LOS ANGELES—As food assistance benefits paused on Nov. 1 for millions of people across California due to the federal government shutdown, local officials announced steps to provide additional help.
On Oct. 31, two federal judges separately told the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it must begin using billions of dollars in contingency funding to provide federal food assistance to needy families despite the shutdown. Trump administration officials said on Nov. 3 that the contingency funds will only partially fund food stamps for the month of November.
Following the court orders issued by judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, federal officials said payments could restart as soon as Nov. 5 for recipients, including nearly 1.5 million people in Los Angeles County and more than 310,000 in Orange County who rely on CalFresh benefits.
CalFresh is the California version of the federal food assistance program also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and referred to as EBT or food stamps. The program is entirely federally funded, but is managed by states and administered by counties.
To fill the gap, Los Angeles County is partnering with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to host grocery giveaways for people who might be struggling to put food on the table.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger reminded residents that the county has a network of 940 food pantries in place coordinated by the Food Bank. Food is available immediately for anyone who needs it and supplies will be increased for the month of November, Barger said.
“While today’s court decision ordering the USDA to restart SNAP funding offers hope, the reality is that families won’t see immediate relief,” Barger said Oct. 31. “Many residents are still struggling to put food on the table as the federal shutdown continues to strain household budgets.”
Supervisor Janice Hahn announced four large-scale food distribution events across her Fourth District starting Nov. 8.
The events will be held at the following times and locations:
- Nov. 8, 9 a.m. to noon: Pico Rivera Sports Arena
- Nov. 12, 9 a.m. to noon: Los Angeles Harbor College
- Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to noon: Long Beach City College, Pacific Coast Campus
- Nov. 26, 9 a.m. to noon: Hawaiian Gardens Fedde Sports Complex
Residents were encouraged to call 211 or visit lacounty.gov to learn more about the county’s available resources.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has also announced a series of resources for city residents in need.
“The city is committed to ensuring that residents stay informed and supported. No one in Los Angeles should have to worry about putting food on the table because of circumstances beyond their control. We are mobilizing every resource available to help our communities,” Bass said.
The mayor touted the following actions:
- FamilySource Centers operated by the Community Investment for Families Department provides weekly food distribution for low-income individuals and families regardless of immigration status. More information can be found at communityinvestment.lacity.gov/familysource-centers.
- The Department of Aging provides a senior meal program for qualifying residents over age 60, at a local senior center or through home delivery. For Information, call 1-800-510-2020 or email age.webinfo@lacity.org.
- LA City Recreation & Parks Senior Citizen Centers continue distributing regular senior meals in coordination with the Department of Aging.
The Los Angeles Unified School District has announced that it is bolstering its food-distribution efforts to provide meals for affected students and families.
L.A. Care Health Plan, billed as the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan, announced it was providing $5.4 million to help provide food for impacted families. Of that amount, $5 million will go to the L.A. Regional Food Bank, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and Food Forward. The funding is expected to support 10,000 to 15,000 households in the county each week in November, according to the Health Plan.
The additional $400,000 will go toward advancing food security efforts and bolstering food distribution efforts in the county.
County officials have allocated $10 million to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to expand its purchasing capacity, and to set up pop-up and drive-through distribution sites, in addition to the existing network of 940 pantries across the county.
The county Departments of Public Social Services and Children and Family Services also contributed $2 million each to support food programs.
Democrats and Republicans have blamed each other for the government shutdown, with Democrats refusing to vote on a budget bill without an extension of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act to keep health care premiums down. Republicans say the health care issue can be debated later since the health care subsidies are in place until the end of the year.
