At San José State, many students facing food insecurity turn to CalFresh for relief but barriers in the program often leave them struggling to access the very support they need.
CalFresh Food is a nutrition program for low-income residents in California that helps increase their food budget income, according to the County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency webpage. It allows residents to buy healthy foods at most local grocery stores and restaurants.
Kimberly Lara, a second-year sociology student at SJSU, said there is a misunderstanding about the program that discourages students from applying.
“These misconceptions can include the idea that students think that it could have an impact on their immigration status and feel the need to create the idea that CalFresh isn’t supported for them,” Lara said.
SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson talked about the process of how a student could obtain these benefits.
“If a student presents themselves to SJSU Cares, there is an intake process where the counselors in the center will help students and people in their family,” Teniente-Matson said.
SJSU Cares assists students with food and housing security – all students who are enrolled at SJSU are eligible for the resources and services. These services include case management, assistance with housing and Spartan Food Pantry according to the SJSU Cares webpage
CalFresh benefits stretch food budgets, allowing individuals and families to afford nutritious food.
The amount of benefits a household receives depends on household size, countable income, and monthly expenses such as housing and utilities.
The program issues monthly benefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.
Food may be purchased at any grocery store or farmers’ market that accepts EBT cards, according to the CalFresh webpage
Kednel Jean, the SJSU Cares director of case management, wrote in an email to the Spartan Daily some challenges that students face.
“The application process can be challenging, involving an online application, submission of verification documents, and a follow-up interview with a County representative,” Jean wrote. “Students sometimes submit incomplete applications or miss interviews scheduled during class times by the County.”
Students can fill out the application either at a local county office or online. The County will ask the applicant for verification documents. Some of those documents include proof of identification like a driver’s license or, ID Card. The applicant may also need to provide proof of residency from either a utility bill or a bank statement. The application will also ask for proof of income from either a paycheck stub or a statement from the applicant’s employer, according to the California Association of Food Banks webpage
“In my opinion, many students here at SJSU still experience difficulties when attempting to get these resources,” Lara said. “For example, when trying to apply, there are so many complicated paperwork requirements that follow along the process, such as proof of income or enrollment status, which can overwhelm a student and make them feel discouraged to even apply.”
Jean wrote that SJSU Cares assists students by helping them through the application process, preparing them for interviews and troubleshooting issues with Santa Clara County.
One program that is offered through the county is CalFresh Employment and Training (CERT), which is a voluntary program to help people on the CalFresh Program gain skills, tools and work experience according to the Santa Clara County webpage
CalFresh can only be used to buy food like bread, cereal, rice, fruits and vegetables. The program does not allow people to buy non-food items like pet food, according to the California Association of Food Banks webpage.
“I feel like promotion isn’t as advertised as it should be and should be sent out to students more, making sure that SJSU Spartans know that they have these types of resources on campus,” Lara said.
Jean shared how upcoming initiatives or partnerships SJSU Cares is working on to expand access to CalFresh or increase awareness.
“SJSU Cares is actively working to expand access to CalFresh Food and raise student awareness by regularly hosting Drop-in Hours for group application assistance and tabling at campus events,” Jean said. “We are also eager to collaborate with campus departments and student organizations to raise further awareness about CalFresh Food.”
