Government shutdown: California’s food benefits programs in limbo as reopening timeline unclear
SHUTDOWN AND THE IMPACTS ARE BEING FELT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN CALIFORNIA, WHERE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DEPEND ON A FEDERALLY FUNDED FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT CALFRESH THIS MORNING. AND JOINING US THIS MORNING IS CARLOS MARQUEZ, THE THIRD FROM THE COUNTY WELFARE DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU SO LET’S AMID THE SHUTDOWN, WHAT’S REALLY AT STAKE HERE? WELL, JUST TO DO SOME LEVEL SETTING, MIKE, WE ARE AT IN A REALLY CONSEQUENTIAL MOMENT BECAUSE 5.5 MILLION PEOPLE WHO RELY ON CALFRESH ARE IN JEOPARDY OF HAVING THEIR BENEFITS DELAYED AND DISRUPTED AND MISSED ENTIRELY FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER AS A CONSEQUENCE OF FEDERAL INACTION. AND 2 MILLION OF THOSE RECIPIENTS ARE CHILDREN. MOST OF THE FOLKS WHO RELY ON CALFRESH ARE SENIORS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND 60% OF PEOPLE WHO RELY ON CALFRESH BENEFITS WORK. THEY ARE PART OF OUR LABOR FORCE. BUT. REALLY MODEST SUPPORT THAT WE’RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE PEOPLE $66 A DAY. IS IS THE AVERAGE BENEFIT BREAKDOWN. AND SO WE ARE REALLY, YOU KNOW, AT RISK OF HARMING OUR MOST VULNERABLE AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME. YEAH. AND AGAIN, AS YOU AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE’S MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THIS ENTIRE STATE WHO REALLY USE THIS. AND IT GOES JUST BEYOND THE DINNER TABLE AS WELL, BECAUSE FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT’S SPENT, A BIG CHUNK OF IT GOES RIGHT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. ABSOLUTELY. SO JUST TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK PUT A FINE POINT ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT AROUND CALFRESH. OBVIOUSLY, IT SUPPORTS PEOPLE. IT’S A LIFELINE, BUT IT’S ALSO A FORCE MULTIPLIER IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMY. WE HAVE 25,000 RETAILERS WHO ACTUALLY ARE AUTHORIZED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT THESE BENEFITS. SO WE WILL SEE AN IMPACT ON THEIR BOTTOM LINE. WE KNOW THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR SPENT FROM CALFRESH BENEFITS, IT GENERATES ABOUT $1.50. CENTS IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, WHICH GENERATES ABOUT 170,000 JOBS. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT SORT OF IN AGGREGATE, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT $23 BILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY A YEAR. SO I CANNOT OVERSTATE THE IMPACT, NOT JUST ON THE PEOPLE AT THE TIP OF THE SPEAR OF THIS SHUTDOWN, BUT ALSO OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS. I GOT TO IMAGINE, TOO, THAT THERE’S SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT SEE THIS OR JUST HEAR ABOUT THIS AND SAY, WELL, I WAS CONSIDERING APPLYING FOR CALFRESH. WHAT ARE YOU TELLING THOSE FOLKS WHO MAYBE THEY DIDN’T NEED IT A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT NOW THEY’RE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY WANTED TO APPLY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO APPLY FOR CALFRESH BENEFITS, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE ONE DAY, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE WHEN THIS SHUTDOWN. CONCLUDES, AND THEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO APPLY. AND IF THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS, WILL EVENTUALLY GET THOSE BENEFITS ISSUED TO THEM AND TO THEIR FAMILIES. FOR FOLKS WHO ARE ON CALFRESH CURRENTLY, WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEY’RE ENTITLED TO THOSE BENEFITS. UPON REOPENING OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY CAN LOOK TO. SO ULTIMATELY, WE’RE DIRECTING PEOPLE TO 211, WHICH IS A 24 OVER SEVEN OPERATOR WHO CAN HELP DIRECT PEOPLE TO THEIR CLOSEST FOOD BANK RESOURCE. BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT RELYING ON CALFRESH AND WHO WANT TO MAKE A DONATION, WE’RE DIRECTING PEOPLE TO SEE A FOOD BANKS.ORG, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY PLUG IN YOUR ADDRESS AND IDENTIFY THE CLOSEST FOOD BANK TO YOU. AND WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STEP UP AND DONATE RIGHT NOW. AND FRANKLY, MIKE, I WILL SAY WHAT I’M REALLY ENCOURAGED BY FROM OUR COUNTY LEADERSHIP. WHAT I’M SEEING ALL OVER THE STATE IS COUNTY DIRECTORS REALLY STEPPING UP. WE HAVE ONE COUNTY WHO’S INITIATING EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS JUST SO THAT THEY CAN DISTRIBUTE AND COORDINATE FOOD DISTRIBUTION. WE HAVE ANOTHER COUNTY THAT’S ACTUALLY COORDINATING PHILANTHROPIC MATCH SO THAT THEY CAN ISSUE GIFT CARDS IN NOVEMBER. SO EVERYONE STEPPING UP, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOUR VIEWERS TO DO SO AS WELL. IT’S GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE IT TAKES A VILLAGE TYPES OF EFFORTS FOR RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH CARLOS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
Government shutdown: California’s food benefits programs in limbo as reopening timeline unclear
Updated: 2:47 PM PDT Oct 24, 2025
The government shutdown is approaching its fourth week and, with no end in sight, human service programs that rely on federal funding are bracing for impacts for millions of Californians.CalFresh helps more than 5.5 million people throughout the state with food assistance.Carlos Marquez III, the executive director of the County Welfare Directors Association of California, told KCRA 3 that people will likely not receive assistance for the month of November without a drastic change in federal funding.”Two million of those people are children,” Marquez III. “Most of the people who rely on Calfresh are seniors or with disabilities. And 63% who rely on Calfresh benefits, work, they are part of our labor force.”Despite the setback, anyone who is in need of Calfresh assistance is still being encouraged to apply for the program.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The government shutdown is approaching its fourth week and, with no end in sight, human service programs that rely on federal funding are bracing for impacts for millions of Californians.
CalFresh helps more than 5.5 million people throughout the state with food assistance.
Carlos Marquez III, the executive director of the County Welfare Directors Association of California, told KCRA 3 that people will likely not receive assistance for the month of November without a drastic change in federal funding.
“Two million of those people are children,” Marquez III. “Most of the people who rely on Calfresh are seniors or with disabilities. And 63% who rely on Calfresh benefits, work, they are part of our labor force.”
Despite the setback, anyone who is in need of Calfresh assistance is still being encouraged to apply for the program.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel