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Merced County mobilizes food banks and outreach after CalFresh benefits delayed by federal shutdown
Summary
Human Services Agency Director John Checkley told the board that CalFresh/SNAP distribution delays tied to the federal government shutdown could affect about 32,000 households (67,000 residents) in Merced County and that the county activated a Department Operations Center, launched a public information campaign and coordinated food-bank drop-off sites and bus fare relief.
John Checkley, director of the Merced County Human Services Agency, told the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 4 that delays in federal SNAP distributions tied to the federal government shutdown have put about 32,000 CalFresh households — roughly 67,000 individuals — at risk locally.
"We're being very cautious about the information we put out," Checkley said, describing guidance from the California Department of Social Services and daily changes in what the county could expect. He said the county is tracking an estimated $11.7 million in monthly CalFresh benefit value that normally flows to local households and vendors, with an average of about $316 per household.
Checkley described an immediate county response: activating a Department Operations Center, coordinating with the…
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