2014State Policy Agenda

Over seven million Californians are not able to afford the food they need and requireassistance to access healthy food. Food banks help by providing emergency food and by partnering with state and federal nutrition programs. The California Association of Food Banks represents 40 food banks working together to build a well-nourished California (list on back). Together, we can significantly reduce hunger and malnutrition in California. Our 2014 priorities are:

Support State Emergency Food Program to Improve Access to Healthy Food

California can better serve people in need of food by shoring up the state’s emergency food network. Several of our peer states have made significant investments in assisting low-income residents with accessing healthy food through state emergency food assistance. After years without state funding for food banks in California, the State Emergency Food Assistance Program (SEFAP) was established in 2011, and SEFAP was funded at $1 million in 2013. Food banks need continuing support in order to keep up with needs for food assistance among low-income families. As a result of the impacts of California’s most severe drought emergency drought in decades, food banks throughout the state are experiencing particularly high demand, and additional state support for food assistance is vital to meet the need and help reduce hunger.

  • Increase Funding for the State Emergency Food Assistance Program. Increase access to fresh and healthy California-grown foods for low-income Californians by appropriating additional funds to the State Emergency Food Assistance Program for food banks to purchase and distribute healthy California food to low-income communities. The program was put into statute by AB 152 (Fuentes) in 2011, and was funded at $1 million in 2013 through Assembly Speaker’s office. Additional funding is critical for food banks to serve hungry families in need.

Modernize and Simplify the CalFresh Program

CalFresh (formerly known as food stamps) is California’s number one nutrition and anti-hunger program.It provides 100 percent federally-funded benefits to almost 4 million Californians, the majority of whom are children. Nonetheless, California has one of thelowest participation rates among all states, and loses billions of dollars in federal funds as well as in associated economic activity annually due to low program participation. The bills below would improve or expand access to this vital nutrition assistance program:

  • SB 1187 (DeSaulnier): CalFresh Customer Service Standards and Performance Goals. Requires that California establish statewide CalFresh customer service standards and performance goals, periodically monitor progress, and make county-level indicators of standards and performance regularly available to the public so as to ensure consistent CalFresh access and customer service quality regardless of geographic location.
  • SB 1002 (DeLeon): Medi-Cal and CalFresh Reporting: Aligning Opportunities for Health.Clarifies that counties may, under certain circumstances, align a household’s Medi-Cal redetermination date with the household’s CalFresh recertification date in order to reduce paperwork burdens on clients, enhance work efficiency, and improve the likelihood of successful enrollment in both Medi-Cal and CalFresh.
  • AB 2345 (Gonzalez): Lawfully Present Immigrants and California Public Benefits. Helps ensure that all immigrant families can thrive by providing access to both CalFresh and CalWORKs for all lawfully present immigrants in California.
  • SB 1029 (Hancock): Access to Nutrition to Support Successful Reentry. Supports successful community reentry by making individuals who are in compliance with, or have successfully completed, parole or probation fully eligible for assistance through CalFresh and CalWORKs.

State Budget: Rebuild and Reinvest in California’s Safety Net

Vital health care and human services programs that provide a safety net for low-income Californians were cut deeply for several years beginning in 2006. The state budget returned to balance last year, and we now have a significant budget surplus, estimated at greater than $2 billion. California should now work to reinvest in our social safety net programs that help reduce hunger, including CalWORKs, SSI/SSP, IHSS, child care, and adult dental care.

  • Restore SSI/SSP grant levels and annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). Reinvest in SSI grant levels from past cuts, and reinstate the state Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the program. Since SSI/SSP recipients are unable to receive CalFresh, this population is particularly at risk for hunger, and reinvestment in the program is essential.

California Association of Food Banks

1624Franklin Street, Suite 722

Oakland, CA 94612

(510) 272-4435

CAFB Members

Alameda County Community Food Bank

Amador-Tuolomne Community Action Agency

California Emergency Foodlink

Community Action Agency of Butte County

Community Action Partnership of Kern County

Community Action Partnership of Orange County

Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County Food Bank

Community Food Bank of Fresno

Community Food Bank of San Benito County

Emergency Foodbank of Greater Stockton

Feeding America San Diego

FIND - Food In Need of Distribution

Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

Food Bank of El Dorado

Food Bank for Monterey County

Food Bank of Nevada County

Foodbank of Santa Barbara

Foodlink for Tulare County

Food for People

Food Share of Ventura County

Imperial Valley Food Bank

Interfaith Council of Amador

Kings County Community Action

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Mendocino Food & Nutrition Program

Napa Valley Food Bank

Placer Food Bank

Redwood Empire Food Bank

The Resource Connection

Ukiah Community Center

San Diego Food Bank

San Francisco – Marin Food Bank

Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin & Stanislaus

Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara & San Mateo

Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County

Shasta Senior Nutrition Programs

Westside Food Bank

Yolo County Food Bank

The mission of California Association of Food Banks is to provide a unified voice among food banks to maximize their ability to build a well nourished California. To accomplish this mission, the membership of 40 food banks focuses on increasing the visibility of hunger and its solutions, assisting Californians in accessing food assistance and nutrition programs, distributing fresh produce through the Farm to Family program, and influencing public policy.