To start:
A great place to get connected to all the available government programs and services who persons struggling to pay their bills and build successful lives, go to www.WEconnect.net or call toll-free 211 LA County/United Way 24/7 Information and Resource Line. Either way, you can learn about many different programs, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income wage earners, food and hunger programs (see details below), Health care programs and job training.

I. Food and Nutrition Programs (courtesy of the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness, People’s Guide to Welfare, Health and Other Services)

A. Food Stamps
(now renamed the “SNAP” program for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
Many people who are eligible are not enrolled in this program. Food stamp benefits are based on how much money you make and how many people are in the family. Rules have been changed so you can now have savings in the bank. Food stamps are no longer coupons; it is now a debit card and it is used like an ATM card, and the monthly benefit is added on automatically after you enroll. These cards can be used at most grocery stores, many certified Farmer’s Markets and some restaurants (for homeless, disabled or elderly participants). You will need to fill out a quarterly report every three months and then be re-certified once a year.

How to apply:

1) Call toll-free 1-877-597-4777 and find out the closest location to apply. You can apply at a County Department of Social Services (DPSS) office or at some other locations. Although you can have a form mailed to your home and fill it out, you must have an in-person interview and be fingerprinted before you can receive food stamps. The entire process must be completed in 30 days, but if you have an emergency situation, you can get Food Stamps in three days. Be sure to tell your Eligibility Worker if you have an emergency and need your Food Stamps right away.

2) You can find out if you are eligible to apply at
www.foodstamps-step1.usda.gov

You can also get more information from LA County at:
http://dpss.co.la.ca.us

And for a map of Food Stamp offices, go to
http://dpss.lacounty.gov/dpss/maps/food_stamps_map.cfm

Additional outreach offices are located at:
St. Vincent’s www.stjosephctr.org
LA Regional Food Bank www.lafoodbank.org
St. Margaret’s (310) 672-2208
Chicana Service Action Center (323) 265-4900?
SOVA-all three sites www.jfsla.org/SOVA

B. WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

This nutrition program helps pregnant women, new mothers and children under the age of 5 with very low incomes. You will quality for WIC if your household already receives Food Stamps, CalWorks or full Medi-Cal.. You can also qualify with very low incomes such as an annual income of $39,220 for a family of four.

WIC participants can receive special checks to buy healthy foods such as milk, juice, eggs, cheese, cereal, dry beans/peas and peanut butter. Fresh fruits and vegetables have just been added. Women who are breastfeeding can receive any extra set of vouchers.

For more information call toll-free (888) 942-9675.

C. Food Pantries/Soup Kitchens
There are over 500 food banks/pantries and soup kitchens in LA County. To find the one closest to you by zipcode, use the pantry locator created by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank:
http://www.lafoodbank.org/ZIP.asp

You can also go to: www.healthycity.org or call 211

D. Meals for Homebound persons due to health conditions, disability or motor impairments:

Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles County –Call (213) 738-4004
Project Angel Food for persons with AIDS and other illness call
(323) 845-1800
Project Chicken Soup for kosher persons with HIV/AIDS (323) 933-5402

For links to other Los Angeles non-profits that provide services to hunger and homeless persons, click here.

II. Health Care Services

Medi-Cal
Medi-Cal is California’s program to pay for medical care for very low-income people, especially families, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities. The major groups of people who can get Medi-Cal are people getting SSI, CalWORKs, foster care, adoption assistance or certain immigrants receiving Entrant or Refugee Cash Assistance benefits. Also pregnant women, children under the age of 21, adults over age 65 and people of any age who are disabled or blind by SSI guidelines. If you are a California resident and meet other Medi-Cal requirements, you can apply for a restricted Medi-Cal card even if undocumented.

How to Apply:
Call toll-free (877) 597-4777 and ask for an application to be mailed to you. You can fill it out and mail it back. You will need to provide documentation including identification, social security number, proof of income, proof that you live in Los Angeles County, proof of citizenship, vehicle registration and verification of child/dependent care.

Healthy Families
This program provides low-cost health insurance for many low-income children, although recent state cuts have reduced the number of new enrollments. For more information, call 1-800-880-5305 or go to
www.healthlyfamilies.ca.gov

III. Help with Utilties

a) Lifeline Phone service is available to low-income families on Medi-Cal, SSI, Food Stamps, Healthy Families, WIC and others.

For more information, call 1-866-272-0349 or go to
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/Public+Programs/lifelinedetails.htm

b) Gas and Electricity Programs-Low-income customers that are enrolled in the CARE program receive a 20 percent discount on their electric and natural gas bills.
For non DWP consumers, go to
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Low+Income/care.htm

For DWP consumers, details can be found at
http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp004841.pdf
or call 1(800) DIAL DWP (342-5397)

Links to Food Pantries/Homeless Centers

Angel Harvest www.angelharvest.org
Catholic Charities Los Angeles www.catholiccharitiesla.org
Downtown Women’s Center www.dwcweb.org
Food Forward www.foodforward.org
Food On Foot www.foodonfoot.org
Fred Jordan Mission www.fjm.org
Frontline Foundation www.frontline-foundation.org
Global Kindness www.myglobalkindness.org
Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition www.gwhfc.org
Help The Children: Santa Clarita www.helpthechildren.org/index.php
Hope-Net www.hope-net.info
JFS-SOVA Community Food and Resource Program www.jfsla.org/sova
Los Angeles Catholic Worker www.lacatholicworker.org
Los Angeles Family Housing (LAFH) www.lafh.org
Los Angeles Mission www.losangelesmission.org
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank www.lafoodbank.org
M.E.N.D. (Meet Each Need with Dignity) www.mendpoverty.org
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger www.mazon.org
Midnight Mission www.midnightmission.org
North Valley Caring Services, Inc. www.nvsinc.org
Ocean Park Community Center Access Center www.opcc.net
P.A.T.H. (People Assisting The Homeless) www.epath.org
Project Angel Food www.projectangelfood.org
Project Chicken Soup www.projectchickensoup.org
Rescue Mission Alliance www.erescuemission.com
St. Joseph Center / Bread and Roses Café www.stjosephctr.org
St. Vincent Meals On Wheels www.stvincentmow.org
Salvation Army: Harbor Light www.laharborlight.org
South Antelope Valley Emergency Services www.bit.ly/1uHJIs
Touch of Kindness / Tomchei Shabbos www.tomcheishabbos.org
United Rescue Mission www.urm.org
Valley Beth Shalom Food Bank www.vbs.org
Valley Interfaith Council www.vic-la.org
Westside Food Bank www.westsidefoodbankca.org