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Tulare County proclaims May 2025 CalFresh Awareness Month; county staff urge enrollment outreach
Summary
The Board of Supervisors presented a proclamation recognizing CalFresh Awareness Month; county officials highlighted local enrollment figures, restaurant meal program participation and economic benefits of CalFresh dollars spent locally.
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday presented a proclamation recognizing May 2025 as CalFresh Awareness Month and heard county health and human services staff urge outreach to increase enrollment.
Roxanna Cruz, identified in the meeting as a division manager with county social services, told the board that “an average of 180,000 residents receive CalFresh benefits each month” in Tulare County and described related programs such as the restaurant meal program and California Summer EBT. “This is why CalFresh awareness month is so important,” Cruz said.
During the proclamation read by the chair, the board’s text said “there are approximately 147,000 individuals that have food security as a result of the CalFresh program” in the county and cited studies on the economic multiplier effect of new CalFresh dollars during a recession. The proclamation was signed on behalf of the full board.
Cruz and board members emphasized barriers that keep eligible residents from enrolling, citing stigma, misinformation and access challenges. Cruz also thanked county staff and the CalFresh policy team for administering the program and for outreach efforts that aim to reach students, seniors, working families and people experiencing homelessness.
The board did not take formal action tied to the proclamation beyond adopting the recognition and expressing support for continued outreach and enrollment work.
Clarifying note: two different on‑the‑record figures were stated at this meeting — 180,000 monthly recipients (Roxanna Cruz) and approximately 147,000 individuals referenced in the proclamation read by the chair. The transcript does not explain the difference between the two numbers.
