SNAP Supports San Diego

SNAP helps hundreds of thousands of San Diegans put food on the table.

Here’s how it works, who it helps, and how you can protect it.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program. Known in California as CalFresh, SNAP helps hundreds of thousands of San Diegans afford groceries.

SNAP isn’t a handout. It’s a bridge that keeps working families, seniors, veterans, and kids fed while they get back on their feet.

A woman and a young girl holding food and smiling with at Feeding San Diego truck in the background

Understanding SNAP

Strong communities rely on reliable food assistance programs like SNAP.

A little girl holding an apple

What Is SNAP?

SNAP helps people buy food. It gives eligible households an EBT card, which works like a debit card to purchase groceries. Each month, CalFresh benefits automatically reload onto these EBT cards.

A man in a motorized chair and a woman in a motorized chair with a baby in holiday pajamas on her lap

Who It Helps

SNAP helps your neighbors throughout San Diego County, including families with kids, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, working families, and college students.

How It Helps

Direct grocery assistance feeds people and supports local businesses, stimulating the economy and providing exponential benefits.

Need help determining your eligibility or applying for SNAP benefits? Our CalFresh team can help.

A man standing next to a cart of food

SNAP benefits have been a godsend.

“I’m a full-time college student. I have two kids, and my wife is pregnant. So, I come to the food pantry so we can get by, and it helps us a lot. I’m working at the Temecula Valley Hospital as a CNA and going to school for nursing. We’ve definitely felt the prices go up. Honestly, if I was just working a full-time job, I don’t even know how I would be able to afford groceries and rent in Southern California. So, this food pantry, while I’m going to school, is really helping a lot. SNAP benefits have also been a godsend.”

— Alan, a nursing student who relies on Feeding San Diego’s partner, Fallbrook Food Pantry

Understanding the Impact

The benefits of SNAP are far-reaching, helping both individuals and the community as a whole.

Creates Stability

SNAP helps families stretch their budgets during difficult times. With EBT benefits, they can buy groceries while also covering essentials like housing, utilities, medicine, childcare, and transportation.

Keeps Children Fed

Children are among the largest groups SNAP serves. 79% of households that receive SNAP benefits include a child, a senior, or a disabled individual.

Supports Nutrition

SNAP is a nutrition-focused program that helps families buy groceries, including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, and other foods that support home-cooked meals.

Creates Resiliant Communities

SNAP reduces pressure on local charitable food organizations and puts money back into the local economy, fostering stronger and more resilient communities.

BETTER TOGETHER

SNAP and charitable food organizations work as a system, not substitutes.

For every meal the Feeding America network provides, SNAP provides nine. But not everyone qualifies for SNAP benefits.

Nearly 430,000 people in San Diego County face food insecurity, and 43.7% of them may not even qualify for SNAP due to income limits, a gap that Feeding San Diego’s food rescue and hunger relief network exists to fill.

A woman with gray hair holding fresh produce

I’ve had really good jobs, but now I can’t even survive.

“I just retired from the DMV. I used to work for the Superior Court. I’ve had really good jobs, but now I can’t even survive. One income, my rent with all this inflation and everything, I’m barely making it. I have a good retirement and my Social Security. I’m 67. But when you pay over $3,800 just for your rent, you don’t have money, and I have a car payment and insurance. So, I don’t qualify for CalFresh because I make too much. How do I make too much money? It’s really, really hard. Right now, I have $4.00 in my checking account. And I have to go get medication. I don’t have money for food. I get food bank. Hopefully, it keeps coming. We get good stuff. But it’s getting to be less and less and less and more and more people.”

— Esther, a retiree who relies on charitable food organizations like Feeding San Diego’s summer food pantry in Poway

MAJOR CHANGES TO SNAP

Federal Cuts to SNAP Will Directly Affect San Diegans Facing Food Insecurity

A man pulling a wagon full of food

Federal changes passed in 2025 cut nearly $200 billion from SNAP nationally. In addition, there have been various changes to eligibility, work requirements, and cost-sharing between the federal government and states.

These changes will make it harder for many San Diegans to access or keep CalFresh benefits.

How You Can Help

Hunger hurts families, local economies, and community stability. SNAP supports resilient, stable communities. However, with many of our neighbors losing benefits, we need your support more than ever.

Give Funds

Kids holding up fresh, local produce

Every dollar donated helps provide two meals to San Diegans facing food insecurity.

Give Voice

A man with two young girls and a wagon of food received at a Feeding San Diego distribution

You can be a voice for your neighbors facing hunger. Advocating for SNAP funding and educating your network about its importance are two great ways to help your community.

Give Time

Volunteers at an assembly line putting together boxes with shelf-stable items

Volunteering is another great way to support your neighbors facing food insecurity. We have a wide variety of volunteer opportunities for anyone ages 6+.