Calfresh food program expanding eligibility

New changes are coming to California’a Calfresh food program.

Starting this summer California recipients of Supplemental Security Income, known as SSI, will now be eligible to get Calfresh food benefits.

According to the California Department of Social Services about 500,000 recipients of SSI will now be eligible for Calfresh benefits starting June 1, 2019.

This new opportunity will be a great help to the residents of California and Imperial County says Jesse Aguirre, Calfresh manager at the Imperial Valley Food Bank.

“It helps many Californians here in Imperial County, it is a crucial source of nutrition and sometimes the only source of nutrition to some families,” said Aguirre.

Aguirre says over thirty-seven thousand residents in Imperial County currently receive Calfresh benefits and that number is expected to rise.

The Imperial Valley Food Bank has seen an increase in applicants for the month of May.