On Thurs.,  from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Associated Students (AS) put on a virtual Q&A with Calfresh and let Seawolves drop in to get to know what CalFresh is, get help filling out an application or to see if they are eligible for any benefits. This is also to spread the word about the program and that any Sonoma State student can apply for and be a part of for any extra support or guidance even if students don’t think they qualify, they might not even know it. 

What is CalFresh? It is a program that helps out individuals and families by providing financial assistance to those that need it. If a student qualifies for CalFresh, they get an EBT card, a debit card with a certain amount they can spend at your local grocery stores. Administrative Assistant of the Vice President, Sue Hardisty is one of the advisors for CalFresh on campus and she said, “Meeting a student’s basic needs is foundational for success, food is essential”. Helping students get their basic needs like food, is what CalFresh is here to do and help those students on campus, even through these times.

Hardisty also shared that they are trying to improve the CalFresh process by following up with students who couldn’t receive benefits and finding another plan and also targeting places such as the fire affected areas. With virtual learning and everything being online, CalFresh is able to meet with more students on Zoom rather than have to wait to set up a meeting in person. Students that have been affected by COVID-19 or the recent fires are still able to have meetings and apply. 

Ember D’Agosta, a student advisor and helper for CalFresh on campus, said, “We are finally able to help enough students a lot better over Zoom, because we can work around if they have class or jobs.” Now with the recent Sonoma fires that have affected thousands of households and even students, CalFresh is doing everything they can to help and give students support, even if they don’t think they need it. This is for anyone and everyone not just for low-income families. 

D’Agosta also shared a few things about the program and why it is important students know this is accessible to them. She also said “We want to help as many students as we can even though they don’t think they need it”. Most of the time on campus there has not been a lot of applicants because students think that they don’t qualify for CalFresh because they are not struggling as much as someone else who might need it more. They don’t try to apply so nobody takes away someone’s spot. The good news is there is no limit to how many people can apply or receive aid at the same time. 

Even local families can apply to CalFresh through Sonoma County and see if they receive benefits as well. Within the past year there have been 22 thousabd families receiving aid while last Oct. there was 16 thousand  (According to information from County of Sonoma courtesy of the CalFresh Outreach team) The applicants and the recipients have increased intensely within the past year due to the pandemic and all of the businesses being shut down as all the fires that scorched Sonoma Valley recently. 

This is a program that even our neighbors are using and SSU students have as a resource. Libia Marqueza Castro is the Student Government Coordinator for AS commented on Calfresh “At the end of the day if a student is able to eat that makes me happy”. Castro as well as the rest of the team are trying to get “students’ basic needs met” whether that’s food or support so they can succeed in life as well as Sonoma State.