San Diego (KGTV)- For many people who live on a fixed income buying groceries may be a challenge. But now, 95,000 San Diegans receiving Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, will be able to apply for the CalFresh program (food stamps).
“Individuals receiving SSI receives no more than $980 a month,” says Amanda Schultz Brocheo, with the San Diego Hunger Coalition. “For the majority, of SSI recipients, this all the money they have.”
In San Diego, 1 in 11 older adults don’t have enough food to eat.
“In some cases, we’ve heard of SSI recipients that will pull out a calendar and circle the days they are going to choose not to eat.”
The San Diego Hunger Coalition says they are happy about the expansion but say the amount per day the is less than $5 a day.
“We determined that here in San Diego County the average CalFresh allotment is $4.07 a day.”
This week also marks CalFresh Challenge Week. The organization encourages San Diegans to try living off $4 a day for food. It’s meant to bring awareness to the food insecurities around the county.
“We know that the CalFresh program is our strongest tool to for fighting hunger and also recognize that the current allotment is fairly small,” says Brocheo. “It makes it fairly difficult for people to live on that amount. With that said that $4 a day is a more than they would have received otherwise.”
To apply for the CalFresh program:
- apply online
- Call 2-1-1
- attend an upcoming CalFresh programevent
