THIS IS A PLACEHOLDER EVENT

Orange County residents are invited to enjoy an evening of appetizing activities while learning about CalFresh, California’s supplemental nutrition assistance program.

Orange County Supervisor Doug Chaffee, Fourth District, Northgate Market and the County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) will host the event from 4:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at Northgate Market, 1305 W. Whittier Blvd. in La Habra.

“The recent end of the CalFresh emergency payments and the return to the renewal process for Medi-Cal underscore how vital events like this are to the County’s mission of making this a safe, healthy and fulfilling place to live, work and play. Having a presence in the community, helping residents apply for benefits and addressing their questions can help them on their journey to self-sufficiency,” said Supervisor Chaffee.

SSA’s Mobile Response Vehicle and eligibility staff will be onsite to help event attendees apply for CalFresh, Medi-Cal and other public assistance benefits.

Chef Pablo will start the festivities by making a dish CalFresh recipients can easily replicate at home. OC Health Care Agency’s CalFresh Healthy Living team will give docent-style store tours, where attendees can sample available food while learning how to live a healthy, active and nourished lifestyle while stretching their grocery budgets.

“At Northgate Market, we take great pride in partnering with the County of Orange to spread awareness about CalFresh, an invaluable program for eligible participants, and the benefits it brings to our customers. We wholeheartedly urge all those who meet the eligibility criteria to consider applying. We understand the economic challenges families face today, and that’s why the County and Northgate Market stand together in our unwavering commitment to improving their lives,” said Miguel Gonzalez, Co-President Northgate Gonzalez Markets.

First 5 will provide educational activities for children. OC Waste & Recycling will offer tips on reducing food waste.

“Northgate Market’s partnership is a shining example of how working with local businesses helps extend the reach into communities who need our services but may face barriers to accessing them, such as challenges related to transportation or daycare. We are grateful for Northgate and all of our partners who bring awareness of the social safety net programs available,” said SSA Director An Tran.

Orange County Supervisor Doug Chaffee, Fourth District, and the County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) announced a Health Fair and Children's Day event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 6, 2023 at Maxwell Park, 2660 W. Broadway in Anaheim. 

Residents can receive food, health screenings and school supplies while supplies last; apply for public assistance benefits such as CalFresh, Medi-Cal, General Relief or CalWORKs; and visit with participating partners to find out more about other services and resources available to them. 

“As we move away from the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our residents have struggled with the loss of CalFresh emergency benefits and the return to the Medi-Cal renewal process,” said Supervisor Doug Chaffee. “It is important that our community is aware of all the eligible benefits available to them. We hope this Health Fair will help all of our residents get the support and resources they need during this challenging time.”

SSA will bring its Mobile Response Vehicle – an office on wheels – and a team of eligibility professionals to assist attendees in applying for public assistance benefits or to answer questions recipients may have about their current benefits. In-language services will be available.

“Orange County’s strength is its ability to come together to address the community’s needs. SSA is pleased to be part of the collaboration Supervisor Chaffee and his team have formed for the Health Fair and Children’s Day Event,” said SSA Director An Tran.

Participating partners include the Anaheim Elementary School District, CalOptima Health, OC Coalition of Community Health Centers, Cal Assist, ICNA, Federacion de Clubes Unidos por Guerrero en California, OC Health Care Agency and more. Local student folklorico groups will be providing entertainment during the event.

Event parking is located on West Broadway near Haskett branch library. 

For any inquires please call the Office of Supervisor Doug Chaffee at (714) 834-3440 or email Fourth.district@ocgov.com.

Orange County Supervisor Doug Chaffee represents the Fourth District, which includes the Cities of Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia, Stanton, portions of Anaheim, and unincorporated communities. 

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) will transition to BenefitsCal, an enhanced public assistance benefits enrollment portal, on Monday, April 24, 2023.

BenefitsCal replaces MyBenefitsCalWIN (MyBCW), allowing clients to apply for benefits, report changes, upload documents and receive email and text alerts. Clients’ benefits will not be affected by the switch.

“BenefitsCal continues our efforts to reduce barriers for Orange County residents so we are excited to join a system that will serve all 58 counties in California,” says SSA Director An Tran. “We know that this new portal will make it easier for people to access the benefits they need, no matter where they live in the state. They will be able to apply and renew their benefits online, report changes that may affect their eligibility and upload documents to verify their information.”

Starting Monday, April 24, 2023, Orange County clients can register for a new account at www.BenefitsCal.com and submit their application for benefits or link their existing MyBCW case to their new BenefitsCal account. MyBCW will no longer be available after Thursday, April 20, 2023.

In preparation for the transition and cutover of information to the new system, both BenefitsCal and MyBCW will be down from Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23. During this period the SSA Call Center at (800) 281-9799 will not be available. SSA lobbies will remain open Friday, April 21, with manual procedures in place to serve clients, including the ability to issue benefits for clients with emergent or immediate needs. To find a nearby office, visit ssa.ocgov.com.

Households interested in applying for public assistance benefits during the downtime period can:

• Visit www.GetCalFresh.org for CalFresh benefits
• Visit www.coveredca.com for Medi-Cal benefits
• Call 2-1-1 or visit www.211oc.org to be connected with food and other resources

From now through Thursday, April 20, 2023, clients can continue to use www.mybenefitscalwin.org to apply for or check on existing Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs or General Relief public assistance benefits or contact their designated case worker, if applicable.

BenefitsCal.com allows you to apply for, view and renew your benefits for health care, food and cash assistance. Plut it works great on your smart phone, making it easier than ever to: 

• Apply online
• Link your case
• Report changes
• Upload documents
• See if you qualify for benefits
• Sign up for email/text alerts
• And more

To learn more about BenefitsCal, please visit benefitscal.com/help.

You can help spread the word about BenefitsCal with the following digital media resources:

• Flyer: English | Spanish | Vietnamese | Farsi | Korean | Chinese | Arabic
• Poster: All Languages
• Graphic: English | Spanish | Vietnamese | Farsi | Korean | Chinese
• Captions: English | Spanish | Vietnamese | Farsi | Korean | Chinese

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) will discontinue its Saturday call center hours due to decreased call volumes.

Call agents who normally work on Saturdays will provide additional coverage during the weekdays when call volumes are highest. The weekend hours were part of the response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Residents who want to apply for public assistance benefits or update their case information can continue to call 800-281-9799 during the Agency’s extended weekday call hours, from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Customers may also visit an SSA regional office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For regional office locations, visit www.ssa.ocgov.com.

Clients can visit www.mybenefitscalwin.org to apply for or check on existing Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs or General Relief public assistance benefits or they may contact their designated case worker, if applicable.

More than 1,000 residents received free food, diapers, household goods and information on food and other community resources at a Saturday event hosted by Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, Second District, and the County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA).

The March 25 Community Resources & Health Fair, held in response to the loss of CalFresh emergency benefits, brought together more than 15 community partners to address the basic needs of vulnerable Orange County residents.

SSA’s eligibility staff provided live benefits assistance for more than 200 attendees who visited the Agency’s Mobile Response Vehicle, which is used as an office on wheels. CalFresh applicants who were approved for benefits received their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards on site that day.

“Thank you to all the community partners for making this event a success for our residents. The sheer volume of attendees demonstrates we still have more work to do. I plan to host future resource events in my district to continue supporting our most vulnerable community members,”  said Supervisor  Sarmiento.

SSA, whose public assistance benefits programs and services assist one in three Orange County residents, supports events like this one by bringing its Mobile Response Vehicles and teams of eligibility professionals out into the community.

“Visiting our clients where they live, participating in local community events and speaking with them in the language they are most comfortable helps build connections with them. We are here to help, and we are able to serve families and individuals more holistically when we collaborate closely with our partners such as CalOptima Health, the OC Hunger Alliance, Second Harvest Food Bank, OC Food Bank, Santa Ana Unified School District and many others who serve our clients as well,” said SSA Director An Tran.

Other participating partners included Abound Food Care, the Behavioral Health Advisory Board, City of Santa Ana, Community Action Partnership of Orange County, the Delhi Center, Head Start, Latino Health Access, Ministerios Betesda, OC Health Care Agency, OC Office on Aging, Rancho Santiago Community College Board of Trustees, Santa Ana College, Public Law Center and United Across Borders Foundation.

Residents receiving CalFresh benefits are encouraged to update their records when they have changes in their income or expenses, such as loss of a job or pay cuts, or increased daycare costs, rent or utilities. Seniors can maximize their benefits by reporting medical expenses that exceed $35 a month, in addition to their shelter and utility expenses.

Residents can update their information or apply:

• Online at http://www.mybenefitscalwin.org to apply for or check on existing Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs or General Relief public assistance benefits or alternatively through one of the following options:
  • CalFresh only through www.GetCalFresh.org
  • Medi-Cal only through www.coveredca.com
• By phone with SSA’s Call Center at (800) 281-9799 from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday
• In person at one of SSA’s offices: https://www.ssa.ocgov.com/about-us/office-locations/office-location-list

For additional information on SSA programs, visit: www.ssa.ocgov.com.

In response to the loss of CalFresh emergency allotments, Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, Second District, and the County of Orange Social Services Agency have organized a Community Resources & Health Fair.

The fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25 at Centennial Park, near the corner of Edinger Avenue and Fairview Street.

Residents can receive food and free diapers while supplies last, apply for public assistance benefits such as CalFresh, Medi-Cal, General Relief or CalWORKs, and visit with participating partners to find out more about other services and resources available to them. A DJ will provide musical entertainment and children can enjoy an arts and crafts area.

“The end of the COVID-19 CalFresh emergency benefits and the return to the Medi-Cal renewal process will hit Central Orange County the hardest, especially cities within my district, including Santa Ana and Anaheim. Many of our residents will now struggle to find ways to make up for these losses. The Community Resources & Health Fair will connect our most vulnerable community members directly to vital support provided through our Social Services Agency and partner organizations,” said Supervisor Sarmiento.  

Participating partners include CalOptima Health, the city of Santa Ana, Latino Health Access, the Delhi Center, the OC Hunger Alliance, the OC Health Care Agency, the OC Office on Aging, Santa Ana Unified School District, Santa Ana College, Second Harvest Food Bank and United Across Borders Foundation, among many others. Each will work with attendees to share resources to help them navigate today’s economic climate.

SSA will bring its Mobile Response Vehicle – an office on wheels – and a team of eligibility professionals to assist attendees in applying for public assistance benefits or to answer questions recipients may have about their current benefits. In-language services will be available.

“This event brings together the pieces – our partners – who can help solve the puzzle of how residents can manage increased costs, from food to rent to gas and utilities, in one of the highest cost of living areas in the nation. SSA is grateful to Supervisor Sarmiento and our partners for joining us in answering the call for help,” said SSA Director An Tran.

Orange County, Calif. (February 6, 2023) – Orange County residents will see lower CalFresh benefits starting in April due to the federal government’s enactment of the Fiscal Year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

The federal law ends the authority for the state of California to issue CalFresh emergency allotments, effective February 28, 2023. Emergency allotments are an extra benefit in addition to regular CalFresh amounts and accounted for roughly $30 million a month for Orange County residents during the Public Health Emergency. As recipients are paid in arrears, their last emergency allotment will be issued in March payments to their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) notified Orange County CalFresh recipients of the end of the emergency allotments. According to CDSS, “[a]s this is a required change, there are no hearing rights related to the loss of Emergency Allotment benefits. No further action is required.” Anyone with questions about the end of the emergency allotments should call the state’s hotline at (888) 445-1955.

Regular CalFresh benefit amounts will not change and will continue to be put on EBT cards within the first 10 days of each month.

While the County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) does not have the authority to continue emergency allotments past the expiration date, it does encourage recipients to call the SSA call center. Eligibility specialists can review changes in the household – such as an increase in expenses or a decrease in income – to ensure recipients receive the highest possible amount in benefits. The SSA call center, (800) 281-9799, is available from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Residents can also call 2-1-1 or visit http://www.211oc.org to be connected with food and other resources.

Orange County households interested in applying for CalFresh, Medi-Cal, General Relief and CalWORKs benefits or those wishing to review existing case information are encouraged to visit www.ssa.ocgov.com or use one of the options below:

• http://www.mybenefitscalwin.org to apply for or check on existing Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs or General Relief public assistance benefits or alternatively through one of the following options:
  • CalFresh only through www.GetCalFresh.org
  • Medi-Cal only through www.coveredca.com
• SSA’s Call Center at (800) 281-9799
  • Call Center hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to
    4:30 p.m. Saturday.
• In person, at SSA’s offices: https://www.ssa.ocgov.com/about-us/office-locations/office-location-list

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) announced today that its Cypress Regional Center at 6100 Chip Ave. will temporarily close beginning December 16, 2022. This location will be closed for approximately a year to allow for necessary construction repairs. 

In addition to contacting their assigned case worker, SSA clients can obtain services, as follows:

• Online at http://www.mybenefitscalwin.org to apply for or check on existing Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs or General Relief public assistance benefits or alternatively through one of the following options:
  • CalFresh only through www.GetCalFresh.org.
  • Medi-Cal only through www.coveredca.com.
• By phone through SSA’s Call Center at (800) 281-9799
  • Call Center hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
• In person, at other SSA offices: https://www.ssa.ocgov.com/about-us/office-locations/office-location-list

• To apply for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) or for questions related to ongoing IHSS cases, please call (714) 825-3000 or fax (714) 825-3001.
• To apply for Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), please call (800) 281-9799.  
• If you suspect a child is at risk of abuse or neglect, call our Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 207-4464 or (714) 940-1000.
• Please call the Adult Protective Services Hotline at (800) 451-5155 if you suspect a senior or dependent adult is at risk of abuse or neglect.