Collaboration And A Simple Change Yield Big Results

On Tuesday, January 25, St. Anthony Foundation joined advocates from around the state in Sacramento to speak with our representatives about hunger issues as part of California Hunger Action’s legislative leadership visit day. For our last legislative visit of the day, St. Anthony Foundation staff Colleen Rivecca and Celina Sutton joined with Western Center on Law and Poverty’s Jessica Bartholow and St. Anthony Foundation guest Franky Fardella to talk to Assembly member Tom Ammiano about the anti-hunger advocacy issues we would be working on this year.

One of the issues that caught Assembly member Ammiano’s attention was a complicated issue that could be addressed with a simple solution.  Due to a rather confusing state-level policy, many counties, San Francisco included, were unnecessarily sanctioning General Assistance recipients who fail to meet work requirements by removing their Cal Fresh (formerly known as “Food Stamp”) benefits.

By making a simple administrative change, General Assistance recipients who are unable to meet work requirements while our unemployment level remains above the national average don’t have to face hunger and the loss of their CalFresh benefits.  Cal Fresh benefits are funded through federal dollars, yet they are spent at local grocery stores and farmers’ markets, creating an economic benefit for our community while helping to support struggling San Franciscans with access to food.

Assembly member Ammiano discussed our concerns with San Francisco City Hall a few days after our visit to Sacramento.  A few days later, we were thrilled to learn that the San Francisco Food Stamp department revised their Food Stamp Employment and Training Policy in order to take advantage of changes to state and federal law that allows CalFresh recipients on General Assistance to retain their CalFresh benefits when unemployment rates are above the national average.

We are excited to have played a part in this important policy change that will improve the lives of struggling San Franciscans while providing an economic boost to local merchants, grocers, and farmers markets — all at no cost to the City of San Francisco.