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CalFresh Emergency Allotments Will Expire At The End Of March
Boxes of food are distributed by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank on August 6, 2020 in Paramount, California.
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CalFresh food assistance was increased during the pandemic, but those additional allotments will stop at the end of March.
For CalFresh beneficiaries, that means losing an average of $107 per month for food.
An Tran, who directs Orange County's Social Services agency, said he hopes his team can mitigate some of the damage that loss may cause.
"What we're hoping to do is to bridge the gap with food pantries and food banks,” he said.
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Claudia Keller, the CEO of Orange County food bank Second Harvest, said demand has already increased due to inflation.
"You can't pay 80% of your rent or 70% percent of your heating bill,” she said, meaning that “the one budget that gets scrimped on and fudged around is the food budget.”
Keller expects to see an even larger increase in demand over the next three months as pandemic allotments expire, and food prices are likely to rise.
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