County of Los Angeles
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
12860 CROSSROADS PARKWAY SOUTH x CITY
OF INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA 91746
Tel (562) 908-8400 x Fax (562) 695-4801
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: James Bolden
(562) 908-8521
Shirley Christensen (562) 908-8311
Award-winning campaign will also highlight
the long-term benefits of making
healthier food choices and increasing exercise
activities
LOS ANGELES – On Tuesday, May 1, the County Board of Supervisors will join the
Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)
and a broad-based community
collaborative to launch what has been described as the most comprehensive
and coordinated local effort to increase access to food assistance and reduce hunger in the nation’s largest
county.
According to a U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) report on food insecurity, the number of U.S.
homes lacking adequate food more than
tripled in the last four years. In Los Angeles
County (home to 10.4 million
residents), it’s estimated that only half of
those eligible are receiving CalFresh
– the supplemental nutrition
food benefit previously called Food Stamps.
Despite a record high number of 1,061,000 individuals who received CalFresh benefits
in January 2012, there are still many residents in immediate need of assistance who are
unaware that they may be eligible for CalFresh.
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“Hunger is an issue that affects us all and
this collaboration represents an
intense effort to serve those most vulnerable in Los Angeles County,
particularly during this tough
economic time,” stated DPSS Acting Director Sheryl L. Spiller.
As they did last year, the Board of
Supervisors will again kick off the
campaign, announcing a month-long
series of events to increase
participation in CalFresh. Supervisors
Zev Yaroslavsky and
Mark Ridley-Thomas will
lead the Board in
proclaiming May 2012 as “CalFresh Awareness Month” throughout the County.
This year, the
campaign will highlight the nutritional benefits of CalFresh.
Due to reports that lower-income communities are at greater risks
for obesity, diabetes
and certain other diseases,
the department has enlisted the help
of the Department of Public Health (DPH), local supermarkets and farmer’s markets, food banks and school districts, to promote
the benefits of healthier food choices and more exercise.
The campaign will also emphasize
the department’s convenient methods to apply for services, such as on-line
applications and a web-based
Customer Service Center.
In May 2011, DPSS and various faith-based and community-based organizations came together with a common goal to highlight the CalFresh program and to remove barriers and/or stigmas that were discouraging eligible individuals and families
from applying for food benefits. The inaugural public
outreach campaign was recognized nationally by the USDA – Food and Nutrition Service
and the National Association
of Counties.
For more information on CalFresh benefits, visit www.dpss.lacounty.gov/dpss/calfresh or call the Health and Nutrition
Hotline at 1 (877) 597-4777.
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