100,000+ CalFresh recipients in Contra Costa Co. to receive grocery debit cards

(BCN) — Contra Costa County plans to distribute grocery debit cards to the county’s 107,000 CalFresh enrollees facing a loss of benefits due to the federal government shutdown.

The debit cards will carry a value similar to a family’s existing benefit, Supervisor John Gioia said Saturday. The average monthly benefit for a family of three is $573.

“Subject to the Board of Supervisors vote next Tuesday, where we will declare a local emergency, we plan to allocate up to $21 million out of our rainy-day reserves to fund these benefits for the month of November,” Gioia said in a press release.

The cards will be distributed at four Employment and Human Services Department offices:

— 1305 MacDonald Ave., Richmond

— 151 Linus Pauling Dr., Hercules

— 400 Ellinwood Way, Pleasant Hill

— 4545 Delta Fair Blvd., Antioch

“Food boxes for needy families, even those who are not CalFresh enrollees, will be available starting Monday, Nov. 3, at these same four locations,” Goia said. “Needy families, regardless of immigration status, are welcome to come by.”

The U.S. Agriculture Department, citing the ongoing government shutdown, said it would withhold payments to the food program known outside California as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to finance the program.

“It is unclear when debit cards used by enrollees can be reloaded with the November benefit amount,” Goia said. “It can take one to two weeks to do this.”

“That’s why the county is moving forward with its plan to support hard working families who rely on this vital food benefit,” he said.