Sign up for CalFresh Feb. 27

Second Harvest’s CalFresh (food stamps) program will provide outreach through its Mobile Food Connection RV from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 27 at St. Joseph’s Family Center, located at 7950 Church St #A on the corner of First Street in Gilroy.

The mobile RV will help Gilroy residents apply for CalFresh, a federally funded program that assists low-income people in buying the food they need for good health. 

According to the California Food Policy Advocates, an estimated $164.3 million in CalFresh benefits are lost each year in Santa Clara County, which in turn loses an estimated $294 million in economic activity each year due to low participation in the CalFresh program. Every CalFresh dollar received generates an estimated $1.79 in economic activity, according to the CFPA.

“Unfortunately, that also means people are needlessly going hungry,” pointed out Caitlin Kerk, spokeswoman for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. 

Individuals and families who need food should call Second Harvest’s Food Connection hotline at (800) 984-3663 to see if they might be eligible for Calfresh or other food-assistance programs.

Since its inception in 1974, Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties has become one of the largest food banks in the nation, providing food to an average of nearly one quarter of a million people each month. The Food Bank mobilizes individuals, companies and community partners to connect people to the nutritious food they need. Nearly half of the food distributed is fresh produce. Second Harvest also plays a leading role in promoting federal nutrition programs and educating families on how to make healthier food choices. Click here to get involved.

Assistance with filling out an application for CalFresh is available at four South County locations, including St. Joseph’s Family Center, Rebekah Children’s Services and the National Guard Armory in Gilroy, and the Living & Loving Education Center in Morgan Hill. Click on the flier included in this article for more details. 

• It will not harm your immigration status
• Your children will not be required to serve in the militarybecause you get it
• You don’t have to pay it back
• You don’t need to have children to be eligible
• You don’t have to work in exchange for getting it
• You can have a job and still get it
• You can own your own home and still qualify for it
• Those who qualify for CalFresh are issued an EBT debit cardthat can be used at participating grocery stores and farmers’markets. It works just like any other debit card.