Feeding San Diego Receives $50,000 Grant from the Walmart Foundation to Support SNAP Education and Outreach
Feeding San Diego Receives $50,000 Grant from the Walmart Foundation to Support SNAP Education and Outreach
San Diego, CA — October 17, 2019 — Today, Feeding San Diego announced a $50,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to help end hunger in San Diego County through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application assistance. With this grant, Feeding San Diego will scale access to SNAP among eligible food-insecure households, with particular emphasis on reaching seniors.
SNAP, known as CalFresh in California, is a federal nutrition program dedicated to helping millions of people who face hunger. Yet, more than 15 percent of Americans eligible for SNAP currently do not receive this benefit. Seniors are disproportionately affected by food insecurity and barriers to SNAP access. Among seniors, 58 percent of eligible individuals are not enrolled in SNAP.
SNAP provides more than nutrition assistance. In fact, participation in SNAP is linked to reduced health care costs. SNAP improves food security, offers benefits that enable families to purchase healthier foods, and frees up household resources that can be used for preventative services and needed medical care.
“Hunger impacts every county in the United States. In San Diego County, one in eight people do not have regular access to enough food for a healthy, active life. At Feeding San Diego, we are committed to helping seniors in our community who face a higher incidence of food insecurity,” said Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego.
This grant will support Feeding San Diego’s CalFresh outreach program that assists eligible individuals to apply for CalFresh, specifically seniors receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Last year, Feeding San Diego helped people facing food insecurity access 677,561 meals through CalFresh.
Directly addressing the barrier of physical access as well as awareness, Feeding San Diego will work with staff from the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency at various sites throughout the county to provide in-person CalFresh assistance from start to finish. By bringing services to seniors at convenient locations, like living complexes and senior centers, seniors will not have to rely on transportation or mobility to access CalFresh enrollment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation provide donations of both food and funds to the Feeding America nationwide network of 200 food banks. The Walmart Foundation has supported Feeding San Diego since 2010 through grants and cause marketing campaigns. For more information about what Feeding San Diego is doing to end hunger and reduce food waste, visit feedingsandiego.org.
ABOUT FEEDING SAN DIEGO
Feeding San Diego (FSD) is a non-profit organization on a mission to end hunger while reducing food waste. Established in 2007, Feeding San Diego provides more than 26 million meals each year to people facing hunger in the community in partnership with a network of 245 local charities, schools, faith communities, and food pantries. Through an efficient model focused on reducing our impact on the environment, every dollar donated helps provide four nutritious meals to people facing hunger. Feeding San Diego is the only Feeding America affiliate in the region. To learn more about Feeding San Diego and its hunger-relief initiatives, visit feedingsandiego.org.
