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Marin supervisors proclaim May CalFresh Awareness Month as county outlines outreach and warns of federal threats
Summary
Supervisors voted to proclaim May CalFresh Awareness Month after Health & Human Services staff briefed the board on increased enrollment, outreach efforts and looming federal/state threats to benefits and eligibility.
The Marin County Board of Supervisors voted May 6 to adopt a resolution proclaiming May as CalFresh Awareness Month after staff from Health & Human Services delivered a status update on CalFresh enrollment, outreach and program risks.
Health and Human Services Social Services Director Carrie Bierman told the board the county has increased CalFresh participation substantially since 2019, from under 10,000 people to more than 16,000 as of January 2025, and that local spending of benefits has an economic multiplier effect. Department analyst Susie Aceves described outreach with community-based organizations, the reconstituted CalFresh task force and in-person application options including fax and telephonic signature to reduce barriers.
Bierman and Aceves urged caution, warning the board about proposals under consideration at the federal and state level that would reduce benefit amounts, limit eligibility by income, cap household allotments or expand work requirements to groups currently exempted. Staff said those possible changes — and uncertainty about federal public-charge rules — are increasing confusion among applicants and could drive eligible people away from benefits. The presentation also flagged technology issues: county staff said state reporting systems (CALSAWS) have made it harder to produce timelier local enrollment statistics.
Supervisors asked for faster local tracking of participation and for continued outreach to older adults and immigrant communities; board members emphasized the potential for CalFresh to reduce food insecurity and to bolster the local economy. Supervisor Damon Connolly (note: full board list in transcript) moved the resolution; it passed unanimously.
Health and Human Services requested the board note the county’s strategies: targeted outreach to older adults and families, market-match programs at farmers markets, community events that provide on-site application help, partnerships with the San Francisco Marin Food Bank and others, and limited fee-waiver funding for outreach. Staff said they would continue to monitor state and federal legislative activity and update the board if proposed policy changes materialize.
Ending: Staff said CalFresh remains available under current rules and encouraged eligible residents to apply at benefitscal.com, by phone, by mail or in person; staff reiterated that the county will expand community outreach and return with more timely local enrollment numbers when state reporting permits.
