are just beginning to take effect, but staff at the East Oakland Collective said they’d heard from several clients who unexpectedly had their benefits cut in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among them was Monica Thompson, a 64-year-old who has breast cancer and was one of the first to get in line that morning. Her assistance was cut from about $300 down to $24, she said, screwing up her face. “What can I do with $24?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the last week of October, the collective had already served 100 more families than usual, according to executive director Candice Elder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064446\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shopping carts are parked around the Alameda Food Bank on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Standing in line that morning, a pregnant woman with a toddler in a stroller checked the state benefits app on her phone for updates. “November benefits will likely be delayed,” Taylor Ducote read, scrolling through the FAQs with exasperation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fear that we have to live with every day until we find out if we’re going to get it or not … it’s just really nerve-wracking and scary for our kids,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ducote had just gotten housing four months earlier after half a decade of homelessness, and she wondered aloud how she’d pay her rent and utilities if she had to buy food out of pocket. Already, she was desperate by the end of the month.[aside postID=news_12061440 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/013_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9229_qed.jpg']The night before, she said, she got caught stealing from a grocery store. She didn’t get arrested, but she was humiliated. “You think I want to be right here stealing so my son can get milk?” she had told the security guard. “Look what I’m stealing: toilet paper, diapers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few miles away, Ana Hoover, 54, stood in line at the Berkeley Food Pantry. She said she’d been out of work since December and was relying on food stamps, pantries and occasional gigs she found through an event staffing company or on NextDoor to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every month, she used up her SNAP benefits at least two weeks before they were replenished.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Ducote, the prospect of losing them altogether left her unsure about how she’d stay housed and take care of other basic needs. She’d been homeless for three years until recently, and she now pays $1,050 a month for a room at the YMCA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything is so expensive,” she said. “Food stamps doesn’t cover toothpaste, toothbrushes … [and] now the money is also going for food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064885\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPdelaysfeature00921_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPdelaysfeature00921_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPdelaysfeature00921_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPdelaysfeature00921_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith shops at the Alameda Food Bank on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The added stress of losing her $300 in food aid rippled across her life in ways big and small. It put more obstacles on her path back to the workforce. How would she pay for transportation to jobs? She rationed the mascara, lipstick and deodorant that gave her the confidence to go to interviews.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She had a gig coming up as an usher for an event at the Moscone Center, and she needed an all-black outfit. “I went into a panic because I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, I need to buy black shoes.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She aims to apply for three jobs a day. “I need to be focusing,” she said. “When you’re almost in a panic, how can you focus and how can you be productive?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The power of choice\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The next week, Smith pushed a shopping cart through the Alameda Food Bank. She had applied for CalFresh, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063660/california-moves-to-protect-calfresh-payments-from-federal-confusion-and-chaos\">California’s version of SNAP\u003c/a>, in early October, after she lost her job as a home health aide, and she received emergency benefits for the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While she waited on approval, she created a daily schedule of food pantries and bused from one to another, patching together meals from the hodgepodge of dry goods and produce available and figuring out which were worth her time. This bank, with its brand new building and heaping bins of apples and potatoes, was one of the best she’d found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064445\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064445\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00731_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00731_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00731_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00731_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith shops at the Alameda Food Bank on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Today, she was most excited about the fresh strawberries — usually too expensive to buy, and often starting to mold by the time she found them at food pantries. Those pantries rely heavily on the Alameda County Community Food Bank, which fills their shelves with a mix of food from federal programs, donations, bulk farm purchases and surplus groceries that are sometimes on the verge of expiring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have to eat it that day or the next, which makes it hard,” Smith said. These berries, though, looked perfectly fresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each bin listed an item limit on the side, so Smith had learned to shop carefully. “You can get four apples,” she said, hunting through the bin for the largest she could find. “You’ll get fuller with a bigger apple, but they tend to be more bruised. It’s a bit like a scavenger hunt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That the new, sprawling food bank was designed to mimic the experience of shopping wasn’t lost on Smith. “I like this place because it makes you feel more like a regular person,” she said. “You get to shop for your food.”[aside postID=news_12063723 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-01-KQED.jpg']She was grateful for the semblance of choice, but what the SNAP program provided was the real thing — something people pointed out again and again as they faced the prospect of going without their benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I get to cook. I refuse to go to them fast-food places,” said Anthony Cassidy, standing outside the food bank with a basket full of fruits and vegetables. “I like making stew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 75-year-old Vietnam War veteran said he spent decades addicted to heroin, in and out of prison and homelessness, and was now sober and stably housed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m bound and determined to live out my days healthy and free,” he said. “SNAP has really helped me, allowed me to get some food that I like instead of stuff that I had to get.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a single week, Smith spent some 20 hours busing to and from six pantries, waiting in line and picking up food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My body’s tired today, really tired,” she said, the day after her trip to the Alameda Food Bank. She was back in East Oakland, making her way to the bus stop after visiting two food pantries on MacArthur Boulevard. She struggled under the weight of three heavy tote bags loaded with watermelon, butternut squash, potatoes and pears. In her free hand, she balanced a pizza, an unexpected pantry score.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s definitely going to hurt later on tonight,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064448\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064448\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01284_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01284_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01284_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01284_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith stands across advertisements for CalFresh as she holds her groceries from the Alameda Food Bank at the 12th Street BART Station in Oakland on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Smith has lupus, an autoimmune condition that makes her joints ache and some days, leaves her too exhausted to get out of bed. She was diagnosed at 8 years old, she said, after a series of mysterious rashes, fevers and aches had perplexed doctors for nearly two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2023, the illness forced her to come home from college at Emory University in Atlanta. She developed pericarditis, a swelling of the tissue surrounding her heart, and doctors recommended she take a break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was on a lot of steroids, couldn’t walk at that point,” she said. Still, she was devastated to leave the school, where she was on a pre-med track. “I loved it so much,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back home after a 30-minute bus ride and 10-minute walk, Smith and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Kelinde Secrease, hoisted the groceries onto the counter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She pulled eggs from a tote triumphantly. The pantries often ran out, and she’d gotten in line an hour and a half before the East Oakland Collective opened in order to bring these home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064450\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064450\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01577_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01577_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01577_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01577_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith puts away groceries from the Alameda food bank in her fridge at her family home in San Leandro on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A few days earlier, Secrease had caught himself doing something he hadn’t done in a long time: wondering what he wanted to eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a realization where I was like, wow — even being able to say ‘What do I want to eat?’ is a very powerful statement that I’m very grateful for,” he said. Before they’d learned to navigate the patchwork of pantries in the area, with Smith out of work and his own hours stuck at just 12 a week, food had been so limited that eating stopped feeling like a choice at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having choices allowed him to enjoy food again. “It doesn’t feel so laborious having to eat because you’re eating something that you really don’t want to,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For people like Smith and Secrease, going without federal food aid doesn’t necessarily mean going hungry. But it pushes their already precarious budget to the breaking point, forcing them to scramble for rent and utilities, bus fare, tampons and toothpaste. Necessity strips away choice, and with it, the small freedoms that make life feel like more than survival. “When you have options, you have freedom,” Secrease said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the moment, the couple figured they had enough food to last them a week. Smith was relieved she’d have that time to focus on applying for jobs and tending to her health. But first they had to chop, freeze, roast and juice their way through the small mountain of produce to keep it from going to waste. After six hours in the kitchen, they had a freezer and refrigerator full of food.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Some relief, but uncertainty remains\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A week into November, Hoover stood in the YMCA residence’s shared kitchen, chopping onion, potato and bell pepper to add to a roasting pan where a whole chicken sizzled in the oven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love to cook, it’s one of my favorite things to do,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’d gotten the bird for under $10 at Trader Joe’s; the rest of the meal came from the Berkeley Food Pantry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064440\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00103_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00103_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00103_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00103_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ana Hoover checks out her groceries at her local Trader Joe’s in Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With the month’s food stamps still in limbo amid federal court challenges and the ongoing government shutdown, she called the state’s EBT helpline, hoping for answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Your CalFresh balance is $0.61,” a recorded voice said. “You have one future benefit added to the account. CalFresh benefits available on Nov. 10 for $298.00.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh, my God, what a lifesaver!” Hoover said. “Oh, my God.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. “The stress level — feeling like, how am I going to do this,” she said. “You have no idea what relief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064441\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064441\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00125_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00125_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00125_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00125_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ana Hoover, whose SNAP benefits were delayed by the government shutdown, uses her EBT card to pay for her groceries at her local Trader Joe’s in Berkeley on Nov. 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Earlier that week, Smith had come home from a three-hour food pantry trip to a letter from the county. Her CalFresh benefits were being denied, the letter explained, because she had not submitted proof of income. She was deflated and frustrated. “I don’t understand. I don’t have any income,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By mid-November, Smith had landed a part-time nanny position, Secrease was working full-time, midnight to 7 a.m., training robots to fold clothes and bus tables, and Hoover was still picking up gigs while applying for jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith was again waiting to hear back about her CalFresh case after submitting new income documents, and Hoover had $58 left in her account — just enough to make a Thanksgiving meal with the free turkey she’d learned a local pantry was offering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064439\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064439\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00089_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00089_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00089_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00089_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ana Hoover shops at her local Trader Joe’s in Berkeley on Nov. 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For both women, the last month had deepened their distrust of a system meant to catch them when they fell. “I have always felt that these types of benefits could end anytime,” Hoover said, but that fear no longer feels hypothetical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans have long sought to cut federal funding for food benefits, implement stricter work requirements and shift the burden to states. After Trump signed some of those restrictions into law this year, the shutdown showed what could follow if federal benefits are further curtailed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith took some comfort in knowing she found a way forward through sheer tenacity, but the effort had caused her lupus to flare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As she lay in bed, she hoped the food in the freezer would last long enough for her to recover. Then she’d pull up her pantry schedule, pack her tote bags and do it all over again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The shutdown is over, but the panic over delayed benefits is only the latest reminder of how precarious life is on the economic margins — and what could come under cuts by the Trump administration.",
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"title": "SNAP Benefits Hung in Limbo for Weeks. It Was a Peek at Life Under Long-Term Cuts | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>She’d been waiting for over an hour, and Trozalla Smith was still nowhere near the front of the line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside the East Oakland Collective’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">food pantry,\u003c/a> the mass of people stretched half a block in either direction around her. Women with babies strapped to their backs shifted their weight from one foot to another, bored kids sat on the sidewalk, and elderly men stood stiffly in place as they waited to pick up whatever was left of that week’s offerings — fresh produce, instant ramen, milk and, if they were lucky, eggs and meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was the end of October, and food pantries were absorbing the shock of around 5.5 million Californians anticipating \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">delays to their federal food benefits\u003c/a> amid the government shutdown. Unsure of the status of her aid, Smith, 24, was relying entirely on pantries to feed herself and her boyfriend. “It’s our lifeline,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The uncertainty was only the latest reminder of how precarious life on the economic margins already is. The struggle to afford one of the country’s most expensive regions, with grocery prices still soaring, started long before the shutdown and will continue long after it finally ended on Nov. 12.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For two weeks, the country’s largest anti-hunger program hung in the balance — and it may have been only a glimpse of what’s to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Smith and thousands more across the Bay Area scrambled to get by during the shutdown, state leaders were wrestling with a more enduring threat to food aid: policy changes recently signed into law by President Trump that \u003ca href=\"https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/federal-funding-cuts-to-snap-calfresh-will-have-sweeping-impacts-on-californians/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">are expected to reduce\u003c/a> benefits for over 3 million California households.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064444\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064444\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00687_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00687_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00687_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00687_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith arrives at the Alameda Food Bank on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>New eligibility limits and benefit reductions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5090\">mean some 400,000 to 750,000 Californians\u003c/a> could lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program altogether, according to estimates by the state Legislative Analyst’s Office and policy experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And all the recent attention on SNAP has \u003ca href=\"https://newrepublic.com/article/203120/trump-snap-food-stamps\">placed the program\u003c/a> in the Trump administration’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/14/trump-usda-snap-participants-reapply-benefits-00651874\">crosshairs\u003c/a>, leading many to brace for still more blows to food aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are unprecedented changes to the program that will have impacts for many years,” David Swanson Hollinger, chief deputy director at the California Department of Social Services, \u003ca href=\"https://www.senate.ca.gov/media-archive?time%5bmedia-element-18223%5d=2999.428751\">told a state Senate committee\u003c/a> last week, warning that lawmakers will have to “reimagine our path forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Everything is so expensive’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some of the newly enacted changes haven’t yet rolled out in California, and others are just beginning to take effect, but staff at the East Oakland Collective said they’d heard from several clients who unexpectedly had their benefits cut in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among them was Monica Thompson, a 64-year-old who has breast cancer and was one of the first to get in line that morning. Her assistance was cut from about $300 down to $24, she said, screwing up her face. “What can I do with $24?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the last week of October, the collective had already served 100 more families than usual, according to executive director Candice Elder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064446\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shopping carts are parked around the Alameda Food Bank on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Standing in line that morning, a pregnant woman with a toddler in a stroller checked the state benefits app on her phone for updates. “November benefits will likely be delayed,” Taylor Ducote read, scrolling through the FAQs with exasperation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fear that we have to live with every day until we find out if we’re going to get it or not … it’s just really nerve-wracking and scary for our kids,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ducote had just gotten housing four months earlier after half a decade of homelessness, and she wondered aloud how she’d pay her rent and utilities if she had to buy food out of pocket. Already, she was desperate by the end of the month.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The night before, she said, she got caught stealing from a grocery store. She didn’t get arrested, but she was humiliated. “You think I want to be right here stealing so my son can get milk?” she had told the security guard. “Look what I’m stealing: toilet paper, diapers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few miles away, Ana Hoover, 54, stood in line at the Berkeley Food Pantry. She said she’d been out of work since December and was relying on food stamps, pantries and occasional gigs she found through an event staffing company or on NextDoor to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every month, she used up her SNAP benefits at least two weeks before they were replenished.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Ducote, the prospect of losing them altogether left her unsure about how she’d stay housed and take care of other basic needs. She’d been homeless for three years until recently, and she now pays $1,050 a month for a room at the YMCA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything is so expensive,” she said. “Food stamps doesn’t cover toothpaste, toothbrushes … [and] now the money is also going for food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064885\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064885\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPdelaysfeature00921_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPdelaysfeature00921_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPdelaysfeature00921_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPdelaysfeature00921_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith shops at the Alameda Food Bank on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The added stress of losing her $300 in food aid rippled across her life in ways big and small. It put more obstacles on her path back to the workforce. How would she pay for transportation to jobs? She rationed the mascara, lipstick and deodorant that gave her the confidence to go to interviews.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She had a gig coming up as an usher for an event at the Moscone Center, and she needed an all-black outfit. “I went into a panic because I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, I need to buy black shoes.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She aims to apply for three jobs a day. “I need to be focusing,” she said. “When you’re almost in a panic, how can you focus and how can you be productive?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The power of choice\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The next week, Smith pushed a shopping cart through the Alameda Food Bank. She had applied for CalFresh, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063660/california-moves-to-protect-calfresh-payments-from-federal-confusion-and-chaos\">California’s version of SNAP\u003c/a>, in early October, after she lost her job as a home health aide, and she received emergency benefits for the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While she waited on approval, she created a daily schedule of food pantries and bused from one to another, patching together meals from the hodgepodge of dry goods and produce available and figuring out which were worth her time. This bank, with its brand new building and heaping bins of apples and potatoes, was one of the best she’d found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064445\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064445\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00731_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00731_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00731_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00731_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith shops at the Alameda Food Bank on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Today, she was most excited about the fresh strawberries — usually too expensive to buy, and often starting to mold by the time she found them at food pantries. Those pantries rely heavily on the Alameda County Community Food Bank, which fills their shelves with a mix of food from federal programs, donations, bulk farm purchases and surplus groceries that are sometimes on the verge of expiring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have to eat it that day or the next, which makes it hard,” Smith said. These berries, though, looked perfectly fresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each bin listed an item limit on the side, so Smith had learned to shop carefully. “You can get four apples,” she said, hunting through the bin for the largest she could find. “You’ll get fuller with a bigger apple, but they tend to be more bruised. It’s a bit like a scavenger hunt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That the new, sprawling food bank was designed to mimic the experience of shopping wasn’t lost on Smith. “I like this place because it makes you feel more like a regular person,” she said. “You get to shop for your food.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She was grateful for the semblance of choice, but what the SNAP program provided was the real thing — something people pointed out again and again as they faced the prospect of going without their benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I get to cook. I refuse to go to them fast-food places,” said Anthony Cassidy, standing outside the food bank with a basket full of fruits and vegetables. “I like making stew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 75-year-old Vietnam War veteran said he spent decades addicted to heroin, in and out of prison and homelessness, and was now sober and stably housed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m bound and determined to live out my days healthy and free,” he said. “SNAP has really helped me, allowed me to get some food that I like instead of stuff that I had to get.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a single week, Smith spent some 20 hours busing to and from six pantries, waiting in line and picking up food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My body’s tired today, really tired,” she said, the day after her trip to the Alameda Food Bank. She was back in East Oakland, making her way to the bus stop after visiting two food pantries on MacArthur Boulevard. She struggled under the weight of three heavy tote bags loaded with watermelon, butternut squash, potatoes and pears. In her free hand, she balanced a pizza, an unexpected pantry score.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s definitely going to hurt later on tonight,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064448\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064448\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01284_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01284_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01284_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01284_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith stands across advertisements for CalFresh as she holds her groceries from the Alameda Food Bank at the 12th Street BART Station in Oakland on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Smith has lupus, an autoimmune condition that makes her joints ache and some days, leaves her too exhausted to get out of bed. She was diagnosed at 8 years old, she said, after a series of mysterious rashes, fevers and aches had perplexed doctors for nearly two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2023, the illness forced her to come home from college at Emory University in Atlanta. She developed pericarditis, a swelling of the tissue surrounding her heart, and doctors recommended she take a break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was on a lot of steroids, couldn’t walk at that point,” she said. Still, she was devastated to leave the school, where she was on a pre-med track. “I loved it so much,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back home after a 30-minute bus ride and 10-minute walk, Smith and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Kelinde Secrease, hoisted the groceries onto the counter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She pulled eggs from a tote triumphantly. The pantries often ran out, and she’d gotten in line an hour and a half before the East Oakland Collective opened in order to bring these home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064450\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064450\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01577_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01577_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01577_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE01577_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trozalla Smith puts away groceries from the Alameda food bank in her fridge at her family home in San Leandro on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A few days earlier, Secrease had caught himself doing something he hadn’t done in a long time: wondering what he wanted to eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a realization where I was like, wow — even being able to say ‘What do I want to eat?’ is a very powerful statement that I’m very grateful for,” he said. Before they’d learned to navigate the patchwork of pantries in the area, with Smith out of work and his own hours stuck at just 12 a week, food had been so limited that eating stopped feeling like a choice at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having choices allowed him to enjoy food again. “It doesn’t feel so laborious having to eat because you’re eating something that you really don’t want to,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For people like Smith and Secrease, going without federal food aid doesn’t necessarily mean going hungry. But it pushes their already precarious budget to the breaking point, forcing them to scramble for rent and utilities, bus fare, tampons and toothpaste. Necessity strips away choice, and with it, the small freedoms that make life feel like more than survival. “When you have options, you have freedom,” Secrease said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the moment, the couple figured they had enough food to last them a week. Smith was relieved she’d have that time to focus on applying for jobs and tending to her health. But first they had to chop, freeze, roast and juice their way through the small mountain of produce to keep it from going to waste. After six hours in the kitchen, they had a freezer and refrigerator full of food.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Some relief, but uncertainty remains\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A week into November, Hoover stood in the YMCA residence’s shared kitchen, chopping onion, potato and bell pepper to add to a roasting pan where a whole chicken sizzled in the oven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love to cook, it’s one of my favorite things to do,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’d gotten the bird for under $10 at Trader Joe’s; the rest of the meal came from the Berkeley Food Pantry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064440\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00103_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00103_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00103_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00103_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ana Hoover checks out her groceries at her local Trader Joe’s in Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With the month’s food stamps still in limbo amid federal court challenges and the ongoing government shutdown, she called the state’s EBT helpline, hoping for answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Your CalFresh balance is $0.61,” a recorded voice said. “You have one future benefit added to the account. CalFresh benefits available on Nov. 10 for $298.00.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh, my God, what a lifesaver!” Hoover said. “Oh, my God.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. “The stress level — feeling like, how am I going to do this,” she said. “You have no idea what relief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064441\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064441\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00125_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00125_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00125_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00125_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ana Hoover, whose SNAP benefits were delayed by the government shutdown, uses her EBT card to pay for her groceries at her local Trader Joe’s in Berkeley on Nov. 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Earlier that week, Smith had come home from a three-hour food pantry trip to a letter from the county. Her CalFresh benefits were being denied, the letter explained, because she had not submitted proof of income. She was deflated and frustrated. “I don’t understand. I don’t have any income,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By mid-November, Smith had landed a part-time nanny position, Secrease was working full-time, midnight to 7 a.m., training robots to fold clothes and bus tables, and Hoover was still picking up gigs while applying for jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith was again waiting to hear back about her CalFresh case after submitting new income documents, and Hoover had $58 left in her account — just enough to make a Thanksgiving meal with the free turkey she’d learned a local pantry was offering.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064439\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064439\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00089_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00089_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00089_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00089_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ana Hoover shops at her local Trader Joe’s in Berkeley on Nov. 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For both women, the last month had deepened their distrust of a system meant to catch them when they fell. “I have always felt that these types of benefits could end anytime,” Hoover said, but that fear no longer feels hypothetical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans have long sought to cut federal funding for food benefits, implement stricter work requirements and shift the burden to states. After Trump signed some of those restrictions into law this year, the shutdown showed what could follow if federal benefits are further curtailed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith took some comfort in knowing she found a way forward through sheer tenacity, but the effort had caused her lupus to flare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As she lay in bed, she hoped the food in the freezer would last long enough for her to recover. Then she’d pull up her pantry schedule, pack her tote bags and do it all over again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "food-insecurity-on-campus-how-snap-is-a-lifeline-for-many-students",
"title": "Food Insecurity on Campus: How SNAP is a 'Lifeline' for Many Students",
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"headTitle": "Food Insecurity on Campus: How SNAP is a ‘Lifeline’ for Many Students | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Before she applied for food assistance through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Santa Clara University student Kaylee Jensen remembers the anxiety she felt when thinking about how she was going to juggle paying for her rent with affording her next meal — all while studying miles from home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when a staff member from her college’s basic needs program helped her apply for CalFresh, California’s version of SNAP, Jensen said, “it was like ‘night and day’ difference.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could eat so much better,” Jensen, now 20, said. As a supplementary program, CalFresh is “not something you can really rely on fully, but it honestly changed so much for me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And when it came to finally being able to afford certain kinds of fresh food, CalFresh “really just unlocked a whole new level of eating for me,” Jensen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At SCU, a private college, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/college-mobility/santa-clara-university\">71% of students come from families in the top 20% of earners. \u003c/a>Jensen, a first-generation college student, said she told virtually no one that she was receiving benefits — including her friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students on campus at Santa Clara University on Nov. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“SNAP or EBT is almost like a bad word,” she said. “It’s almost an embarrassing part of shame that you’re holding within you … Like, oh, ‘I’m trying to catch up to everyone else, but I can barely afford to live, let alone to eat.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Jensen is no longer using CalFresh, she was one of over \u003ca href=\"https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/chart-detail?chartId=55416\">41 million people\u003c/a> nationwide who depend on SNAP to put food on the table — a group that’s seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">their November benefits delayed\u003c/a> due to what is now the longest \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">federal government shutdown\u003c/a> in U.S. history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even as \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">CalFresh recipients in the state have finally begun receiving this month’s benefits \u003c/a>after \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-11-6-2025#0000019a-5af9-d003-addb-deffec620000\">a federal judge’s ruling, and Congress discusses a deal to end the shutdown, President Donald Trump’s administration is now fighting the states in the courts to\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063660/california-moves-to-protect-calfresh-payments-from-federal-confusion-and-chaos\"> “undo” this month’s SNAP money\u003c/a> — leaving recipients in even more confusion and anxiety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shutdown delays have sharply highlighted just how many people in California — \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">around 5.5 million people\u003c/a> — rely on SNAP. But among the program’s seniors, families, single parents and veterans, college students like Jensen are a group that’s often overlooked when it comes to depending on CalFresh to eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Hunger on campus\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Over 400,000 public university and college students participate in CalFresh statewide — a number that surprises people, according to Jennifer Hogg, a senior research manager at the California Policy Lab at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many people don’t think of college students when they think of who is impacted by the SNAP shut off,” Hogg said. “But today’s college student is largely lower-income — potentially first-generation — and doesn’t have a ton of financial support from home.” And as \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/politics/fact-check-beef-grocery-prices-trump-vis\">groceries have become more and more expensive\u003c/a>, some colleges are also \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6520682/\">located in food deserts\u003c/a>, making it even harder to find fresh, substantial meals.[aside postID=news_12063660 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/RobBontaAP.jpg']Jensen noted it’s common for college students to darkly joke among themselves about how little they’ve eaten that day, as they juggle studies and extracurriculars. But that could normalize the hunger, she said. According to \u003ca href=\"https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/newsroom/blog/calfresh-college-students-food-insecurity\">a UCLA study\u003c/a> from earlier this year, half of the California college students surveyed said they experienced food insecurity, and 28% of respondents said they’d skipped a meal in the past because they couldn’t afford to eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you’re having to deal with those things, it’s impossible to think about the larger academic responsibilities that you have,” Jensen said. “I couldn’t focus on anything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://capolicylab.org/news/analysis-shows-govt-shutdown-could-lead-to-at-least-414000-college-students-not-receiving-their-nov-calfresh-benefits/\">California Policy Lab’s data\u003c/a> includes students from the 2022 to 2023 academic school year at California Community Colleges, the University of California and the California State University systems. The data does not include students like Jensen, who attend private schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the data, over 58,000 CalFresh recipients are within the University of California system, including Berkeley transfer student LisaMarie Fusco, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062685/eating-for-survival-with-november-snap-delays-how-will-bay-area-families-cope\">told KQED she was “broken-hearted” by the SNAP delays\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m devastated,” she said. “People are really tired. We’re done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to juggling the demands of her academic studies with reduced access to school, “I’ll have to bite the bullet and maybe just continue writing and not think about food,” Fusco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The November delays in SNAP payments due to the government shutdown are keeping around $56 million from the hundreds of thousands of students on CalFresh this month, according to the California Policy Lab’s estimates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just a huge amount of money that we’re talking about — that families and individuals across our state aren’t getting this month, and that isn’t going to support our economy,” Hogg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The view from community colleges\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As the government shutdown stretched into October, some college administrators and experts began warning about a possible delay in benefits — and planning for the consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools like Chabot College were immediately “trying to brainstorm how to respond …. even before students were receiving letters from the county about their benefits being impacted,” explained Muna Taqi-Eddin, the college’s CalFresh Outreach Specialist.[aside postID=news_12062743 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-03-BL-KQED.jpg']College campuses quickly \u003ca href=\"https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/news/Pages/CSU-Steps-Up-to-Support-Students-Amid-CalFresh-Delays.aspx\">deployed resources\u003c/a> for students, including expanding existing food pantries on campus and distributing grocery gift cards and fresh food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some colleges have also made emergency grants available to affected students. Evergreen Valley College in San Jose secured $100,000 worth of emergency funding for 250 students, according to a college spokesperson. It’s money that the college hopes could help alleviate some pressures facing students, said Sean Dickerson, Evergreen Valley College’s Interim Director of Student Development, Engagement, & Inclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his role, Dickerson has encountered students who’ve told him they’ve been unable to focus and engage fully in their studies as they miss their November payments, ahead of their upcoming midterm exams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just the increase of stress and anxiety,” he said — and students are wondering if they need to decide between “rent or gas or food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like all community colleges, Evergreen Valley is required to provide a \u003ca href=\"https://www.evc.edu/basic-needs\">basic needs program\u003c/a> to help provide resources regarding food, housing and transportation for their students, including those on CalFresh. According to the California Policy Lab, around 276,000 students attending a California community college use CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One such student on CalFresh is 61-year-old Salimah Shabazz of Chabot College. Shabazz — known to friends and family as Mrs. Mak — recalled walking into her school’s resource center in tears when learning of the delayed November benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I suffer from different health problems also. It was in limbo. I didn’t know what I was going to do,” she said. “Thank God for the student resource hub.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the start of the shutdown, the Foundation for California Community Colleges \u003ca href=\"https://give.foundationccc.org/campaign/738630/donate\">launched a fundraising campaign\u003c/a> to assist students during the shutdown and beyond, and “to directly support our students regardless of what happens at the national level,” said Marisela Hernandez, a manager with the foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that their financial aid is not enough to cover all of their living expenses in California,” Hernandez said. “Often our students are having to choose between going to class, or going to work, or being able to provide for their families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Community organizations step up\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley student Fusco said she already relies on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyfoodnetwork.org/\">Berkeley Food Network\u003c/a>, which operates food pantries and deliveries in the region. And community resources have been a vital lifeline for many CalFresh recipients during an unprecedented moment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard#find-food-bank-near-me\">Food banks across the Bay Area\u003c/a> have prepared for the expected surges of people visiting their distribution sites, and local restaurants are providing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982957/snap-calfresh-ebt-november-shutdown-meals-food-assistance-san-francisco-bay-area\">free or discounted meals\u003c/a> for impacted residents, with many focusing on families. And continuing a history of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nokidhungry.org/blog/black-activists-remember-radical-origins-food-justice-movement\">food justice in schools\u003c/a>, students themselves are collaborating to offer mutual aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left to right: staff members of The Berkeley Student Food Collective, Yesenik Alfaro Puga, Emily Torres-Zepeda, Sadie Muller, Amory Marten and David Cho, at the co-op’s storefront in Berkeley on Nov. 10, 2025. The student-run grocery aims to provide healthy and low-cost food options to the campus community. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodcollective.org/\">Berkeley Student Food Collective\u003c/a> is a non-profit “student-governed grocery co-op” located next to the UC Berkeley campus, led by J. Noven, the organization’s executive director. For Noven, the shutdown has highlighted existing problems, from “widespread food insecurity” to a “hollowing out of benefits for students and young people” — but the CalFresh delays were an additional blow to students already struggling to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Already, we’ve seen a significant downturn in utilization of EBT at the storefront,” Noven said — from students with dwindling or zero CalFresh funds to use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But despite Noven’s determination to help students and Berkeley residents at this time, the food collective still has its restrictions. A month into the shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture told retailers — including grocery stores or corner stores — that providing discounts to EBT cardholders would be considered a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/retailer/retailer-notice/reminder-snap-equal-treatment\">“SNAP violation.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are one of a network of individual or independent grocery stores that really want to be stepping up to support communities that use SNAP, and our hands are being tied by the USDA,” they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How \u003cstrong>‘a lifeline’ can still be out of reach\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jensen, the Santa Clara University student, said she got off CalFresh a few months ago. But her experience led her to study food insecurity at her own institution’s basic needs office, learning more about the cost-of-living in one of the most expensive regions in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt very alone at this school, in my issues,” Jensen said — but in the course of her research, she said she realized, “‘Wow, there’s a lot of students who are dealing with this.’”[aside postID=news_12063395 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/calfresh-students.jpg']In \u003ca href=\"https://www.scu.edu/media/environmental-justice-initiative/2023-24-SCU-Food-Security-and-Basic-Needs-Report.pdf\">a survey of around 830 SCU students\u003c/a>, over a quarter reported “having very low or low food security in 2023.” “It should never be something that anyone’s ashamed of,” Jensen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/newsroom/blog/calfresh-college-students-food-insecurity\">the UCLA study\u003c/a>, student subpopulations that were most likely to report being food insecure were those who have been in the foster care system, first-generation students and disabled students — disparities that the study’s lead author said showed “food security is also a matter of educational equity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In her own studies, Jensen also delved deeper into systemic detriments of going without food as a student: \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9370637/\">the lower GPAs\u003c/a>, the higher rates of anxiety and depression, the disproportionate impacts on first-generation students and people of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for many students, even just getting onto CalFresh is an issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the UCLA study, over a quarter of food-insecure students who have heard of CalFresh but never used it said they did not know how to apply. Half of them said they hadn’t applied because \u003ca href=\"https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/newsroom/blog/calfresh-college-students-food-insecurity\">they didn’t think they’d qualify\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, in fact, many more students are eligible for CalFresh than are actually using it. According to Hogg’s UC Berkeley research, 1 in 3 UC undergrads qualify for SNAP benefits, as do 1 in 5 community college students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s more, according to 2019 data, “over a quarter of California high school students participated in CalFresh at some point during high school,” said Hogg. But those numbers then drop off after high school graduation — and a major factor is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/calfreshoutreach/res/toolkit/quickreference/regulationquickreference_e_students.pdf\">additional eligibility criteria\u003c/a> college students need to meet to stay on CalFresh, Hogg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063728\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063728\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pedestrians pass The Berkeley Student Food Collective on Bancroft Way in Berkeley on Nov. 10, 2025. The co-op, known for its focus on affordability and sustainability, displays local produce outside its storefront. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Students need to be either a parent, working for 20 hours a week or participating in work-study to keep receiving food benefits when they get to college. Some students may also lose eligibility for CalFresh if they live with their parents. Overall, “there’s a list of things that students have to do — above and beyond the general population — to be eligible for CalFresh,” Hogg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jensen said that thinking about the back-and-forth court battles still happening over SNAP, and what she called “food benefits being used as a political pawn,” she gets mad. Institutions — the government and colleges alike — need to provide for their students, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The UN has quite literally delegated \u003ca href=\"https://geneva.usmission.gov/2017/03/24/u-s-explanation-of-vote-on-the-right-to-food/\">food security as a human right\u003c/a>,” Jensen said. “And it’s a right that Americans aren’t getting … It’s genuinely a lifeline in an extremely unaffordable country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now I need to use my voice to speak up for those who can’t, because I was able to not rely on SNAP anymore,” she added. “And that’s something I did hold a lot of pride in myself for — but I also held a lot of pride when I did use SNAP.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/carlysevern\">Carly Severn\u003c/a> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Before she applied for food assistance through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Santa Clara University student Kaylee Jensen remembers the anxiety she felt when thinking about how she was going to juggle paying for her rent with affording her next meal — all while studying miles from home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when a staff member from her college’s basic needs program helped her apply for CalFresh, California’s version of SNAP, Jensen said, “it was like ‘night and day’ difference.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I could eat so much better,” Jensen, now 20, said. As a supplementary program, CalFresh is “not something you can really rely on fully, but it honestly changed so much for me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And when it came to finally being able to afford certain kinds of fresh food, CalFresh “really just unlocked a whole new level of eating for me,” Jensen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At SCU, a private college, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/college-mobility/santa-clara-university\">71% of students come from families in the top 20% of earners. \u003c/a>Jensen, a first-generation college student, said she told virtually no one that she was receiving benefits — including her friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students on campus at Santa Clara University on Nov. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“SNAP or EBT is almost like a bad word,” she said. “It’s almost an embarrassing part of shame that you’re holding within you … Like, oh, ‘I’m trying to catch up to everyone else, but I can barely afford to live, let alone to eat.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Jensen is no longer using CalFresh, she was one of over \u003ca href=\"https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/chart-detail?chartId=55416\">41 million people\u003c/a> nationwide who depend on SNAP to put food on the table — a group that’s seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">their November benefits delayed\u003c/a> due to what is now the longest \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">federal government shutdown\u003c/a> in U.S. history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even as \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">CalFresh recipients in the state have finally begun receiving this month’s benefits \u003c/a>after \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-11-6-2025#0000019a-5af9-d003-addb-deffec620000\">a federal judge’s ruling, and Congress discusses a deal to end the shutdown, President Donald Trump’s administration is now fighting the states in the courts to\u003c/a>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063660/california-moves-to-protect-calfresh-payments-from-federal-confusion-and-chaos\"> “undo” this month’s SNAP money\u003c/a> — leaving recipients in even more confusion and anxiety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shutdown delays have sharply highlighted just how many people in California — \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">around 5.5 million people\u003c/a> — rely on SNAP. But among the program’s seniors, families, single parents and veterans, college students like Jensen are a group that’s often overlooked when it comes to depending on CalFresh to eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Hunger on campus\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Over 400,000 public university and college students participate in CalFresh statewide — a number that surprises people, according to Jennifer Hogg, a senior research manager at the California Policy Lab at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many people don’t think of college students when they think of who is impacted by the SNAP shut off,” Hogg said. “But today’s college student is largely lower-income — potentially first-generation — and doesn’t have a ton of financial support from home.” And as \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/politics/fact-check-beef-grocery-prices-trump-vis\">groceries have become more and more expensive\u003c/a>, some colleges are also \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6520682/\">located in food deserts\u003c/a>, making it even harder to find fresh, substantial meals.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Jensen noted it’s common for college students to darkly joke among themselves about how little they’ve eaten that day, as they juggle studies and extracurriculars. But that could normalize the hunger, she said. According to \u003ca href=\"https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/newsroom/blog/calfresh-college-students-food-insecurity\">a UCLA study\u003c/a> from earlier this year, half of the California college students surveyed said they experienced food insecurity, and 28% of respondents said they’d skipped a meal in the past because they couldn’t afford to eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you’re having to deal with those things, it’s impossible to think about the larger academic responsibilities that you have,” Jensen said. “I couldn’t focus on anything else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://capolicylab.org/news/analysis-shows-govt-shutdown-could-lead-to-at-least-414000-college-students-not-receiving-their-nov-calfresh-benefits/\">California Policy Lab’s data\u003c/a> includes students from the 2022 to 2023 academic school year at California Community Colleges, the University of California and the California State University systems. The data does not include students like Jensen, who attend private schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the data, over 58,000 CalFresh recipients are within the University of California system, including Berkeley transfer student LisaMarie Fusco, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062685/eating-for-survival-with-november-snap-delays-how-will-bay-area-families-cope\">told KQED she was “broken-hearted” by the SNAP delays\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m devastated,” she said. “People are really tired. We’re done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it comes to juggling the demands of her academic studies with reduced access to school, “I’ll have to bite the bullet and maybe just continue writing and not think about food,” Fusco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The November delays in SNAP payments due to the government shutdown are keeping around $56 million from the hundreds of thousands of students on CalFresh this month, according to the California Policy Lab’s estimates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just a huge amount of money that we’re talking about — that families and individuals across our state aren’t getting this month, and that isn’t going to support our economy,” Hogg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The view from community colleges\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As the government shutdown stretched into October, some college administrators and experts began warning about a possible delay in benefits — and planning for the consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools like Chabot College were immediately “trying to brainstorm how to respond …. even before students were receiving letters from the county about their benefits being impacted,” explained Muna Taqi-Eddin, the college’s CalFresh Outreach Specialist.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>College campuses quickly \u003ca href=\"https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/news/Pages/CSU-Steps-Up-to-Support-Students-Amid-CalFresh-Delays.aspx\">deployed resources\u003c/a> for students, including expanding existing food pantries on campus and distributing grocery gift cards and fresh food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some colleges have also made emergency grants available to affected students. Evergreen Valley College in San Jose secured $100,000 worth of emergency funding for 250 students, according to a college spokesperson. It’s money that the college hopes could help alleviate some pressures facing students, said Sean Dickerson, Evergreen Valley College’s Interim Director of Student Development, Engagement, & Inclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his role, Dickerson has encountered students who’ve told him they’ve been unable to focus and engage fully in their studies as they miss their November payments, ahead of their upcoming midterm exams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just the increase of stress and anxiety,” he said — and students are wondering if they need to decide between “rent or gas or food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like all community colleges, Evergreen Valley is required to provide a \u003ca href=\"https://www.evc.edu/basic-needs\">basic needs program\u003c/a> to help provide resources regarding food, housing and transportation for their students, including those on CalFresh. According to the California Policy Lab, around 276,000 students attending a California community college use CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One such student on CalFresh is 61-year-old Salimah Shabazz of Chabot College. Shabazz — known to friends and family as Mrs. Mak — recalled walking into her school’s resource center in tears when learning of the delayed November benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I suffer from different health problems also. It was in limbo. I didn’t know what I was going to do,” she said. “Thank God for the student resource hub.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the start of the shutdown, the Foundation for California Community Colleges \u003ca href=\"https://give.foundationccc.org/campaign/738630/donate\">launched a fundraising campaign\u003c/a> to assist students during the shutdown and beyond, and “to directly support our students regardless of what happens at the national level,” said Marisela Hernandez, a manager with the foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that their financial aid is not enough to cover all of their living expenses in California,” Hernandez said. “Often our students are having to choose between going to class, or going to work, or being able to provide for their families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Community organizations step up\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley student Fusco said she already relies on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyfoodnetwork.org/\">Berkeley Food Network\u003c/a>, which operates food pantries and deliveries in the region. And community resources have been a vital lifeline for many CalFresh recipients during an unprecedented moment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard#find-food-bank-near-me\">Food banks across the Bay Area\u003c/a> have prepared for the expected surges of people visiting their distribution sites, and local restaurants are providing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13982957/snap-calfresh-ebt-november-shutdown-meals-food-assistance-san-francisco-bay-area\">free or discounted meals\u003c/a> for impacted residents, with many focusing on families. And continuing a history of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nokidhungry.org/blog/black-activists-remember-radical-origins-food-justice-movement\">food justice in schools\u003c/a>, students themselves are collaborating to offer mutual aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063730\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left to right: staff members of The Berkeley Student Food Collective, Yesenik Alfaro Puga, Emily Torres-Zepeda, Sadie Muller, Amory Marten and David Cho, at the co-op’s storefront in Berkeley on Nov. 10, 2025. The student-run grocery aims to provide healthy and low-cost food options to the campus community. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodcollective.org/\">Berkeley Student Food Collective\u003c/a> is a non-profit “student-governed grocery co-op” located next to the UC Berkeley campus, led by J. Noven, the organization’s executive director. For Noven, the shutdown has highlighted existing problems, from “widespread food insecurity” to a “hollowing out of benefits for students and young people” — but the CalFresh delays were an additional blow to students already struggling to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Already, we’ve seen a significant downturn in utilization of EBT at the storefront,” Noven said — from students with dwindling or zero CalFresh funds to use.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But despite Noven’s determination to help students and Berkeley residents at this time, the food collective still has its restrictions. A month into the shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture told retailers — including grocery stores or corner stores — that providing discounts to EBT cardholders would be considered a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/retailer/retailer-notice/reminder-snap-equal-treatment\">“SNAP violation.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are one of a network of individual or independent grocery stores that really want to be stepping up to support communities that use SNAP, and our hands are being tied by the USDA,” they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How \u003cstrong>‘a lifeline’ can still be out of reach\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jensen, the Santa Clara University student, said she got off CalFresh a few months ago. But her experience led her to study food insecurity at her own institution’s basic needs office, learning more about the cost-of-living in one of the most expensive regions in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I felt very alone at this school, in my issues,” Jensen said — but in the course of her research, she said she realized, “‘Wow, there’s a lot of students who are dealing with this.’”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.scu.edu/media/environmental-justice-initiative/2023-24-SCU-Food-Security-and-Basic-Needs-Report.pdf\">a survey of around 830 SCU students\u003c/a>, over a quarter reported “having very low or low food security in 2023.” “It should never be something that anyone’s ashamed of,” Jensen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/newsroom/blog/calfresh-college-students-food-insecurity\">the UCLA study\u003c/a>, student subpopulations that were most likely to report being food insecure were those who have been in the foster care system, first-generation students and disabled students — disparities that the study’s lead author said showed “food security is also a matter of educational equity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In her own studies, Jensen also delved deeper into systemic detriments of going without food as a student: \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9370637/\">the lower GPAs\u003c/a>, the higher rates of anxiety and depression, the disproportionate impacts on first-generation students and people of color.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for many students, even just getting onto CalFresh is an issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the UCLA study, over a quarter of food-insecure students who have heard of CalFresh but never used it said they did not know how to apply. Half of them said they hadn’t applied because \u003ca href=\"https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/newsroom/blog/calfresh-college-students-food-insecurity\">they didn’t think they’d qualify\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, in fact, many more students are eligible for CalFresh than are actually using it. According to Hogg’s UC Berkeley research, 1 in 3 UC undergrads qualify for SNAP benefits, as do 1 in 5 community college students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s more, according to 2019 data, “over a quarter of California high school students participated in CalFresh at some point during high school,” said Hogg. But those numbers then drop off after high school graduation — and a major factor is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/calfreshoutreach/res/toolkit/quickreference/regulationquickreference_e_students.pdf\">additional eligibility criteria\u003c/a> college students need to meet to stay on CalFresh, Hogg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063728\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063728\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/20251110_College_students_CalFresh_GH-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pedestrians pass The Berkeley Student Food Collective on Bancroft Way in Berkeley on Nov. 10, 2025. The co-op, known for its focus on affordability and sustainability, displays local produce outside its storefront. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Students need to be either a parent, working for 20 hours a week or participating in work-study to keep receiving food benefits when they get to college. Some students may also lose eligibility for CalFresh if they live with their parents. Overall, “there’s a list of things that students have to do — above and beyond the general population — to be eligible for CalFresh,” Hogg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jensen said that thinking about the back-and-forth court battles still happening over SNAP, and what she called “food benefits being used as a political pawn,” she gets mad. Institutions — the government and colleges alike — need to provide for their students, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The UN has quite literally delegated \u003ca href=\"https://geneva.usmission.gov/2017/03/24/u-s-explanation-of-vote-on-the-right-to-food/\">food security as a human right\u003c/a>,” Jensen said. “And it’s a right that Americans aren’t getting … It’s genuinely a lifeline in an extremely unaffordable country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now I need to use my voice to speak up for those who can’t, because I was able to not rely on SNAP anymore,” she added. “And that’s something I did hold a lot of pride in myself for — but I also held a lot of pride when I did use SNAP.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/carlysevern\">Carly Severn\u003c/a> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "california-moves-to-protect-calfresh-payments-from-federal-confusion-and-chaos",
"title": "California Moves to Protect CalFresh Payments From Federal ‘Confusion and Chaos’",
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"headTitle": "California Moves to Protect CalFresh Payments From Federal ‘Confusion and Chaos’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday morning announced moves to protect \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062743/shutdown-san-francisco-sf-cal-fresh-snap-november-grocery-card-ebt-meals-prepaid-debit-contra-costa\">food benefits\u003c/a> that California has paid out after the U.S. Department of Agriculture \u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/updated-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-november-benefit-issuance11-8\">called on states\u003c/a> over the weekend to halt and unwind payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The filing for a temporary restraining order against the federal government, joined by \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/continuing-fight-full-november-snap-benefits-attorney-general-bonta-co-leads\">23 attorneys general\u003c/a> and three governors, comes as the USDA told states to “immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025” during the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whiplash the president and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins have given Americans in recent weeks, the steps they’ve taken to prevent vulnerable families from putting food on the table, are unnecessary, unconscionable and unlawful,” Bonta said. “We refuse to stand by and allow it to continue without a fight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shutdown, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">started in early October\u003c/a>, has led to delayed payments for people on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and has, according to Bonta, sparked “confusion and chaos” that was “concocted by the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over \u003ca href=\"https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/chart-detail?chartId=55416\">41 million people\u003c/a> depend on SNAP, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/#:~:text=Earlier%20today%2C%20a%20court%20ordered,access%20the%20food%20they%20need.\">around 5.5 million\u003c/a> on California’s version, known as CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Food benefits have been at the center of the clashes between courts, states and the administration. Last week, a federal judge ordered Trump’s administration to make a payment that would \u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-orders-trump-administration-fully-fund-snap-benefits/story?id=127273708\">fully fund\u003c/a> the month of November. The administration has already ignored a previous order to resume some payments and is \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/us/politics/snap-food-stamps-shutdown-trump.html\">appealing this most recent decision\u003c/a> as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11939767\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11939767 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1322106041-scaled-e1762809304939.jpg\" alt=\"two hands hold a plastic card that reads 'golden state advantage'\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Berkeley resident holds his Golden State Advantage Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. \u003ccite>(Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The court’s decision prompted states, including California, to \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">reinstate benefits \u003c/a>on people’s EBT cards. According to Bonta, “the vast majority” of Californians on CalFresh “have received full funding” — payments that the USDA is now attempting to claw back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/updated-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-november-benefit-issuance11-8\">the USDA on Saturday\u003c/a>, “failure to comply with this memorandum may result in USDA taking various actions, including cancellation of the Federal share of State administrative costs and holding States liable for any overissuances that result from the noncompliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts is pausing this request, with \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/continuing-fight-full-november-snap-benefits-attorney-general-bonta-co-leads\">a hearing on the matter set for later Monday\u003c/a>.[aside postID=news_12062743 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-03-BL-KQED.jpg']“If any of that back and forth left you with whiplash, you are not alone,” Bonta said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, he later emphasized, “I want every SNAP beneficiary to know we are fighting for you tooth and nail to make sure that you can be fed. And that there will be no revocation or undoing of the benefits that you have loaded onto your cards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An end to the federal government shutdown is in sight. Eight Democratic senators \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/10/nx-s1-5604135/senate-shutdown-breakthrough-snap-legal-battle-cop30-climate-summit-starts\">broke rank to join Republicans\u003c/a> on Sunday in making a deal to reopen the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shutdown in October was triggered primarily by Democrats trying to secure extended subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which supports \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/trump-takes-aim-obamacare-historic-federal-shutdown-hits-40th-day-2025-11-09/\">lower-income Americans’ access to health care\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current deal does not guarantee the extended subsidies but is based on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/09/nx-s1-5603659/government-shutdown-senate-agreement\">an informal agreement\u003c/a> that Republicans will vote to extend them in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They got a promise that they would bring up a bill. Well, what’s that? They’re gonna vote for it? Is he gonna sign it? What’s the promise? What’s a promise? Them is fighting words,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034002\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Alex Padilla speaks at a press briefing in San Francisco on June 1, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The eight Democrats have been criticized by fellow party members, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/govpressoffice/status/1987664398014677442?s=46&t=7BBzFwo6eYLzJIVfAlumEQ\">posted on social media\u003c/a>, saying, “Pathetic. This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, said they will not be voting for the deal, highlighting their concerns about health care access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This does nothing to stop the Republican-made health care crisis. It does nothing to stop premiums from doubling for millions of Americans,” Padilla said, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article312852331.html\">the \u003cem>Sacramento Bee\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have heard from countless Californians who are at risk of losing their health insurance, and my position has been clear from the beginning: I would not support a government funding bill that did not fund health care tax credits,” Schiff said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/carlysevern\">\u003cem>Carly Severn\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "In response to a USDA directive to undo SNAP payments, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday morning that he is filing for a restraining order against the federal government.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday morning announced moves to protect \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062743/shutdown-san-francisco-sf-cal-fresh-snap-november-grocery-card-ebt-meals-prepaid-debit-contra-costa\">food benefits\u003c/a> that California has paid out after the U.S. Department of Agriculture \u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/updated-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-november-benefit-issuance11-8\">called on states\u003c/a> over the weekend to halt and unwind payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The filing for a temporary restraining order against the federal government, joined by \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/continuing-fight-full-november-snap-benefits-attorney-general-bonta-co-leads\">23 attorneys general\u003c/a> and three governors, comes as the USDA told states to “immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025” during the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whiplash the president and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins have given Americans in recent weeks, the steps they’ve taken to prevent vulnerable families from putting food on the table, are unnecessary, unconscionable and unlawful,” Bonta said. “We refuse to stand by and allow it to continue without a fight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shutdown, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">started in early October\u003c/a>, has led to delayed payments for people on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and has, according to Bonta, sparked “confusion and chaos” that was “concocted by the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over \u003ca href=\"https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/chart-detail?chartId=55416\">41 million people\u003c/a> depend on SNAP, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/#:~:text=Earlier%20today%2C%20a%20court%20ordered,access%20the%20food%20they%20need.\">around 5.5 million\u003c/a> on California’s version, known as CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Food benefits have been at the center of the clashes between courts, states and the administration. Last week, a federal judge ordered Trump’s administration to make a payment that would \u003ca href=\"https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-orders-trump-administration-fully-fund-snap-benefits/story?id=127273708\">fully fund\u003c/a> the month of November. The administration has already ignored a previous order to resume some payments and is \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/us/politics/snap-food-stamps-shutdown-trump.html\">appealing this most recent decision\u003c/a> as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11939767\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11939767 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1322106041-scaled-e1762809304939.jpg\" alt=\"two hands hold a plastic card that reads 'golden state advantage'\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Berkeley resident holds his Golden State Advantage Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. \u003ccite>(Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The court’s decision prompted states, including California, to \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">reinstate benefits \u003c/a>on people’s EBT cards. According to Bonta, “the vast majority” of Californians on CalFresh “have received full funding” — payments that the USDA is now attempting to claw back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/updated-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-november-benefit-issuance11-8\">the USDA on Saturday\u003c/a>, “failure to comply with this memorandum may result in USDA taking various actions, including cancellation of the Federal share of State administrative costs and holding States liable for any overissuances that result from the noncompliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts is pausing this request, with \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/continuing-fight-full-november-snap-benefits-attorney-general-bonta-co-leads\">a hearing on the matter set for later Monday\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“If any of that back and forth left you with whiplash, you are not alone,” Bonta said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, he later emphasized, “I want every SNAP beneficiary to know we are fighting for you tooth and nail to make sure that you can be fed. And that there will be no revocation or undoing of the benefits that you have loaded onto your cards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An end to the federal government shutdown is in sight. Eight Democratic senators \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/10/nx-s1-5604135/senate-shutdown-breakthrough-snap-legal-battle-cop30-climate-summit-starts\">broke rank to join Republicans\u003c/a> on Sunday in making a deal to reopen the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shutdown in October was triggered primarily by Democrats trying to secure extended subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which supports \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/trump-takes-aim-obamacare-historic-federal-shutdown-hits-40th-day-2025-11-09/\">lower-income Americans’ access to health care\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current deal does not guarantee the extended subsidies but is based on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/09/nx-s1-5603659/government-shutdown-senate-agreement\">an informal agreement\u003c/a> that Republicans will vote to extend them in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They got a promise that they would bring up a bill. Well, what’s that? They’re gonna vote for it? Is he gonna sign it? What’s the promise? What’s a promise? Them is fighting words,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12034002\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12034002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/034_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Alex Padilla speaks at a press briefing in San Francisco on June 1, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The eight Democrats have been criticized by fellow party members, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/govpressoffice/status/1987664398014677442?s=46&t=7BBzFwo6eYLzJIVfAlumEQ\">posted on social media\u003c/a>, saying, “Pathetic. This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, said they will not be voting for the deal, highlighting their concerns about health care access.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This does nothing to stop the Republican-made health care crisis. It does nothing to stop premiums from doubling for millions of Americans,” Padilla said, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article312852331.html\">the \u003cem>Sacramento Bee\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have heard from countless Californians who are at risk of losing their health insurance, and my position has been clear from the beginning: I would not support a government funding bill that did not fund health care tax credits,” Schiff said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/carlysevern\">\u003cem>Carly Severn\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "shutdown-san-francisco-sf-cal-fresh-snap-november-grocery-card-ebt-meals-prepaid-debit-contra-costa",
"title": "How San Francisco and Contra Costa SNAP Users Can Find Prepaid Grocery Cards",
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"headTitle": "How San Francisco and Contra Costa SNAP Users Can Find Prepaid Grocery Cards | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>More than 644,000 Bay Area residents who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes referred to as food stamps — have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">hit by a delay in November SNAP payments\u003c/a> due to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">ongoing federal government shutdown.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062034/san-francisco-will-cover-full-snap-benefits-for-november-amid-federal-shutdown\">San Francisco \u003c/a>and Contra Costa County, residents will be receiving prepaid cards this month to cover at least some of their missing food funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The money will come at a time when it’s still unclear how soon SNAP payments will be distributed this month. On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">some CalFresh recipients have begun to see benefits payments\u003c/a> arrive in full onto their EBT cards, after a judge \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-11-6-2025#0000019a-5af9-d003-addb-deffec620000\">ruled a second time that the White House must pay these benefits\u003c/a> in full by Friday. \u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/updated-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-november-benefit-issuance\">The U.S. Department of Agriculture also announced\u003c/a> Friday it will comply with the court order and start sending out full November SNAP benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s still not known exactly how these funds will continue to roll out, especially since \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/snap-food-government-shutdown-trump-a807e9f0c0a7213e203c074553dc1f9b\">the Trump administration asked a federal appeals court on Friday to block the judge’s order\u003c/a>, and has \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/07/us/trump-news-shutdown?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare\">now appealed to the Supreme Court\u003c/a> after that request was denied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid all this uncertainty, if you’re on CalFresh and you live in San Francisco or Contra Costa County, here’s what to know about getting your prepaid card — from how to activate it to how much money the card will contain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#HowContraCostaresidentsonCalFreshcanaccesstheirdebitcard\">How Contra Costa residents on CalFresh can access their debit card\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>I’m a San Francisco resident using CalFresh. When will my prepaid grocery card arrive?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Roughly 112,000 people in San Francisco receive benefits through CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the San Francisco Human Services Agency, all SNAP recipients in San Francisco will receive a letter in the mail this week — the first week of November — with instructions on how to receive their grocery card.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062567\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062567\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-24-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-24-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-24-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-24-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Trent Rhorer, executive director of the SFHSA, said that if you’re a CalFresh user living in San Francisco, your letter will most likely arrive on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t need to contact the city to request your card — it’ll be mailed out automatically to you,\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program-frequently-asked-questions\"> as long as you were signed up for CalFresh by the end of October.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A SFHSA spokesperson told KQED that the agency isn’t publicizing the details of the instructions contained in the letter, “to help prevent fraud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What if I don’t have a fixed address within San Francisco?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An estimated 5,000–6,000 people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco use CalFresh, Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re unhoused or currently living in a shelter, and if you have your mail delivered via general delivery to the Hyde St. post office, your letter about the grocery card will be delivered to that location, Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062568\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-26-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-26-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-26-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-26-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Alternatively, he said, you can speak to staff at the San Francisco community support agency, homeless shelter or Navigation Center you use, and they’ll be able to help you activate the card too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You don’t need to receive the letter to activate the card,” Rhorer said, since “you can actually call the call center with your personal identifying information, and they can activate the digital card right there.” Support staff at these agencies and shelters will provide the correct phone number for you to call.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How can I access my grocery card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You won’t receive the actual grocery card itself in the mail. Instead, the letter will contain an activation code, which will be unique to you and which will allow you to access a digital gift card either online or by phone, Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll then be able to load your card funds onto your phone through Apple Wallet or Google Play, he said. If you prefer, you can request a physical card in the mail, but this will take 5–7 business days to arrive, SFHSA said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only one card will be sent to San Francisco CalFresh users, and you’ll have to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program-frequently-asked-questions\">activate your card by Dec. 31 \u003c/a>for it to remain valid.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What kind of information will I have to provide to access my card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You should follow the instructions in the letter to activate your card either online or through a call center, when you’ll be prompted to “enter personal identifying information,” Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062569\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062569\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-28-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-28-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-28-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-28-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maria Gudmundsdottir sorts fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This means that if your letter was stolen by someone else who attempted to use your activation code to access your gift card, they still won’t know your personal information to be able to complete the process, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll never be asked for your bank account details or Social Security information to redeem the grocery card, SFHSA said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Once I have my virtual or physical card, how do I spend the funds?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>SFHSA said that you’ll be able to use the prepaid grocery card at grocery stores and “most markets that accept EBT.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The replacement card will\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/food/calfresh/using-calfresh\"> work exactly as their CalFresh EBT card would have worked\u003c/a>,” Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like EBT, your card’s funds “cannot be used to purchase sugary or alcoholic beverages or tobacco products,” SFHSA said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=arts_13982957 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/monster-pho-free-event-1020x947.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How much money will I get through my prepaid grocery card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One thing to note: the amount on your grocery card might not match the amount you’d have normally received in November through your CalFresh benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because how much each household receives on their card has been calculated “based on the average CalFresh benefit amount for households of a similar size to yours,” SFHSA said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The amount you’ll see on your card:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli> For a 1–2 person household: $200\u003c/li>\n\u003cli> For a 3–4 person household: $350\u003c/li>\n\u003cli> For a household with 5 or more people: $500\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“Some households might get a little bit more in the gift card” than their regular EBT funds, Rhorer said — but “some households might get a little less.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I still use my card if the government shutdown ends or partial SNAP benefits are paid this month?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. The grocery card program is intended to “help offset the impact of federal actions that have delayed the reloading of EBT cards for CalFresh recipients,” SFHSA said, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program-frequently-asked-questions\">will move ahead regardless \u003c/a>of what happens this month at the federal level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rhorer said that even if the federal government releases partial SNAP funds this month, he suspects that this might happen “maybe in mid-November or late November” — which would still be some time after CalFresh payments were meant to arrive, in the first 10 days of the month, and after San Francisco CalFresh households have accessed their prepaid gift cards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060772\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060772\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SNAP and EBT Accepted here sign. SNAP and Food Stamps provide nutrition benefits to supplement the budgets of disadvantaged families. \u003ccite>(Jet City Image/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Plus)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“So, hopefully, at the end of the day, the households are certainly made whole for their benefits in November,” Rhorer said. “And perhaps many households will receive a little bit more than they otherwise would have received.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the federal government announces the imminent release of SNAP dollars, “It’s going to be a 7–10 day delay,” he said. “We want people to be able to put food on the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What should I do if my card doesn’t arrive?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A SFHSA spokesperson told KQED by email that if you’re a San Francisco resident receiving CalFresh and you don’t receive your letter by Monday, Nov. 10, reach out to the agency’s CalFresh call center at 855-355-5757.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/contact-us\">contact SFHSA directly by phone or email\u003c/a>, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/contact-us/locations\">visit an SFHSA office in person\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For general questions about the grocery cards, San Francisco CalFresh users can call 3-1-1, according to SFHSA.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"HowContraCostaresidentsonCalFreshcanaccesstheirdebitcard\">\u003c/a>I’m a Contra Costa County resident using CalFresh. When can I access my debit card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>More than 65,000 households in Contra Costa County rely on CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting Monday, Nov. 10, Contra Costa residents on SNAP can \u003ca href=\"https://ehsd.org/2025/11/05/county-declares-emergency-over-calfresh-funding-disruption-due-to-federal-shutdown/\">pick up a debit card in person from one of the county’s Employment and Human Services Department buildings\u003c/a>, located at:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>1305 Macdonald Ave., Richmond\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>151 Linus Pauling Drive, Hercules\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>400 Ellinwood Way, Pleasant Hill\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>4545 Delta Fair Blvd., Antioch\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953001\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11953001\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Stacked brown cardboard boxes of cauliflower and sweet potatoes in a paved outdoor area.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boxes of vegetables await distribution at a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank pop-up pantry in the Richmond District of San Francisco on June 13, 2023. Volunteers at food pantries often help set up, build grocery bags, distribute food, check in participants, manage the line, and help with other tasks as needed. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cards can be picked up every day starting Monday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The last day to pick up a debit card is Saturday, Nov. 15.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Angela Bullock-Hayes, director of the Workforce Services Bureau for the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department, said that county residents will first receive a text message inviting them to an appointment at one of these locations — “to address shorter wait times, we hope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if an appointment time isn’t convenient, “people are welcome to come whenever they need to, because we want to make sure that people have access to food,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What if I can’t pick up my Contra Costa debit card in person that week?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If circumstances mean you can’t come to one of those four offices to collect your card, you should \u003ca href=\"https://ehsd.org/overview/contact/\">contact the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department\u003c/a> to arrange an alternative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will provide support,” Bullock-Hayes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What kind of information will I have to provide to access my debit card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You should bring your EBT card and a form of ID to pick up your Contra Costa debit card, Bullock-Hayes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike San Francisco, which is only providing prepaid cards to residents who were already using CalFresh by October, Contra Costa County will also provide cards to residents who are eligible for CalFresh but who aren’t already signed up — after helping them apply for SNAP.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Once I have my virtual or physical card, how do I spend the funds?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After a Contra Costa County resident has picked up their physical grocery card, they should be able to “go to the grocery stores or [other] resources to purchase foods right away,” Bullock-Hayes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll be able to use your debit card like you would have used your EBT card, and “it can be used at any retailer that sells food, and those retailers that usually carry and accept EBT cards,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for which foods and items you can purchase using the debit card, Bullock-Hayes said you’ll be informed about those stipulations when you first access your debit card, which “will outline how the card should be used.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12062018 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty1.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How much money will I get through my debit card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The dollar amount on your debit card will likely not match the amount you’d have normally received in November through your CalFresh benefits in Contra Costa, and will be based on household size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Previously, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062817/more-bay-area-counties-join-push-to-send-prepaid-grocery-cards-amid-federal-snap-lapse\">the county had planned to initially load the debit cards with 50% of the available funds\u003c/a> and reload the cards every week. But now, Contra Costa CalFresh recipients will have the full benefit amount available on their debit card when they pick it up, which is intended to last two weeks, Bullock-Hayes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But don’t throw your debit card away once you’ve used up the funds, she said. “After the two weeks, we will need to evaluate the status of the federal shutdown and what information we receive,” Bullock-Hayes said. “If additional benefits are available, then we will be able to add those to the cards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I still use my card if the government shutdown ends or partial SNAP benefits are paid this month?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. “We are planning to move forward with issuing the cards and giving the money to residents to use,” said Bullock-Hayes, and the county has no plans to stop card usage if there are further developments at the federal level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want people to go out and use the … benefits for the food that they need,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aemslie\">\u003cem>Alex Emslie\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "With November’s SNAP payments delayed, San Francisco — and now Contra Costa County — will cover the missing funds for CalFresh users in the city. Here’s how to redeem your grocery card.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>More than 644,000 Bay Area residents who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes referred to as food stamps — have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">hit by a delay in November SNAP payments\u003c/a> due to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">ongoing federal government shutdown.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062034/san-francisco-will-cover-full-snap-benefits-for-november-amid-federal-shutdown\">San Francisco \u003c/a>and Contra Costa County, residents will be receiving prepaid cards this month to cover at least some of their missing food funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The money will come at a time when it’s still unclear how soon SNAP payments will be distributed this month. On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">some CalFresh recipients have begun to see benefits payments\u003c/a> arrive in full onto their EBT cards, after a judge \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-11-6-2025#0000019a-5af9-d003-addb-deffec620000\">ruled a second time that the White House must pay these benefits\u003c/a> in full by Friday. \u003ca href=\"https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/updated-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-november-benefit-issuance\">The U.S. Department of Agriculture also announced\u003c/a> Friday it will comply with the court order and start sending out full November SNAP benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s still not known exactly how these funds will continue to roll out, especially since \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/snap-food-government-shutdown-trump-a807e9f0c0a7213e203c074553dc1f9b\">the Trump administration asked a federal appeals court on Friday to block the judge’s order\u003c/a>, and has \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/07/us/trump-news-shutdown?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare\">now appealed to the Supreme Court\u003c/a> after that request was denied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid all this uncertainty, if you’re on CalFresh and you live in San Francisco or Contra Costa County, here’s what to know about getting your prepaid card — from how to activate it to how much money the card will contain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#HowContraCostaresidentsonCalFreshcanaccesstheirdebitcard\">How Contra Costa residents on CalFresh can access their debit card\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>I’m a San Francisco resident using CalFresh. When will my prepaid grocery card arrive?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Roughly 112,000 people in San Francisco receive benefits through CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the San Francisco Human Services Agency, all SNAP recipients in San Francisco will receive a letter in the mail this week — the first week of November — with instructions on how to receive their grocery card.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062567\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062567\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-24-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-24-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-24-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-24-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Trent Rhorer, executive director of the SFHSA, said that if you’re a CalFresh user living in San Francisco, your letter will most likely arrive on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t need to contact the city to request your card — it’ll be mailed out automatically to you,\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program-frequently-asked-questions\"> as long as you were signed up for CalFresh by the end of October.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A SFHSA spokesperson told KQED that the agency isn’t publicizing the details of the instructions contained in the letter, “to help prevent fraud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What if I don’t have a fixed address within San Francisco?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An estimated 5,000–6,000 people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco use CalFresh, Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re unhoused or currently living in a shelter, and if you have your mail delivered via general delivery to the Hyde St. post office, your letter about the grocery card will be delivered to that location, Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062568\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062568\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-26-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-26-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-26-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-26-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Alternatively, he said, you can speak to staff at the San Francisco community support agency, homeless shelter or Navigation Center you use, and they’ll be able to help you activate the card too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You don’t need to receive the letter to activate the card,” Rhorer said, since “you can actually call the call center with your personal identifying information, and they can activate the digital card right there.” Support staff at these agencies and shelters will provide the correct phone number for you to call.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How can I access my grocery card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You won’t receive the actual grocery card itself in the mail. Instead, the letter will contain an activation code, which will be unique to you and which will allow you to access a digital gift card either online or by phone, Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll then be able to load your card funds onto your phone through Apple Wallet or Google Play, he said. If you prefer, you can request a physical card in the mail, but this will take 5–7 business days to arrive, SFHSA said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only one card will be sent to San Francisco CalFresh users, and you’ll have to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program-frequently-asked-questions\">activate your card by Dec. 31 \u003c/a>for it to remain valid.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What kind of information will I have to provide to access my card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You should follow the instructions in the letter to activate your card either online or through a call center, when you’ll be prompted to “enter personal identifying information,” Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062569\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062569\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-28-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-28-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-28-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-28-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maria Gudmundsdottir sorts fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This means that if your letter was stolen by someone else who attempted to use your activation code to access your gift card, they still won’t know your personal information to be able to complete the process, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll never be asked for your bank account details or Social Security information to redeem the grocery card, SFHSA said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Once I have my virtual or physical card, how do I spend the funds?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>SFHSA said that you’ll be able to use the prepaid grocery card at grocery stores and “most markets that accept EBT.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The replacement card will\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/services/food/calfresh/using-calfresh\"> work exactly as their CalFresh EBT card would have worked\u003c/a>,” Rhorer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like EBT, your card’s funds “cannot be used to purchase sugary or alcoholic beverages or tobacco products,” SFHSA said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How much money will I get through my prepaid grocery card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One thing to note: the amount on your grocery card might not match the amount you’d have normally received in November through your CalFresh benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because how much each household receives on their card has been calculated “based on the average CalFresh benefit amount for households of a similar size to yours,” SFHSA said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The amount you’ll see on your card:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli> For a 1–2 person household: $200\u003c/li>\n\u003cli> For a 3–4 person household: $350\u003c/li>\n\u003cli> For a household with 5 or more people: $500\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>“Some households might get a little bit more in the gift card” than their regular EBT funds, Rhorer said — but “some households might get a little less.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I still use my card if the government shutdown ends or partial SNAP benefits are paid this month?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. The grocery card program is intended to “help offset the impact of federal actions that have delayed the reloading of EBT cards for CalFresh recipients,” SFHSA said, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program/calfresh-emergency-grocery-card-program-frequently-asked-questions\">will move ahead regardless \u003c/a>of what happens this month at the federal level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rhorer said that even if the federal government releases partial SNAP funds this month, he suspects that this might happen “maybe in mid-November or late November” — which would still be some time after CalFresh payments were meant to arrive, in the first 10 days of the month, and after San Francisco CalFresh households have accessed their prepaid gift cards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060772\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060772\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SNAP and EBT Accepted here sign. SNAP and Food Stamps provide nutrition benefits to supplement the budgets of disadvantaged families. \u003ccite>(Jet City Image/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Plus)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“So, hopefully, at the end of the day, the households are certainly made whole for their benefits in November,” Rhorer said. “And perhaps many households will receive a little bit more than they otherwise would have received.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the federal government announces the imminent release of SNAP dollars, “It’s going to be a 7–10 day delay,” he said. “We want people to be able to put food on the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What should I do if my card doesn’t arrive?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A SFHSA spokesperson told KQED by email that if you’re a San Francisco resident receiving CalFresh and you don’t receive your letter by Monday, Nov. 10, reach out to the agency’s CalFresh call center at 855-355-5757.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/contact-us\">contact SFHSA directly by phone or email\u003c/a>, or \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfhsa.org/contact-us/locations\">visit an SFHSA office in person\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For general questions about the grocery cards, San Francisco CalFresh users can call 3-1-1, according to SFHSA.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"HowContraCostaresidentsonCalFreshcanaccesstheirdebitcard\">\u003c/a>I’m a Contra Costa County resident using CalFresh. When can I access my debit card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>More than 65,000 households in Contra Costa County rely on CalFresh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Starting Monday, Nov. 10, Contra Costa residents on SNAP can \u003ca href=\"https://ehsd.org/2025/11/05/county-declares-emergency-over-calfresh-funding-disruption-due-to-federal-shutdown/\">pick up a debit card in person from one of the county’s Employment and Human Services Department buildings\u003c/a>, located at:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>1305 Macdonald Ave., Richmond\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>151 Linus Pauling Drive, Hercules\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>400 Ellinwood Way, Pleasant Hill\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>4545 Delta Fair Blvd., Antioch\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953001\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11953001\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Stacked brown cardboard boxes of cauliflower and sweet potatoes in a paved outdoor area.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66299_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boxes of vegetables await distribution at a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank pop-up pantry in the Richmond District of San Francisco on June 13, 2023. Volunteers at food pantries often help set up, build grocery bags, distribute food, check in participants, manage the line, and help with other tasks as needed. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cards can be picked up every day starting Monday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The last day to pick up a debit card is Saturday, Nov. 15.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Angela Bullock-Hayes, director of the Workforce Services Bureau for the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department, said that county residents will first receive a text message inviting them to an appointment at one of these locations — “to address shorter wait times, we hope.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if an appointment time isn’t convenient, “people are welcome to come whenever they need to, because we want to make sure that people have access to food,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What if I can’t pick up my Contra Costa debit card in person that week?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If circumstances mean you can’t come to one of those four offices to collect your card, you should \u003ca href=\"https://ehsd.org/overview/contact/\">contact the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department\u003c/a> to arrange an alternative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will provide support,” Bullock-Hayes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What kind of information will I have to provide to access my debit card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You should bring your EBT card and a form of ID to pick up your Contra Costa debit card, Bullock-Hayes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike San Francisco, which is only providing prepaid cards to residents who were already using CalFresh by October, Contra Costa County will also provide cards to residents who are eligible for CalFresh but who aren’t already signed up — after helping them apply for SNAP.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Once I have my virtual or physical card, how do I spend the funds?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After a Contra Costa County resident has picked up their physical grocery card, they should be able to “go to the grocery stores or [other] resources to purchase foods right away,” Bullock-Hayes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’ll be able to use your debit card like you would have used your EBT card, and “it can be used at any retailer that sells food, and those retailers that usually carry and accept EBT cards,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for which foods and items you can purchase using the debit card, Bullock-Hayes said you’ll be informed about those stipulations when you first access your debit card, which “will outline how the card should be used.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How much money will I get through my debit card?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The dollar amount on your debit card will likely not match the amount you’d have normally received in November through your CalFresh benefits in Contra Costa, and will be based on household size.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Previously, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062817/more-bay-area-counties-join-push-to-send-prepaid-grocery-cards-amid-federal-snap-lapse\">the county had planned to initially load the debit cards with 50% of the available funds\u003c/a> and reload the cards every week. But now, Contra Costa CalFresh recipients will have the full benefit amount available on their debit card when they pick it up, which is intended to last two weeks, Bullock-Hayes said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But don’t throw your debit card away once you’ve used up the funds, she said. “After the two weeks, we will need to evaluate the status of the federal shutdown and what information we receive,” Bullock-Hayes said. “If additional benefits are available, then we will be able to add those to the cards.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can I still use my card if the government shutdown ends or partial SNAP benefits are paid this month?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. “We are planning to move forward with issuing the cards and giving the money to residents to use,” said Bullock-Hayes, and the county has no plans to stop card usage if there are further developments at the federal level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want people to go out and use the … benefits for the food that they need,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aemslie\">\u003cem>Alex Emslie\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "More Bay Area Counties Join Push to Send Prepaid Grocery Cards Amid Federal SNAP Lapse",
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"content": "\u003cp>Contra Costa County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to provide millions of dollars in direct funding to more than 65,000 households that rely on federal food assistance, joining \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062577/bay-area-counties-pour-millions-into-food-aid-assistance-as-clock-runs-out-on-snap\">similar efforts across the Bay Area\u003c/a> as benefits remain in limbo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062530/judges-order-the-trump-administration-to-use-contingency-funds-for-snap-payments-during-the-shutdown\">multiple federal judges\u003c/a> ordered the Trump administration on Friday to continue operating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program despite the lapse in appropriations since Oct. 1, when the federal government shut down, President Trump is still threatening to \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115492285081397189\">withhold any funds\u003c/a> until the shutdown ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if payments do go out this month, recipients across the country are expected to receive delayed and incomplete benefit transfers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid the uncertainty, Contra Costa County will allocate up to $21 million to provide debit cards to households on CalFresh, California’s iteration of SNAP, beginning next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The loss of CalFresh benefits threatens the food security of over 110,000 county residents,” said Marla Stuart, the director of East Bay County’s Employment & Human Services Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the U.S. Department of Agriculture issues partial SNAP benefits for November, she said, those are not likely to hit recipients’ accounts during the usual window during the first 10 days of the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060772\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060772\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SNAP and EBT Accepted here sign. SNAP and Food Stamps provide nutrition benefits to supplement the budgets of disadvantaged families. \u003ccite>(Jet City Image/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Plus)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We do anticipate the best-case scenario at this point, and everything is changing, that we are several weeks away from any kind of distribution, if there is a distribution,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cards will initially be loaded with 50% of the total funds, then reloaded with each half of the remaining funding weekly for the following two weeks. It wasn’t clear whether recipients would receive the full dollar amount they usually do through CalFresh, but Contra Costa County households received just over $21 million in electronic benefit transfers in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recipients will be able to pick up the cards at the county’s Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD) buildings in Richmond, Hercules, Pleasant Hill and Antioch every weekday next week between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The supervisors asked EHSD staff to consider adding weekend hours to the pick-up schedule, though whether they will be able to do so wasn’t determined before the vote.[aside postID=news_12062685 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-SNAP-RECIPIENTS-MD-03-KQED.jpg']To help households get through this week, Stuart said the county has already purchased the equivalent of 10,000 food boxes from the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and begun distributing their contents. She said the food should be enough to serve about 40,000 people for two weeks, and estimated it would likely last through the middle of next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county will load the debit cards using millions of dollars from COVID-19 reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other unallocated money in its general fund set aside for contingencies to pay for the cards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While all of the supervisors agreed the lapse in CalFresh funding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062685/eating-for-survival-with-november-snap-delays-how-will-bay-area-families-cope\">constituted a crisis\u003c/a> worth spending this funding on, multiple raised questions about the sustainability of spending such large sums to cover federal shortfalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s clear that there’s an urgent need, and we are in a crisis in so many ways,” Supervisor Ken Carlson said. “I also want to be thinking that we’re 10 months into this crisis. We do not know what court order, what action [is coming]; what Congress, what this president will do. I want to be very thoughtful of how we proceed, because we might be here three months from now for a totally different issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elsewhere across the Bay Area, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062577/bay-area-counties-pour-millions-into-food-aid-assistance-as-clock-runs-out-on-snap\">counties have taken similar steps\u003c/a> to support households whose usual electronic benefit transfers aren’t arriving this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062564\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062564\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Filmark Bernante (left) and Megan Feria sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Francisco is also providing direct aid, sending $18 million in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062743/shutdown-san-francisco-sf-cal-fresh-snap-november-grocery-card-ebt-meals-prepaid-debit-contra-costa\">electronic gift cards\u003c/a> to CalFresh recipients. Alameda County, meanwhile, is sending $10 million in emergency funding to local food banks and food assistance programs, and it has raised an additional $1.5 million, partly through philanthropic support, for an emergency food program to support food banks and smaller, community-based organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Marin County supervisors allocated $800,000 to send prepaid cards to the county’s 15,000 CalFresh recipients. The program will be facilitated through the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, and funding will be issued in $200,000 increments for four weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While local jurisdictions and the state have quickly mobilized to help people continue to put food on the table, how long they’ll be able to do so is unclear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a Band-Aid,” Contra Costa Supervisor Diane Burgis said. “Are we also working on if this is to continue for another month or two, what we would do? This is four weeks. So what is the next plan after that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Contra Costa County will allocate up to $21 million for over 65,000 households that rely on federal food assistance, and Marin County allocated $800,000 for payments to 15,000 recipients.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Contra Costa County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to provide millions of dollars in direct funding to more than 65,000 households that rely on federal food assistance, joining \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062577/bay-area-counties-pour-millions-into-food-aid-assistance-as-clock-runs-out-on-snap\">similar efforts across the Bay Area\u003c/a> as benefits remain in limbo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062530/judges-order-the-trump-administration-to-use-contingency-funds-for-snap-payments-during-the-shutdown\">multiple federal judges\u003c/a> ordered the Trump administration on Friday to continue operating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program despite the lapse in appropriations since Oct. 1, when the federal government shut down, President Trump is still threatening to \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115492285081397189\">withhold any funds\u003c/a> until the shutdown ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if payments do go out this month, recipients across the country are expected to receive delayed and incomplete benefit transfers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid the uncertainty, Contra Costa County will allocate up to $21 million to provide debit cards to households on CalFresh, California’s iteration of SNAP, beginning next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The loss of CalFresh benefits threatens the food security of over 110,000 county residents,” said Marla Stuart, the director of East Bay County’s Employment & Human Services Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if the U.S. Department of Agriculture issues partial SNAP benefits for November, she said, those are not likely to hit recipients’ accounts during the usual window during the first 10 days of the month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12060772\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12060772\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">SNAP and EBT Accepted here sign. SNAP and Food Stamps provide nutrition benefits to supplement the budgets of disadvantaged families. \u003ccite>(Jet City Image/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Plus)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We do anticipate the best-case scenario at this point, and everything is changing, that we are several weeks away from any kind of distribution, if there is a distribution,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cards will initially be loaded with 50% of the total funds, then reloaded with each half of the remaining funding weekly for the following two weeks. It wasn’t clear whether recipients would receive the full dollar amount they usually do through CalFresh, but Contra Costa County households received just over $21 million in electronic benefit transfers in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recipients will be able to pick up the cards at the county’s Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD) buildings in Richmond, Hercules, Pleasant Hill and Antioch every weekday next week between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The supervisors asked EHSD staff to consider adding weekend hours to the pick-up schedule, though whether they will be able to do so wasn’t determined before the vote.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>To help households get through this week, Stuart said the county has already purchased the equivalent of 10,000 food boxes from the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and begun distributing their contents. She said the food should be enough to serve about 40,000 people for two weeks, and estimated it would likely last through the middle of next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county will load the debit cards using millions of dollars from COVID-19 reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other unallocated money in its general fund set aside for contingencies to pay for the cards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While all of the supervisors agreed the lapse in CalFresh funding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062685/eating-for-survival-with-november-snap-delays-how-will-bay-area-families-cope\">constituted a crisis\u003c/a> worth spending this funding on, multiple raised questions about the sustainability of spending such large sums to cover federal shortfalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s clear that there’s an urgent need, and we are in a crisis in so many ways,” Supervisor Ken Carlson said. “I also want to be thinking that we’re 10 months into this crisis. We do not know what court order, what action [is coming]; what Congress, what this president will do. I want to be very thoughtful of how we proceed, because we might be here three months from now for a totally different issue.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Elsewhere across the Bay Area, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062577/bay-area-counties-pour-millions-into-food-aid-assistance-as-clock-runs-out-on-snap\">counties have taken similar steps\u003c/a> to support households whose usual electronic benefit transfers aren’t arriving this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062564\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062564\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Filmark Bernante (left) and Megan Feria sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Francisco is also providing direct aid, sending $18 million in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062743/shutdown-san-francisco-sf-cal-fresh-snap-november-grocery-card-ebt-meals-prepaid-debit-contra-costa\">electronic gift cards\u003c/a> to CalFresh recipients. Alameda County, meanwhile, is sending $10 million in emergency funding to local food banks and food assistance programs, and it has raised an additional $1.5 million, partly through philanthropic support, for an emergency food program to support food banks and smaller, community-based organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, Marin County supervisors allocated $800,000 to send prepaid cards to the county’s 15,000 CalFresh recipients. The program will be facilitated through the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, and funding will be issued in $200,000 increments for four weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While local jurisdictions and the state have quickly mobilized to help people continue to put food on the table, how long they’ll be able to do so is unclear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a Band-Aid,” Contra Costa Supervisor Diane Burgis said. “Are we also working on if this is to continue for another month or two, what we would do? This is four weeks. So what is the next plan after that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "californias-food-pantries-mobilize-to-fill-benefits-gap-left-by-gov-shutdown",
"title": "California's Food Banks Mobilize to Fill Benefits Gap Left by Gov. Shutdown",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are this morning’s headlines for the morning of November 3rd, 2025: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The government shutdown has left the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in funding limbo–after two judges on Friday ordered a reticent Trump Administration to fund the food aid program with the $5 billion in contingency funds the USDA has on hand. Meanwhile, millions of Californians who rely on the state’s version of SNAP–CalFresh–to stay fed are left wondering where their next meals will come from. Food pantries throughout the state are gearing up to meet the demand.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Meanwhile, Democratic Senator, Adam Schiff says his party is pushing to get SNAP funded while also ending the political stalemate in Washington.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">\u003cstrong>What You Need to Know as California Food Pantries Get Ready for a Surge in Demand\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re one of the 5.5 million Californians who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — you should now expect \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">your November SNAP payments on your EBT card to be “delayed” \u003c/a>due to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">ongoing federal government shutdown\u003c/a>, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That somber revelation has foodbanks throughout California marshalling up all available resources to meet the coming surge in demand, especially ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. We’ll walk you through how to find your nearest foodbank, what to expect and how to get involved in donations–while SNAP funding lingers in legal limbo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-10-31-2025?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share\">two federal judges ruled\u003c/a> that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to fund SNAP, and\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-10-31-2025#0000019a-3b85-db90-a7de-3bb7cfb00000\"> gave the administration’s deadline to make its decision is today\u003c/a>. President\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115471065919157533\">responded on social media\u003c/a> that he had “instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” but that “even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out.” The administration had previously claimed that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061823/california-sues-trump-administration-over-suspension-of-snap-benefits-during-shutdown\">it could not use the USDA’s contingency fund\u003c/a> of around $6 billion to fund SNAP benefits in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Senator Schiff Says President Trump Key to Breaking Shutdown Stalemate, Fund SNAP\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Senator Adam Schiff is calling on President Trump to get involved in congressional negotiations to fund SNAP and end the government shutdown in DC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During an interview with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcra.com/article/adam-schiff-shutdown-talks-president-trump-california-politics-360/69221541\">KCRA in Los Angeles over the weekend,\u003c/a> Schiff said, once President Trump returns from his trip overseas, he may be more receptive to striking a deal to end the shutdown, because “now that I think Americans are seeing their insurance costs, I think it is really increasing the pressure on the White House to try to fix this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>President Trump spent\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/01/nx-s1-5593444/trump-government-shutdown-travel\"> nearly half the duration of the shutdown traveling outside of Washington. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are this morning’s headlines for the morning of November 3rd, 2025: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The government shutdown has left the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in funding limbo–after two judges on Friday ordered a reticent Trump Administration to fund the food aid program with the $5 billion in contingency funds the USDA has on hand. Meanwhile, millions of Californians who rely on the state’s version of SNAP–CalFresh–to stay fed are left wondering where their next meals will come from. Food pantries throughout the state are gearing up to meet the demand.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Meanwhile, Democratic Senator, Adam Schiff says his party is pushing to get SNAP funded while also ending the political stalemate in Washington.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">\u003cstrong>What You Need to Know as California Food Pantries Get Ready for a Surge in Demand\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re one of the 5.5 million Californians who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — you should now expect \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">your November SNAP payments on your EBT card to be “delayed” \u003c/a>due to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">ongoing federal government shutdown\u003c/a>, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That somber revelation has foodbanks throughout California marshalling up all available resources to meet the coming surge in demand, especially ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. We’ll walk you through how to find your nearest foodbank, what to expect and how to get involved in donations–while SNAP funding lingers in legal limbo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Friday, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-10-31-2025?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share\">two federal judges ruled\u003c/a> that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to fund SNAP, and\u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-10-31-2025#0000019a-3b85-db90-a7de-3bb7cfb00000\"> gave the administration’s deadline to make its decision is today\u003c/a>. President\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump \u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115471065919157533\">responded on social media\u003c/a> that he had “instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” but that “even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out.” The administration had previously claimed that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061823/california-sues-trump-administration-over-suspension-of-snap-benefits-during-shutdown\">it could not use the USDA’s contingency fund\u003c/a> of around $6 billion to fund SNAP benefits in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Senator Schiff Says President Trump Key to Breaking Shutdown Stalemate, Fund SNAP\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Senator Adam Schiff is calling on President Trump to get involved in congressional negotiations to fund SNAP and end the government shutdown in DC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During an interview with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcra.com/article/adam-schiff-shutdown-talks-president-trump-california-politics-360/69221541\">KCRA in Los Angeles over the weekend,\u003c/a> Schiff said, once President Trump returns from his trip overseas, he may be more receptive to striking a deal to end the shutdown, because “now that I think Americans are seeing their insurance costs, I think it is really increasing the pressure on the White House to try to fix this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>President Trump spent\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/01/nx-s1-5593444/trump-government-shutdown-travel\"> nearly half the duration of the shutdown traveling outside of Washington. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "How to Best Support Your Local Food Bank During Shutdown SNAP Delays",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">government shutdown\u003c/a> has reached its second month. And the 5.5 million Californians who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps — have seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">their November SNAP payments delayed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it’s still unclear how SNAP payments will be distributed this month. On Nov. 3, President Donald Trump’s administration said it would \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/03/nx-s1-5596121/snap-food-benefits-trump-government-shutdown\">use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s contingency fund to provide SNAP payments\u003c/a> in November after all, having previously claimed that it could not tap this fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the White House warned that payments would still only be half of people’s regular benefits, and that there could be lengthy delays before EBT cards are reloaded. And on Nov. 4, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/04/us/trump-shutdown-news#cities-nonprofits-food-stamp-snap-payments\">Trump again threatened to withhold SNAP payments\u003c/a> entirely — before a judge \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-11-6-2025#0000019a-5af9-d003-addb-deffec620000\">ruled a second time that the White House must pay these benefits in full by Nov. 7\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">some CalFresh recipients have begun to see benefits payments\u003c/a> arrive in full onto their EBT cards, but it’s not yet clear how these funds will continue to roll out, especially since \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/snap-food-government-shutdown-trump-a807e9f0c0a7213e203c074553dc1f9b\">the Trump administration asked a federal appeals court Friday to block the judge’s order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around the Bay Area,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\"> food banks\u003c/a> are working to meet the needs of thousands of people who have seen their access to food greatly reduced aleady, with the Thanksgiving holidays fast approaching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you don’t need the services of a food bank right now, you might be wondering how to best support your local nonprofit providing food assistance to your neighbor, either by volunteering your time or donating to them financially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for how Bay Area food banks say you can most effectively support them during the shutdown. And remember: The quickest way to offer your support is by visiting an organization’s website and signing up there to volunteer or make a donation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Don’t feel you need to wait until the holidays to volunteer or donate\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“The holidays are definitely busier times when we tend to get more volunteers coming in,” said Elizabeth Gomez, vice president of impact at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a>. “But the truth is that we need volunteers every day of the year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while the Thanksgiving holiday is a particularly popular time to volunteer at food banks around the country, SNAP payments are typically paid onto recipients’ EBT cards in the first ten days of the month — meaning that with the shutdown delays, many people’s urgency around accessing food will start early in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062023\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12062023 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Would-be volunteers should also seek out opportunities at smaller locations in their communities, such as schools, community centers, senior centers and soup kitchens. \u003ccite>(Maskot/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ACCFB has already seen a 12% increase since July in people using its food distribution sites, Gomez said. And now, the CalFresh delays “couldn’t come at a worse time,” she said. “This is November: It’s a time for family, for food, for togetherness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people on CalFresh are particularly relying on these funds to feed their families at the holidays, noted Gomez, “especially during the winter months when not only our food prices go up, but electricity bills go up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be open to different volunteer roles …\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Food banks — and the programs they distribute to — have a wide variety of volunteer roles to be filled, from warehouse roles like stocking shelves, packing boxes and cleaning facilities to “front of house” opportunities where volunteers work directly with members of the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11928374\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11928374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut.jpg\" alt=\"a volunteer sorts donated food for the SF Marin food bank\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers sort donated apples at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. The organization’s workers voted to unionize in 2020 following a growing sense among employees that management was ignoring institutional problems. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Different organizations may have different needs. Cody Jang, senior associate director of community engagement at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/\">San Francisco-Marin Food Bank\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036573/volunteer-bay-area-non-profits-what-helps-opportunities\">told KQED earlier this year\u003c/a> that one of the organization’s biggest needs is for volunteers with a valid driver’s license and their own vehicle to deliver food door-to-door through\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/programs/home-delivered-groceries-seniors/\"> the home-delivered grocery program\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyfoodnetwork.org/\">Berkeley Food Network\u003c/a>, the most crucial volunteer role is that of greeter, executive director Andrew Crispin said: people who welcome clients, “letting them know what’s on the menu, letting them know that this is a safe space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>… and volunteering at different places\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since\u003ca href=\"https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/what-difference-between-food-bank-and-food-pantry\"> the SF-Marin Food Bank itself is “much more of a warehouse” \u003c/a>where “we get the food, we build a menu each week, and then we push it out to partners,” Jang also suggested would-be volunteers seek out opportunities at these smaller locations in their communities: “schools, community centers, senior centers, soup kitchens, all kinds of different places.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only does donating volunteer hours to one of these smaller pantries help “with the chain of getting food to those in need,” your work there is more likely to impact your actual neighbors, Jang said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Know that donating money has greater impact than donating food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>‘We definitely need volunteers both at our distribution sites and at our warehouses, but also quite honestly, we need people’s financial support,” said Leslie Bacho, CEO of \u003ca href=\"https://www.shfb.org/\">Second Harvest of Silicon Valley\u003c/a>.[aside postID=news_12061440 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/013_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9229_qed.jpg']Donating money rather than food gives food banks far more flexibility, as these nonprofits are able to negotiate special deals for the food they buy in bulk — at much better prices than you can access as a private customer at a store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can really stretch people’s dollars far,” Bacho said. “And believe me, they are really needed in this moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For every dollar, we’re able to turn that into $2 of purchasing power,” ACCFB’s Gomez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And especially at a time when CalFresh benefits are decreasing, we need to do everything that we can to secure additional funds to purchase nutritious food for our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>See if your employer will match your donation\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some companies will match whatever you donate to a food bank, so it’s worth inquiring with your employer. \u003ca href=\"https://donate.accfb.org/search/Donate\">ACCFB’s donation page \u003c/a>even allows you to type in your company’s name to see if they’ll match the amount you give.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be aware of any guidelines for donating food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Food banks will typically welcome nonperishable, unopened food. And you’ll want to make sure your product can be accepted at the particular food bank you want to donate to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Needed-Food-items-2025.pdf\">ACCFB has a list of foods “our community loves” \u003c/a>to guide food donations, which include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12060770 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/SNAPGetty.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Ready-to-eat meals, especially in easy-open cans or pouches\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chilis, stews, ravioli and soups\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chicken, tuna and salmon\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Snacks for children (like healthy lunch snacks, bars, and fruit or veggie pouches)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Nonperishable fruit (in cups, bowls or cans)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Peanut butter\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cereal (boxes or single-serve bowls)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Nutrition and protein bars\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ACCFB-General-Donation-Guidelines-new-logo-Oct21.pdf\">Items the food bank asks people \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to donate:\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Soda, carbonated drinks, energy drinks or alcohol\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Items with major dents or damage\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Produce that’s overripe, moldy, wilted or extremely bruised\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Items that have been previously thawed\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ice cream\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Some food banks may also accept products needed by the community, like detergent, period supplies, diapers or other personal care items, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/three-non-food-items-food\">Feeding America suggests \u003c/a>you contact your local organization directly to check.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Host a food drive to collect physical donations …\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While food banks across the country paused their traditional food drives at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re once again an option for people wanting to support their local food bank with food donations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953002\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11953002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with white hair and a warm coat picks through a huge box of ears of corn in a paved outdoor area where lots of other people are also circulating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers distribute food items at a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank pop-up pantry in the Richmond District of San Francisco on June 13, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ACCFB also welcomes\u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/get-involved/fundraise/food-drive/#large\"> “large-scale food drives”\u003c/a> in which groups like schools and larger businesses commit to collecting over 400 lbs. of food, i.e., at least three completely full food drive barrels.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>… or start a virtual food drive\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>ACCFB has a tool that allows supporters to \u003ca href=\"https://donate.accfb.org/vfd\">host virtual food drives online\u003c/a>, inviting donors to “shop” for the food bank’s most needed fresh items, like milk, eggs and produce, which can’t be collected in a typical food drive’s barrels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thanks to our bulk purchasing power, the money you’d spend in a grocery store to fill just one food drive barrel is enough to fill 3–4 virtual barrels,” ACCFB’s website said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting from KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ffenzi\">Francesca Fenzi\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "As millions of Californians prepare to go without food benefits in November due to the government shutdown, here’s how you can support local food banks.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/government-shutdown\">government shutdown\u003c/a> has reached its second month. And the 5.5 million Californians who use CalFresh — the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps — have seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060770/snap-calfresh-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november-payments-ebt\">their November SNAP payments delayed\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it’s still unclear how SNAP payments will be distributed this month. On Nov. 3, President Donald Trump’s administration said it would \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/11/03/nx-s1-5596121/snap-food-benefits-trump-government-shutdown\">use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s contingency fund to provide SNAP payments\u003c/a> in November after all, having previously claimed that it could not tap this fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the White House warned that payments would still only be half of people’s regular benefits, and that there could be lengthy delays before EBT cards are reloaded. And on Nov. 4, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/04/us/trump-shutdown-news#cities-nonprofits-food-stamp-snap-payments\">Trump again threatened to withhold SNAP payments\u003c/a> entirely — before a judge \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-11-6-2025#0000019a-5af9-d003-addb-deffec620000\">ruled a second time that the White House must pay these benefits in full by Nov. 7\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/11/06/californians-are-beginning-to-see-cash-on-their-snap-cards-following-major-win-against-the-trump-administration/\">some CalFresh recipients have begun to see benefits payments\u003c/a> arrive in full onto their EBT cards, but it’s not yet clear how these funds will continue to roll out, especially since \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/snap-food-government-shutdown-trump-a807e9f0c0a7213e203c074553dc1f9b\">the Trump administration asked a federal appeals court Friday to block the judge’s order\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around the Bay Area,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\"> food banks\u003c/a> are working to meet the needs of thousands of people who have seen their access to food greatly reduced aleady, with the Thanksgiving holidays fast approaching.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you don’t need the services of a food bank right now, you might be wondering how to best support your local nonprofit providing food assistance to your neighbor, either by volunteering your time or donating to them financially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for how Bay Area food banks say you can most effectively support them during the shutdown. And remember: The quickest way to offer your support is by visiting an organization’s website and signing up there to volunteer or make a donation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Don’t feel you need to wait until the holidays to volunteer or donate\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“The holidays are definitely busier times when we tend to get more volunteers coming in,” said Elizabeth Gomez, vice president of impact at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a>. “But the truth is that we need volunteers every day of the year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while the Thanksgiving holiday is a particularly popular time to volunteer at food banks around the country, SNAP payments are typically paid onto recipients’ EBT cards in the first ten days of the month — meaning that with the shutdown delays, many people’s urgency around accessing food will start early in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062023\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12062023 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/FoodPantryGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Would-be volunteers should also seek out opportunities at smaller locations in their communities, such as schools, community centers, senior centers and soup kitchens. \u003ccite>(Maskot/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ACCFB has already seen a 12% increase since July in people using its food distribution sites, Gomez said. And now, the CalFresh delays “couldn’t come at a worse time,” she said. “This is November: It’s a time for family, for food, for togetherness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people on CalFresh are particularly relying on these funds to feed their families at the holidays, noted Gomez, “especially during the winter months when not only our food prices go up, but electricity bills go up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be open to different volunteer roles …\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Food banks — and the programs they distribute to — have a wide variety of volunteer roles to be filled, from warehouse roles like stocking shelves, packing boxes and cleaning facilities to “front of house” opportunities where volunteers work directly with members of the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11928374\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11928374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut.jpg\" alt=\"a volunteer sorts donated food for the SF Marin food bank\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/10/RS42171_005_KQED_SanFranciscoMarinFoodBank_03182020_9168-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers sort donated apples at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. The organization’s workers voted to unionize in 2020 following a growing sense among employees that management was ignoring institutional problems. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Different organizations may have different needs. Cody Jang, senior associate director of community engagement at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/\">San Francisco-Marin Food Bank\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036573/volunteer-bay-area-non-profits-what-helps-opportunities\">told KQED earlier this year\u003c/a> that one of the organization’s biggest needs is for volunteers with a valid driver’s license and their own vehicle to deliver food door-to-door through\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/programs/home-delivered-groceries-seniors/\"> the home-delivered grocery program\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyfoodnetwork.org/\">Berkeley Food Network\u003c/a>, the most crucial volunteer role is that of greeter, executive director Andrew Crispin said: people who welcome clients, “letting them know what’s on the menu, letting them know that this is a safe space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>… and volunteering at different places\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since\u003ca href=\"https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/what-difference-between-food-bank-and-food-pantry\"> the SF-Marin Food Bank itself is “much more of a warehouse” \u003c/a>where “we get the food, we build a menu each week, and then we push it out to partners,” Jang also suggested would-be volunteers seek out opportunities at these smaller locations in their communities: “schools, community centers, senior centers, soup kitchens, all kinds of different places.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not only does donating volunteer hours to one of these smaller pantries help “with the chain of getting food to those in need,” your work there is more likely to impact your actual neighbors, Jang said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Know that donating money has greater impact than donating food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>‘We definitely need volunteers both at our distribution sites and at our warehouses, but also quite honestly, we need people’s financial support,” said Leslie Bacho, CEO of \u003ca href=\"https://www.shfb.org/\">Second Harvest of Silicon Valley\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Donating money rather than food gives food banks far more flexibility, as these nonprofits are able to negotiate special deals for the food they buy in bulk — at much better prices than you can access as a private customer at a store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can really stretch people’s dollars far,” Bacho said. “And believe me, they are really needed in this moment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For every dollar, we’re able to turn that into $2 of purchasing power,” ACCFB’s Gomez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And especially at a time when CalFresh benefits are decreasing, we need to do everything that we can to secure additional funds to purchase nutritious food for our community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>See if your employer will match your donation\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some companies will match whatever you donate to a food bank, so it’s worth inquiring with your employer. \u003ca href=\"https://donate.accfb.org/search/Donate\">ACCFB’s donation page \u003c/a>even allows you to type in your company’s name to see if they’ll match the amount you give.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Be aware of any guidelines for donating food\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Food banks will typically welcome nonperishable, unopened food. And you’ll want to make sure your product can be accepted at the particular food bank you want to donate to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, \u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Needed-Food-items-2025.pdf\">ACCFB has a list of foods “our community loves” \u003c/a>to guide food donations, which include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Ready-to-eat meals, especially in easy-open cans or pouches\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chilis, stews, ravioli and soups\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Chicken, tuna and salmon\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Snacks for children (like healthy lunch snacks, bars, and fruit or veggie pouches)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Nonperishable fruit (in cups, bowls or cans)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Peanut butter\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Cereal (boxes or single-serve bowls)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Nutrition and protein bars\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ACCFB-General-Donation-Guidelines-new-logo-Oct21.pdf\">Items the food bank asks people \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to donate:\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Soda, carbonated drinks, energy drinks or alcohol\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Items with major dents or damage\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Produce that’s overripe, moldy, wilted or extremely bruised\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Items that have been previously thawed\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ice cream\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Some food banks may also accept products needed by the community, like detergent, period supplies, diapers or other personal care items, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/three-non-food-items-food\">Feeding America suggests \u003c/a>you contact your local organization directly to check.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Host a food drive to collect physical donations …\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While food banks across the country paused their traditional food drives at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re once again an option for people wanting to support their local food bank with food donations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953002\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11953002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with white hair and a warm coat picks through a huge box of ears of corn in a paved outdoor area where lots of other people are also circulating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers distribute food items at a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank pop-up pantry in the Richmond District of San Francisco on June 13, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ACCFB also welcomes\u003ca href=\"https://www.accfb.org/get-involved/fundraise/food-drive/#large\"> “large-scale food drives”\u003c/a> in which groups like schools and larger businesses commit to collecting over 400 lbs. of food, i.e., at least three completely full food drive barrels.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>… or start a virtual food drive\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>ACCFB has a tool that allows supporters to \u003ca href=\"https://donate.accfb.org/vfd\">host virtual food drives online\u003c/a>, inviting donors to “shop” for the food bank’s most needed fresh items, like milk, eggs and produce, which can’t be collected in a typical food drive’s barrels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thanks to our bulk purchasing power, the money you’d spend in a grocery store to fill just one food drive barrel is enough to fill 3–4 virtual barrels,” ACCFB’s website said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story contains reporting from KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ffenzi\">Francesca Fenzi\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
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"id": "city-arts",
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"meta": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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},
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
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