County Launches Food Safety Net as Federal Benefit Cuts Leave Tens of Thousands of San Diegans Behind
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The county held its first Safety Net Bridge food giveaway on Saturday, August 8th, at the Chula Vista Live Well Center, drawing 220 people to a program designed to partially fill the gap left by federal food-benefit changes. The Board of Supervisors has allocated $1 million toward more than 90 giveaways planned over the coming year, with a stated target of reaching roughly 9,600 households.
The numbers behind the initiative reveal a significant mismatch between the scope of the problem and the resources deployed so far. County officials estimate that federal program changes could affect 93,500 San Diegans — roughly the population of El Cajon. Nearly 30,000 residents have left CalFresh over the past ten months alone. The county's response also includes 144 new enrollment workers budgeted to help residents re-qualify for benefits.
A medical-benefits component of the Safety Net Bridge plan is expected to go before the Board of Supervisors this fall, potentially expanding the program's reach. County officials have not yet provided a timeline for that vote. The distance between the 93,500-person estimate of those affected and the 9,600-household target of the current food-distribution effort underscores how much of the response remains in development.
A Coastal Flood Advisory, meanwhile, is in effect beginning at 6 p.m. Monday through 11 p.m. Wednesday for San Diego County coastal areas. Astronomical high tides are forecast to exceed 7 feet between approximately 8 and 9:30 p.m. each evening, raising the possibility of minor overflow into low beach areas and coastal parking lots at locations including Torrey Pines, Ocean Beach, and Mission Beach.