"There are people who have come here after escaping violence and persecution and torture. These are communities that we have historically said, 'You are welcome here. We have the support for you. We're going to help you get established in our country.' And now, the federal government is abandoning them."
If you're one of the roughly 112,000 people in San Francisco receiving benefits through CalFresh - the state's version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes referred to as food stamps - you'll be receiving a prepaid grocery card this week from the city. But the White House warned that payments would still only be half of people's regular benefits, and that there could be lengthy delays before EBT cards are reloaded. And on Tuesday, Trump threatened to once again withhold SNAP payments entirely. If you're a San Francisco resident using CalFresh, here's what to know about getting your prepaid grocery card - from how to activate your card to how much money the card will contain. Only one card will be sent to San Francisco CalFresh users, and you'll have to activate your card by December 31 for it to remain valid.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As the government shutdown continues, federal money for CalFresh benefits is set to run out as of Nov. 1. RELATED: Could halt in SNAP benefits, paychecks pressure lawmakers to strike shutdown deal? Over 5 million Californians rely on these benefits. While that's only 13.5% of the population, it means on Nov. 1, grocery stores could see over 1 billion less dollars spent in their grocery stores.
