In the aftermath of the devastating Hawarden and Eagle fires, which engulfed parts of Riverside County since July 21, residents grappling with the trauma of power outages and the resultant spoilage of food have been thrown a lifeline, according to Riverside County News.
State officials, recognizing the dire circumstances of those affected, have extended the window to report losses and request CalFresh replacement benefits from the typical ten days to a full month, giving residents until August 19 to take action, during the urgency of recovery of the extra time is a boon for families in assessing their food losses, getting the necessary support to rebuild what has been lost, as per Riverside County.
An estimated 23,511 CalFresh households in Riverside County, having received about $4.8 million in benefits, could now reclaim funds used to purchase perishables that were destroyed due to the recent fires, as detailed in the state's assessment outlined in the announcement.
"We are dedicated to helping our customers recover their food losses quickly," "We urge families affected by these fires to contact us before August 19 to apply for replacement benefits," Allison Gonzalez, assistant director of the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, told Riverside County News, with a clear call to affected CalFresh recipients in Riverside County that they should report their losses by calling 1-877-410-8827, visiting a local DPSS office, or submitting a report online at BenefitsCal.com.
