CalFresh Task Force

The Humboldt County CalFresh Task Force brings together community-based organizations and County agencies serving CalFresh eligible households in Humboldt County and is facilitated by Food for People. Together, we stay up to date on local CalFresh enrollment statistics and processes, in addition to state and federal legislation that impacts the seniors, children, and families we serve. We work toward making the doorways to applying for CalFresh accessible to all who need it, and work in partnership with the County on methods that suit the unique needs of our rural county's many communities. CalFresh Task Force member organizations share current and upcoming projects and events that reach low-income Humboldt County households with CalFresh information and application assistance, ranging from farmers' market incentive programs, application assistance at an increasing number of local nonprofits, home and community gardening initiatives through CalFresh, integrating CalFresh outreach with health programs, localized outreach at family resource centers, community centers and through senior programs county-wide, trainings for community members and nonprofit providers, and so much more.

For organizations engaging in CalFresh Outreach work, click on any topic in the list below to jump to its CalFresh Task Force webpage with helpful resources, training, flyers, and more. These pages are continually updated.

General CalFresh Eligibility Information and Contacts

1. COVID-19 CalFresh resources & updates
2. Pandemic EBT updates
3. CalFresh Customer Portal (BenefitsCal) 
4. NEW customer app for enhance security of EBT cards (ebtEDGE) 
5. Humboldt County DHHS Call Center updates
6. EBT scam notifications
7. CalFresh applications in the mail for Medi-Cal households
8. Medi-Cal application mailings
9. Eligibility guidelines for the current fiscal year
10. Disaster CalFresh  
11. CalFresh Expansion to SSI Households
12. Power Outage Replacement Benefits
13. New Public Charge rule 
14. New ABAWD Time Limit
15. Humboldt County DHHS contact info
16. Map (w/ contact info) of all partner organization locations where CalFresh application assistance is available in Humboldt County
17. Resources for CalFresh regulations
18. How to check an EBT card balance

Application Assistance & Training

1. Download the SAWS1 and PIE (CalFresh application) forms in English and Spanish
2. Download the SAR 7 (Semi-Annual Report) form, SAR 3 (Mid-Period Status Report) and Recertification form
3. Verification Documents Checklist
4. Release of Information (ROI) form in English and Spanish 
5. Information on Semi-Annual Reporting
6. Reframing CalFresh in different kinds of conversations with people
7. Legal Services of Northern CA Guide to CalFresh Benefits
8. California's CalFresh Outreach toolkit
9. Informational fact sheets on Humboldt County DHHS programs (CalFresh, MediCal, and beyond)
10. Watch webinar trainings on specific CalFresh Outreach topics 
11. Video on what CalFresh outreach application assistors are doing in different parts of California
12. Reducing "churn"
13. Change in the Collection of Benefit Over-Issuances
14. Presentations and workshops from CA Food Policy Advocates' 2014 CalFresh Forum in Sacramento
15. Inter-County Transfer of CalFresh Benefits

CalFresh for Gardening, CSAs, farmstands and farmers' markets

1. "Grow Your Garden with CalFresh" brochure
2. Full line of seed/plant start "how-to" growing cards made especially for gardening on the North Coast. (updated)
3. Utilizing CalFresh at local farms' farmstands and for purchasing a CSA share. Map available!

Outreach information specific to non-citizens, students, homeless, drug felons, and Disaster-SNAP benefits

1. View state and federal information, letters, fact sheets and outreach flyers (in English & Spanish) 
2. View presentations help frame the messages of your outreach to specific populations.
3. CalFresh Student Eligibility handbook, released by CDSS
4. The Hunger Free Education Act increases access to CalFresh for students in EOP
5. Research on the rise of hunger on college campuses
6. Infomation on the removal of the lifetime ban from CalFresh for people convicted of certain drug felonies. (Effective April 1, 2015.)
7. Disaster-SNAP benefits for households affected by a natural disaster 

Staying up to date on CalFresh:

1. View and subscribe to the CalFresh Task Force E-news
2. Links to local, state, and national data on hunger and poverty
3. Links to statewide and national anti-hunger advocacy groups
4. View this year's legislative priorities for CalFresh, Nutrition, and Hunger

Humboldt County CalFresh partners:

1. View biographies on some of the partner organizations engaging in CalFresh Outreach in Humboldt County
2. Bios include links and downloadable/reproducible resources for CalFresh outreach.

If you have questions about the CalFresh Task Force, please contact CalFresh@foodforpeople.org. If you have questions or requests for this webpage, please contact dwaxman@foodforpeople.org.