SB 882 would make it easier for eligible low-income Californians to sign up and stay connected to CalFresh, particularly older adults and people with disabilities. As the number of
new CalFresh applications surges due to spiking unemployment, now is the time to make permanent improvements to ease access to CalFresh.
CFPA and the bill co-sponsors, the SF-Marin Food Bank, AARP-CA, and the California Association of Food Banks, would like to thank Senator Wiener for his leadership in authoring SB 882.
We are also grateful to all who expressed their support for the bill.
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to make clear, meeting the nutritional needs of low-income households is an urgent and ongoing need. No one should go hungry in the great state of California, and it is our collective responsibility to use all the tools we have to make it easier to access our most powerful anti-hunger tool, CalFresh.
Next, SB 882 is up for discussion in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Join us in asking the Committee to move the bill on to the Senate Floor!
Call and/or email the following Senators:
Prioritize your outreach to Senator Anthony Portantino (D-Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena), the Chair of the Committee on Appropriations. This should take you just a few minutes.
Please also spend a few minutes contacting your Senator if they are listed below as members of the committee:
Sample script:
Hi, my name is _____ and I live in ______. I'm calling to urge Senator ______ to support SB 882, a bill that will make it easier for people to access CalFresh, our most powerful anti-hunger program. It is urgent that we simplify the CalFresh application process as more and more people are out of work and need help putting food on the table. SB 882 will make permanent improvements to the program, especially for older adults and people with disabilities. Please support SB 882. Thank you. [Or choose one or more of the following reasons or tell them your own]
- Californians struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 crisis need quick access to CalFresh, but the process is often overly complicated. We need SB 882 to simplify access to food assistance.
- Only 19% of eligible adults age 60+ receive CalFresh. SB 882 make it easier for people, especially seniors, to enroll and stay connected to our most powerful anti-hunger program.
- CalFresh applications are up more than 200% due to spiking unemployment. We need SB 882 to simplify access and keep people connected to food assistance during and after this crisis.
Sample tweets:
- Californians struggling to make ends meet during the #COVID19 crisis need quick access to CalFresh, but the process is often overly complicated. We need #SB882 to simplify access now! @Portantino @SenatorPatBates
- Only 19% of eligible adults 60+ receive #CalFresh. Let's make it easier for people, especially seniors, to stay connected to our most powerful anti-hunger program. Plz support #SB882! @Portantino @SenatorPatBates
- #CalFresh is a proven positive public health intervention and powerful economic stimulus. #SB882 will help maximize its dual role in California's immediate and long-term COVID-19 response. Plz support SB 882! @Portantino @SenatorPatBates
- #CalFresh applications are up more than 200% due to spiking unemployment. We need #SB882 to simplify access and keep people connected to food assistance. Let's cut the red tape to put food on their plates! @Portantino @SenatorPatBates
