|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2019
Contact: Jesus Ruiz, (562) 908-8381
CalFresh Awareness Month Kicks off at Cal State Dominguez Hills to Highlight Student Hunger on Local College Campuses
 CalFresh beneficiaries and California State University, Dominguez Hills students Maria Camacho and Hawk McFadzen speak during the May 7, 2019 kick off event for CalFresh Awareness Month at CSUDH.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) kicked off its 9th Annual CalFresh Awareness Month campaign at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) to highlight its outreach to college students facing food insecurity.
According to a 2018 report by the United States Government Accountability Office, 40 percent of student respondents from UC campuses and 42 percent from CSU campuses have experienced hunger. These students tend to have poorer physical health, symptoms of depression and psychological stress, resulting in higher dropout rates.
At the event, DPSS convened a group of respected human services stakeholders and CalFresh beneficiaries to share strategies to end hunger at local institutions of higher learning. CSUDH undergraduate student and mother of two, Maria Camacho, shared how CalFresh is helping her feed her family while maintaining her grades. Despite the stigma associated with receiving public assistance, she encouraged anyone who needs assistance to not hesitate to apply.
CalFresh is the name of California's Food Stamp Program, established to improve the nutrition of low-income households by increasing their food-buying power and helping them put healthy and nutritious food on the table.
 Roxana Molina, DPSS Assistant Director of Bureau of Program and Policy, opens up the kick off event for CalFresh Awareness Month.
Working with community partners, DPSS is supporting efforts by campus administrations to assist low-income students with accessing nutritious food. In addition to the UC and CSU campuses, DPSS is also partnering with the nine L.A. Community College District campuses, where reportedly one in every five of the district’s 230,000 students is homeless, and nearly two-thirds are not able to afford adequate, nutritious food.
Working in partnership with the UC, CSU and community colleges, DPSS is hosting CalFresh Enrollment Days events on the campuses to provide information about the nutrition benefit available to students. The DPSS Medi-Cal Outreach District team will be on-hand at each event to answer questions and provide CalFresh application assistance.
“While the universities and community colleges are working to find solutions for their students, many – particularly homeless students – are not able to access a sustainable supply of healthy food,” said DPSS Director Antonia Jiménez. “Throughout this month, we will partner with the community to provide much needed CalFresh application assistance on the campuses.”
In L.A. County, approximately 1.1 million individuals receive CalFresh, yet there are many more that may be eligible, but are not participating. At their Tuesday, April 30 meeting, the Board of Supervisors declared their commitment to increasing the numbers of families participating in CalFresh by proclaiming May as CalFresh Awareness Month. Implemented in 2010, the campaign was developed to help create awareness about the benefits of CalFresh. DPSS is also partnering with other County departments, including Public Health, to address the issue.
 “No family should have to choose between buying healthy food for their family and another basic need like paying for rent,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Public Health is focused on strengthening emergency food assistance by partnering with food rescue organizations to scale distribution efforts, providing food insecurity screening at clinics, and linking communities to CalFresh to reduce food insecurity throughout L.A. County.”
For more information about CalFresh, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pziff_9creY or call the DPSS customer Service Center at (866) 613-3777.
|
