State cutting back on extra Cal Fresh food benefits in April

SAN FRANCISCO -- As federal and state COVID policies come to an end, food banks are bracing for what they expect to be a significant uptick in need.

As of April 1, the federal government is ending its emergency allotment for food programs, deducting an average of $160 per month in San Francisco alone.

El Mercadito in the Mission provides food for about 1,800 families per week, including one family who says they may not be able to provide adequate food for their son with a liver condition.

Twice a week, Maria Fernandez volunteers at the market; she calls it her best form of therapy.

"When I first started this is what I was doing, I was giving food," she said. "I feel very loved here and I feel like this is part of my family."

Fernandez is in recovery from a drug addiction and has depended on this market, and the de-facto family it has provided her, to heal for herself and her three children.

"In my addiction, the community is the one that helped put me back in one piece and coming here I feel like I'm giving the community a bit of what they gave me when I was down," said Fernandez.

But she also depends on the marketplace to feed herself and her family. She's been receiving CalFresh benefits since the start of the pandemic.

When COVID-19 struck, federal CalFresh benefits multiplied, providing Fernandez with just under $600 a month to purchase food for her family. But these benefits are ending at the end of March and Fernandez will now see a $90 deduction per month.

"With all these prices so high it hasn't been so difficult because of El Mercadito," she said. "It's going to impact my kids in going to do groceries and having to say no to them in things that they want and now we're going to have to buy things that they really need."

Fernandez's family can't only survive on basic produce often priced lower than specialty items. Her 7-year-old son Nicolas has a liver condition that requires more thought, and often more money, in her grocery purchases.

"It's been difficult especially because of Nicolas' diet because he needs fish proteins, his diet is based on pasta, whole wheat, and all those things are more expensive," she said.

San Francisco alone is losing $11 million a month which will impact more than 90,000 residents. The city is bracing for a massive uptick in need as the pandemic-era benefits are ending amid soaring inflation prices.

Director Laura Valdez says they won't know how much of an increase they'll see in the coming weeks but they know they may not be able to handle it all.

"Food insecurity was there before the pandemic and it's here as well in a more scaled-up fashion because of the number of people who have lost their jobs and we know more people are in need than before the pandemic," said Valdez.

Both women say the emergency allotment acted as a stabilizer for families experiencing food insecurities.

"What we get right now is perfect to feed myself and my kids," said Fernandez.

Its ending is opening an era of unknown for more than 70,000 households across the city, and thousands more throughout the Bay Area.