DPSS & PARTNERS HOST CALFRESH AWARENESS EVENT

From top left: L.A. County Department of Military & Veterans Affairs Director James Zenner, Office of Immigrant Affairs Director Rigoberto Reyes, Department of Public Health – Health Promotion Bureau Deputy Director Dr. Priya Batra, DPSS Director Dr. Jackie Contreras, L.A. City Councilwoman Traci Parks District Director Matthew Halden, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s Coastal and Westside Field Deputy Zachary Gaidzik, and County Commission on Disabilities President Carlos Benavides (seated).

The Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) outreach and program teams joined County of Los Angeles and community partners on May 8 to launch activities for CalFresh Awareness Month (CFAM) and to provide essential resources to Mar Vista area residents.

CalFresh is California’s name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administered in L.A. County by DPSS. The program has proven to be an effective way to ensuring the health and well-being of thousands of low-income individuals and families across the county.

The community kick-off event helped launch a series of outreach strategies to inform residents on how to stretch their food budgets and purchase healthier foods. This year’s CFAM theme is “Eat Better, Live Better.”

This year’s goals are eliminating the stigmas associated with receiving public assistance and removing the barriers to applying for CalFresh.

“Just putting three meals a day on the table is a daily struggle for too many families in Los Angeles County,” stated DPSS Director Jackie Contreras, who shared her personal story of how food subsidy programs helped her family. “I am so grateful my mother had the courage to reach out for help when we needed it.”

CFAM campaign is also an opportunity to highlight the strong collaboration between local government agencies and community-based organizations in educating the public about the many benefits of the CalFresh Program.

DPSS would like to thank this year’s partners:  The L.A. County Youth Commission, Office of Immigrant Affairs, Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, Internal Services Department’s Delete the Divide Program, Department of Public Health’s Child Passenger Safety Program, Aging and Disabilities Department, Metro, L.A. Regional Food Bank, Hunger Action L.A., L.A. Vets, WIC, Korean American Federation of L.A., L.A. Food Policy Council, Food Access L.A., Center for Living & Learning, Venice Family Clinic, and the DPSS’ Outreach Division, CalFresh Nutrition Program, and Toy Loan Program staff.

Check out this video from the CFAM launch event. Visit the DPSS Community Calendar for a list of information and enrollment events in the month of May.