The Abridged version:
- Federal food benefits, including CalFresh, will be delayed in November.
- In response, Yolo County organizations are ramping up operations to meet an already increasing demand for access to food.
- In West Sacramento and across the county, there are a number of distribution events where residents can go for food.
In less than a week, millions of Californians will have a harder time affording food.
Due to the federal government shutdown, CalFresh food benefits will not come as they usually do on Nov. 1. The funds are delayed and likely won’t show up on EBT cards until after the government reopens, according to the California Department of Social Services website.
In West Sacramento, local food banks and assistance programs are scaling up operations to respond to an already growing need.
“We’re already seeing a demand increase,” said Karen Baker, executive director of the Yolo Food Bank in Woodland.
Even before the first of the month, the food bank has seen a 20% spike in people using their services, Baker said. In response, Baker’s organization has coordinated with the county and nonprofit partners to add more food distribution events, increase the amount of food going to existing ones and develop a campaign aimed at raising funds and recruiting volunteers.
‘Not our first rodeo’
Baker said the Yolo Food Bank is tapping into existing stores of food and a list of about 3,000 volunteers.
“We have no concerns about our ability to meet the need,” she said.
In fact, the Yolo Food Bank has so many volunteers that Baker doesn’t anticipate needing any help from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s deployment of California National Guard troops to food banks across the state.
“With 3,000 volunteers, I’ve got plenty of neighbors that want to help neighbors, so luckily we won’t have a need for that,” she said. “I think they’re frustrated with a government that isn’t working, but at least they can get to work.”
District 1 Supervisor Oscar Villegas said he agreed with that characterization of the county’s resources.
“This is not our first rodeo,” he said. “We’ve become quite adept at these sorts of crises the last several years. We feel we have it pretty well under control now. We don’t feel as though we need National Guard troops at this juncture.”
Where to go for food assistance in Yolo County
Along with the mobilization of troops, the governor dedicated $80 million in state funds to support food distribution in the state. But the scale of impacted benefits makes them difficult to replace. Californians receive around $1.1 billion in CalFresh benefits each month, according to a notice sent by the Department of Social Services to county employees across the state.
In Yolo County alone, about 27,000 people receive CalFresh benefits, said Baker, referring to the Yolo County Food Access Survey Report. In the survey, over 40% of respondents who received CalFresh said they rely on the benefit to provide almost all or all of the food for their household.
As the federal government shutdown approaches the four-week mark, there is no obvious end in sight. With lawmakers in Washington at an impasse, area residents who rely on CalFresh will need to find other assistance with food. Yolo Food Bank’s website lists distribution points in countywide that may be able to help. Below are distribution points in West Sacramento and Clarksburg.
Distribution points
- Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 at Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency, 500 Jefferson Blvd. A and B. The events will start at 9 a.m. with enough food for 400 people. These distributions are meant for CalFresh recipients, but those who don’t receive the benefit are also welcome.
- Every Saturday in the city of West Sacramento parking lot, 1271 West Capitol Ave. The event starts at 8:30 a.m. and goes until it runs out of food.
- The first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Clarksburg Firehouse, 52902 Clarksburg Road. The event starts at 11:30 a.m. and goes until the food is gone.
- Every Tuesday at Masjid Aisha, 700 Glide Ave., West Sacramento. The event starts at 8:30 a.m. and goes until the food is gone.
The food bank also has a number of partner agencies that distribute food in the area:
- Monday through Thursday at Shores of Hope, 110 Sixth St., West Sacramento. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at Holy Cross Food Locker, 1321 Anna St., West Sacramento. Hours are 4 to 5 p.m. and food is only available for residents of West Sacramento.
- The fourth Tuesday of every month at West Sacramento Baptist Church, 2124 Michigan Blvd. Pre-packaged perishables and canned goods are available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but it’s best to get there early.
- Every third Thursday at Out of the Box Ministries, 1500 Park Blvd., West Sacramento. Hours are 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Residents should confirm with the organization hosting the distribution before attending, as schedules can change. For up-to-date information, Yolo County residents can also call 211 for assistance on where to find food or subscribe to Yolo Fresh Text, which sends out text reminders of local distribution events 24 hours in advance.
A full list of distribution centers in Woodland, Davis, Winters, Dunnigan, Knights Landing and others can be found on Yolo Food Bank’s website.
