Remember when I was out sick from work for over a month? At the end of that time period I didn’t know if Disability would ever come in or when I would be released to go back to work. I went to M.E.N.D. and applied for foodstamps. This was in the beginning of March 2014.
It is now May 2014 and I just now received 3 separate pieces of mail.
1. I qualified for Cal Fresh (food stamps)
2. The card came in the mail
3. A pin number was sent to use with the card.
I am fortunate that when I was pulled from work that u had a pantry of food and WIC to provide fresh milk, juice, and fruits for Darla. Also, i have family i could borrow from. And yes, I went back to work and have been paid so I could grocery shop.
There is no way I could have survived for two months without access to food.
What is the County of Los Angeles doing this whole time?
Come on County, get it together.
Poor hungry people need these benefits as promised.
I no longer wonder why my clients have such bad attitudes. I am angry and I work in the system.
- The application process is confusing.
- There is a massive waste of paper in forms and mailed notifications
- There is no “status update” process
4.forms to update the County of a change in circumstance are not easily accessible to the client. (I am fortunate enough to know how to ask for the forms…and then found out I should have notified the county within 10 days of returning to work even though it took them 50 or more days to notify me of my status.) - No Users Guide is given to people detailing what is an eligible purchase or stressing the important fact that coupons can be used with food stamps.
Dear Los Angeles County and Department of Agriculture (they are responsible for the SNAP /foodstamps/Cal Fresh programs… Please think about what I am telling you.
And if you are infuriated at the store by someone using a food stamp payment because you think they are lazy scum who shouldn’t need your less than 2% of the Federal Budget , understand that even I qualified for food stamps. And yes, I know I need a job where I don’t qualify for WIN because as a County Contractor my pay is horribly low (especially since I have 3rd the caseload of anyone else here)
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To see if you qualify : http://www.benefitscal.orgapply for California benefits
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