July 12, 2012, 12:05 AM
For Larry Sly, executive director of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, the good news is that the number of people the food bank serves has leveled off over the past couple of years. The bad news: The food bank still feeds 132,000 people every month. The food bank today serves 46...
+ read more
September 23, 2011, 12:05 AM
A new study provides support for a bill on Gov. Jerry Brown's desk that would stop the state's policy of fingerprinting food stamp recipients. California's policy is meant to deter fraud, but it keeps people from seeking aid and creates high administrative costs, according to a...
+ read more
August 9, 2011, 12:05 AM
The number of farmers markets in California grew 25.7 percent last year, making the state home to one out of 10 markets nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest tally. The 2011 National Farmers Market Directory, released last week, counted 7,175 markets in the...
+ read more
July 27, 2011, 12:05 AM
Every Saturday morning, Auscencio Perez can be found beneath the shade trees at the county fairgrounds in Merced, presiding over a colorful cascade of melons, peaches and strawberries, as well as pipicha, an aromatic herb similar to cilantro, and verdolaga, a long-stemmed green used in salads....
+ read more
March 4, 2011, 12:05 AM
More than 3.4 million students were eligible for free or reduced-price meals at California public schools last year – a 9 percent increase from two years earlier – indicating the number of families whose incomes have been hit hard by the recession. Nearly every county in the state...
+ read more
February 15, 2011, 12:05 AM
Food stamp use in California has long been among the lowest in the nation, but a new report shows that participation varies widely among the state's counties. The report, released Friday by California Food Policy Advocates, estimates that Fresno County ranks first in CalFresh participation...
+ read more
November 19, 2010, 12:05 AM
California is missing out on nearly $4.9 billion in federal nutrition benefits, because more than 3.6 million eligible, low-income residents are not participating in the food stamp program, according to an analysis released Wednesday by a food policy group. Food stamp usage has grown rapidly...
+ read more
November 16, 2010, 12:05 AM
More than 14 percent of California households struggled to afford enough food during the economic downturn, according to a federal report released yesterday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that nearly 17.4 million households nationwide – nearly 15 percent of the population...
+ read more
March 23, 2010, 4:44 PM
As record numbers of Californians struggle to put food on the table, programs designed to help the hungry are under stress.
An examination by reporters from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism shows that food banks and food stamps, two key safety net programs for poor people...
+ read more
January 7, 2010, 5:24 AM
From the suburbs to areas of chronic poverty, food stamp usage is up, according to a recent article by the New York Times. Nationwide “nearly 12 percent of Americans receive aid – 28 percent of African Americans, 15 percent of Latinos and 8 percent of whites. Benefits average about...
+ read more
