Sierra Hope expands Medi‑Cal recuperative care and widens food pantry as SNAP disruption strains Calaveras County seniors

Sierra Hope has opened Medi‑Cal‑funded recuperative and post‑hospitalization services at its Angels Camp facility and expanded an on‑Main‑Street food pantry as the organization grapples with a surge in need tied to a recent SNAP benefits pause.

Aisha Williamson, CEO of Sierra Hope, told Senior Moments that the nonprofit renovated space on the lower level of its Angels Camp site for a three‑bed recuperative unit and post‑hospital shelter and became a Medi‑Cal subcontractor to bill for those services. "We built it and renovated it to do it," Williamson said, describing the space as "brand new" and dedicated to those programs. She said the two Medi‑Cal benefits generally run for six months and that the short‑term rental, mortgage and utility (STRMU) assistance tied to HOPWA provides about "147 days of funding," with a recertification process required.

Why it matters: the services are designed to keep medically fragile, unhoused or housing‑at‑risk patients from becoming unsheltered after hospital discharge by providing on‑site medical…