The state of California currently provides state-funded food benefits to qualified immigrants through the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP). These food benefits are available through the same Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card as CalFresh. Currently, CFAP is set to expand on October 1, 2025, making California the first state in the nation to provide food benefits to Californians who are 55 years or older, with any immigration status. With this change, all Californians aged 55 years or older, regardless of their immigration status, will be able to receive a monthly food benefit to help meet their basic needs.
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) developed a survey to understand how food insecurity affects participants and how the expansion of CFAP may affect their lives. Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) is requesting your participation for this survey, so that we can learn more about your food situations/insecurity and how the CFAP expansion may affect you. The best person to answer this survey is the primary adult who shops for food or helps prepare meals. This survey is optional. The survey does not ask for any information that links you to your answers. The purpose of this survey is to collect your stories and work with our community partners to better assist you.
Visit LA Regional Food Bank's online food pantry locator or call 1 (323) 234-3030 to find the closest food bank near you.
WIC is a program that assists moms, babies and children under 5. Please visit their webpage or call 1-888-WIC-WORKS (1-888-942-9675) to apply.
Please check here to find all the most up-to-date news and announcements regarding CalFresh benefits and the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program!
The Restaurant Meals Program allows homeless, disabled, and elderly (age 60 and over) receiving CalFresh benefits to use their Golden State Advantage (EBT) cards to purchase meals from participating restaurants.
Here are additional resources for further interest in the CalFresh program. There is an Outreach Toolkit to assist agencies in conducting the most effective CalFresh outreach possible, a list of community partners to assist the public with applying for CalFresh benefits, and more.
¡Más Fresco! is a partnership between the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Center for Community Health, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Northgate Gonzalez Market.
The program provides financial incentives to CalFresh households when they purchase fresh fruits and vegetables using their EBT card at participating Northgate Markets in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties.
¡Más Fresco! is now available to CalFresh recipients via online enrollment. CalFresh recipients who enroll in the ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh Program will be randomly assigned to receive either $2 or $4 in rebate dollars for every $1 of CalFresh EBT dollars spent on fruits and vegetables at participating Northgate González Markets, up to $100 per month.
Meals on Wheels America is an organization that is dedicated to addressing elderly/senior isolation and hunger. Please use their provider search page to find a program near you!
Elderly Nutrition Programs (ENP):
The Home-Delivered Meals Program delivers a nutritious meal daily to home-bound individuals (age 60 and over) and serves as a mechanism to check up on the client.
Call the California Aging and Adult Information Phone Line at
1-800-510-2020 for meals and other resources or services from LA County and the City of LA.
The CalFresh Program (formerly known as Food Stamps) improves people's nutrition in low-income households by increasing their food-buying power so that they can purchase sufficient food to meet their household's needs.
When you apply, we can expedite your CalFresh benefits by issuing on the same day or within 3 days following the date we receive your application; If one of the following applies:
• Your household's gross income is less than $150 per month and the money on hand or in the bank is less than $100; or
• Your household includes a migrant or seasonal farmworker, and you are destitute; or
• Your household's combined monthly gross income and available resources are less than your monthly rent or mortgage, plus utilities.
If you are eligible for CalFresh assistance, you will receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) debit card. You can use your EBT card to purchase food items at participating grocery stores, order grocery online for pick up or delivery at participating grocery stores, and participating Farmers' Markets.
In addition to the CalFresh Program, there are additional nutrition assistance resources to help put food on your table!
The Golden State Advantage Card was implemented in 2004 as a new way of accessing your Cash and/or CalFresh.
You may have received a replacement EBT card.
Customers who qualified for a replacement EBT card have been mailed a card starting February through mid-March 2022.
The new card has advanced technology for safety. Your PIN will not change and the card may be activated simply by using it to make a food or cash transaction. You will have 30 days to activate your replacement card before your old card stops working. If you have any questions, please call the EBT Helpline at (877) 328-9677 or the DPSS Customer Service Center at (866) 613-3777.