Other Nutrition Services in California

CalFresh, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, provides monthly food benefits to individuals and families with low-income and provides economic benefits to communities. CalFresh benefits stretch food budgets, allowing individuals and families to afford nutritious food, including more fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods. The program issues monthly benefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card for purchasing food at any grocery store or farmers market that accepts EBT cards.

The CalFresh website provides information on applying for CalFresh benefits and also provides CalFresh partners with resources including training materials and outreach toolkit.

CalFresh.org provides an easy application tool for applying for CalFresh food benefits.

The California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) represents 41 food banks throughout the state. The CAFB website provides links to food banks across the state.

A food bank is defined as is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that solicits, stores, and distributes sufficient food to their defined service area. Food banks may have some programs that distribute food directly to individuals and families, especially during emergencies like COVID-19. However, the primary function of a food bank is to partner with other agencies such as churches, senior centers and schools to ensure an adequate flow of food throughout the communities they serve.

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which is a USDA program administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), is also provided through select California food banks. CSFP is designed to improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA approved foods. USDA distributes both food and administrative funds to participating states and Indian Tribal Organizations to operate CSFP. CSFP food packages do not provide a complete diet, but rather are good sources of the nutrients typically lacking in the diets of the beneficiary population. Information regarding CSFP can be found at https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/fdu or at local food banks.

The Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) is a state and federally funded Child Nutrition Program (CNP) designed to provide nutritious meals and snacks served to infants, children, and adults. CACFP providers are reimbursed for meals and snacks that are served. The goal of the program is to enhance participants health and well-being. There are four components to the CACFP: (1) Child Care, (2) Adult Day Care, (3) Emergency Shelter, and (4) At-risk Afterschool Care.

The Adult Day Care component is available to public or private nonprofit organizations or certain for-profit organizations that provide healthy meals that meet the meal pattern standards in a nonresidential day care facility to functionally impaired adults or adults who are 60 years of age or older. Examples of providers include adult day care centers, support day care centers, adult day health centers, and approved Alzheimer centers.

The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is a federally funded program administered nationally by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services Agency, and in California, by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

The goal of the SFMNP is to provide fresh, nutritious, locally-grown produce and cut herbs through Certified Farmers’ Markets to low-income older adults, age 60 and older.