Ask the Board to implement the Restaurant Meals Program for the homeless, disabled, and elderly.

Orange County's "Cold Food Only" Benefits Rule Makes No Sense

For reasons nobody can justify or explain, you can only buy uncooked food with CalFresh benefits (food stamps) in Orange County.

What if you have no home? If you have a disability? If you live alone in old age? How does the Board of Supervisors imagine you will be able to prepare your food?

The Orange County Board of Supervisors has overlooked a food insecurity problem that afflicts precisely the most vulnerable of us: the homeless, disabled, and elderly.

Orange County Criminalizes CalFresh

Throughout Orange County, you can get an illegal camping ticket for trying to cook outside.

If you are homeless, enroll in CalFresh, and use your benefits, you can go to jail.

It is as if the government made breathing air illegal. It is Cruel and Unusual Punishment under the Eighth Amendment, and it is a waste of police time and taxpayer money.

Let Them Eat Healthy, Hot Food

Without the Restaurant Meals Program, the homeless, elderly, and disabled have to live off of processed foods when they cannot heat up their own food.

Imagine having to live entirely off of junk food like chips, crackers, and packaged doughnuts.

With the Restaurant Meals Program, the homeless, elderly, and disabled can choose healthy, discount menu options.

Strengthen the Local Economy

In Orange County, we enroll less than half of the total people eligible in CalFresh, largely because we limit CalFresh to cold food. Currently 231,008 Orange County residents participate in CalFresh, while 244,041 more individuals qualify but have not yet enrolled.

It makes bad economic sense to exclude half of the poor from CalFresh. Every federal dollar spent on CalFresh generates $1.70 for the local economy.

Los Angeles and San Diego both implement the Restaurant Meals Program. Hundreds of restaurants participate in each county. Participation by restaurants is purely optional. Every participating restaurant in Los Angeles on average makes additional revenue of $28,000 through the Restaurant Meals program.

Ask the Board to Act Now

Ask the Board of Supervisors to implement the Restaurant Meals Program in order to strengthen the Orange County economy, increase local employment, save taxpayer money, and feed its most vulnerable citizens.