SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – With many pandemic-assistance programs set to expire this week, some in the Bay Area could have a harder time affording food.
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In California, the elimination of the added CalFresh support is expected to have an impact. CalFresh is the state version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
In anticipation, local food banks are preparing for added demand.
"For some senior, like adult households – that might be $20 a month," said Allison Goodwin, the director of programs at the Redwood Empire Food Bank. "But we do know for other families that's up to $281 a month."
This is the type of unexpected challenge that people who've come to depend on this resource face every day.
And this increase in demand will likely increase the pressure on supply.
Food is already an expensive necessity, and prices have increased in recent months for various items, like eggs.
Unfortunately for many food banks, donations of both food and money have been down recently, while during the height of the pandemic, many were pulling together to help others.
"What's really hard is that for local food banks, we are still serving twice as many people as we were serving before the pandemic," said Leslie Bacho, the CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.
Food now costs 20 to 30 percent more for food banks to purchase than it did before the pandemic.
As California is expected to face a budget deficit, few food banks are optimistic they'll get additional support.
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