(BCN) – Contra Costa County plans to distribute grocery debit cards to 107,000 CalFresh enrollees in the county who face losing benefits due to the federal government shutdown.
Superintendent John Gioia said Saturday that the debit cards will carry a value similar to the family’s current benefit. The average monthly benefit for a family of three is $573.
“Subject to a vote by the Board of Supervisors next Tuesday, where we will declare a local state of emergency, we plan to allocate up to $21 million from our rainy day reserves to fund these benefits for November,” Gioia said in a news release.
The cards will be distributed at four Department of Employment and Human Services offices:
– 1305 MacDonald Street, Richmond
— 151 Linus Pauling Dr. Hercules
– 400 Ellenwood Road, Pleasant Hill
— 4545 Delta Fair Blvd., Antioch
“Food boxes for families in need, even those who are not enrolled in CalFresh, will be available starting Monday, Nov. 3 at these same four locations,” Gioia said. “Families in need, regardless of immigration status, are welcome.”
The USDA, citing the ongoing government shutdown, said it would withhold payments to the food program known outside California as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to fund the program.
“It is unclear when debit cards used by enrollees can be reloaded with the November interest amount,” Gioia said. “It may take one to two weeks to do this.”
“That’s why the province is moving forward with its plan to support the hard-working families who depend on this vital food benefit,” he said.