Contra Costa announces county-funded grocery cards after federal CalFresh interruption; Richmond urged to publicize pickup

Contra Costa County has stepped in to temporarily replace CalFresh (SNAP) benefits after federal disruptions, Contra Costa County Supervisor Gioia told the Richmond City Council Thursday, and the county is asking local jurisdictions to help publicize distribution.

“There's $21,000,000 in benefits paid to a 107,000 county residents every month,” Supervisor Gioia said during the city manager’s report, noting the county declared a local emergency and allocated funds to issue grocery debit cards to affected residents. He said the county will use reserves to cover a month of benefits and begin distribution Monday at the county social services office in Richmond, 1305 McDonald Avenue, with planned hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Gioia described the approach as preserving recipients’ dignity and supporting neighborhood retailers: the cards can be used at hundreds of county retailers and allow families to shop at their usual stores rather than relying solely on food banks. He said the county intends to load the cards for one to two weeks initially and then extend if federal payments do not resume; county staff and partners will continue to work with food banks and nonprofits.

The supervisor told the council that the county’s food-box distributions have been heavily used and that the plan will require public outreach. He asked Richmond officials to publicize the distribution points and times; city staff said they will circulate materials by email and other channels.

No city appropriation or formal council action was required; the presentation was informational and action on distribution logistics will be handled by county and city social service staff.