By Long Beach State’s Basic Needs Program will allow eligible students to apply for nutritional assistance on-campus starting Oct. 21
Students in Los Angeles County can apply for CalFresh, a state branch of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Student Success Center in SCC-122.
According to the CSULB Basic Needs website, CalFresh, formerly known as “food stamps,” assists low-income individuals and families in purchasing necessary foods such as nonperishable items and canned goods from grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
Eligible students can receive up to $292 per month if they make $2,510 or less monthly. This amount applies to all students, regardless of what county they live in.
Before attending CalFresh Application Day, students must be pre-screened by the CSULB CalFresh Outreach Team and bring all documents related to their application.
According to the BenefitsCal website, these documents include a form of identification, bank statements showing one’s savings and checking accounts and any housing and utility bills.
Eligible students can also send an application via the Food section of the CSULB Basic Needs website and receive additional one-on-one assistance by booking online or in-person appointments with the CSULB CalFresh Outreach Team from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays.
According to the LA County Department of Social Services website, an LA County resident is eligible for CalFresh if that person is a U.S. Citizen or has qualified immigrant status, receives government assistance such as CalWORKs, General Relief, Supplemental Security Income or State Supplementary Payment, or has limited property.
Other major eligibility requirements for CSULB students are listed in the 2024 CalFresh Pre-screen Bookmark. Essential requirements include being enrolled in at least six units this semester and working at least 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month.
Assistant Director of Outreach and Program Services for the university’s Basic Needs Program, Elizabeth Martinez, said internships for specific majors may also qualify for the work hours requirement.
California Department of Social Services representatives are on campus every semester for CalFresh Application Day.
This semester, LA County DSS representatives will help 18 students complete their applications and conduct in-person interviews for CalFresh eligibility within 30-minute slots.
According to Martinez, the number of slots available depends on the number of DSS representatives, stating that around one to three LA County DSS representatives will be sent to the campus for the upcoming event.
As of August, over 1.6 million LA County residents have applied for CalFresh, according to a state report from the CDSS.
CalFresh Application Day will mark the start of CalFresh Outreach Week at CSULB. All other events during CalFresh Outreach Week besides CalFresh Application Day will be available for students to attend.
On Oct. 23, the CalFresh Resource Fair and the CSULB Dream Success Center will collaborate on the “I Stand With Immigrants” resource fair. Martinez said this event will have free food and activities for students to de-stress following midterm week.
