Photo credit: Kalayah Wilson, 21, holds a bag of groceries during the weekly food distribution at the UCR campus food pantry. Wilson works to inform students about expanded eligibility for CalFresh benefits during the pandemic.
Advocates want to make sure struggling students know about expansion of food assistance program.
College students who are struggling with food and housing insecurity are encouraged
to apply for a program that can help them stretch their food budgets and eat healthier,
county officials and student advocates said this week.
Nearly 40,000 college students in Riverside County are now eligible for CalFresh.
But officials say less than 10 percent of eligible students in the county have signed
up. Congress temporarily expanded food assistance to college students in January’s
pandemic relief package, said Allison Gonzalez, assistant director of the Department
of Public Social Services (DPSS).
“We want to make sure our local students know this help is available. They should
not have to worry about being able to afford their next meal,” Gonzalez said. “Our
caseworkers are ready to see if they are eligible and enroll them.”
Hunger and food insecurity are widespread on college campuses and impact as many as
one in three students, according to a survey by the California Student Aid Commission.
Students who qualify for CalFresh receive a monthly benefit of $234, enough for about
60 jars of peanut butter.
Kalayah Wilson is among 436 CalFresh recipients at UC Riverside. Wilson, 21, a third-year
undergraduate, balances online classes with her job as a campus food pantry worker,
guiding peers to resources during the pandemic and urging them to see if they qualify
for CalFresh.
“This resource definitely helps me to live independently and eat healthy,” said Wilson.
“It has motivated me to learn new recipes and try organic food items.”
Outreach efforts along with the yearlong pandemic have helped boost student enrollment
into CalFresh, which is administered by Riverside County DPSS. Other local campuses
also have dedicated resources to informing students about CalFresh and resources to
help.
Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC), for example, collaborates with a team to promote the
program during weekly drive-through food distributions. They are also preparing a
private space inside a food pantry where students can sign up for CalFresh once their
shuttered campuses reopen.
“Even with these efforts, we still struggle in helping our students to know what services
are available to them,” said John Colson, vice president of Student Services at MSJC.
Student peer navigators are critical to inform and provide support, Wilson adds. “Sometimes
all you need is that one person who is encouraging you to apply.”
Signing up involves checking on eligibility criteria and filling out an online application.
If approved, the student will receive the food benefit within 30 days. Students who
feel they might qualify can ask for assistance through their college campus or can
apply online directly at students.getcalfresh.org.
How to apply:
- Online: GetCalFresh.org
- By phone: (877) 847-3663
- In-person: Check campus directories or visit www.rivcodpss.org for a DPSS office location nearest you.
Top five college campuses with highest CalFresh participation in March 2021:
- Riverside Community College District (includes Moreno Valley College, Norco College and Riverside City College): 669
- Mt. San Jacinto College: 467
- UC Riverside: 436
- College of the Desert: 216
- California Student University, San Bernardino: 165
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DPSS has been serving Riverside County since 1923 when it began with its first two workers. Today, the department is more than 4,000 employees strong, serving one million residents last year in the nation’s tenth most populous county.