Bi-weekly Update on COVID & Vaccine Rollout – LA County Combats Hunger in Pandemic
Posted on February. 28. 2021
SPEAKERS: 2/25/21
LA County Combats Hunger in Pandemic
Eloisa Gonzalez / elgonzalez@ph.lacounty.gov
Eloisa Gonzalez, MD, MPH, is the Director of Integrative Medicine at
the Wellness Center at LAC+USC Historic General Hospital, Director
of Cardiovascular and School Health at the Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health and the spokesperson for the COVID-19
vaccine for Spanish-language media. She received her Doctor of
Medicine from Stanford University School of Medicine, her MPH in
Health Services Administration from the UCLA Fielding School of
Public Health, and her BS in Biochemistry from California State
University, Long Beach.
Gary Gero | ggero@ceo.lacounty.gov
Gary Gero is Director of Los Angeles County’s Emergency Food
Security Branch. He also serves as Chief Sustainability Officer for LA
County, and as a Board Member of the LA League of Conservation
Voters. He previously served as President of the California
Sustainability Alliance. He received his Master of Science in Social
Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics and and
Political Science and his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political
Economy and Slavic Languages and Literature from the University of
California, Berkeley.
-Abraham Gomez abrahamgomez@dpss.lacounty.gov
Abraham Gomez is a CalFresh Program Manager, L.A. County Dept of
Public Social Services. He has served the residents of Los Angeles
County for over 21 years.
Elizabeth Cervantes ecervantes@lafoodbank.org
Elizabeth Cervantes is the Director of Agency Relations and Product
Acquisitions at Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. She received her
Bachelor’s Degree in General Business Administration and
Management from Western Governors University
( They distribute food and manage donations)
Website: lafoodbank.org
Included are helpful links shared in the briefing:
-https://publicexchange.usc.edu/food-insecurity-in-la-county/
-To apply for CalFresh online: https://www.getcalfresh.org/
-The department has several ways from which to apply for services, anyone in need can apply:
a) Online at www.yourbenefits.laclrs.org or for CalFresh the can go to www.getcalfresh.org,
b) By telephone, if you call the Customer Service Center (CSC) (866) 613-3777,
Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
c) By mail. Call the Customer Service Center (CSC) (866) 613-3777 and ask for a CalFresh application to be mailed to you. Once you have filled out your CalFresh application and forms, mail them to your local CalFresh Office.
Gary Gero:
Actually, this crisis is a health and an economic crisis at the same time. Because so many people have lost their jobs because of the pandamic. Mr. Gary Gero launched with his team their efforts to address the virus and to protect the people health. They did their efforts to help those in need, deliver food, and to provide security and food. One in three residents in LA County have struggled with food.
They worked very hard to address this matter.
Mr. Gary Gero with his team have existing programs in the County that are meant to address food needs: Food Stamps Programs , calfresh, The women and the children nutrition program which provides food support to pregnant women and mothers of young children, Seniors meals programs .they launched with LA Original Food Bank ( who gives food donations): Food Support+ drive through food advance+ grocery cards+ meals.
That was our aim, helping people who are struggling.
Abraham Gomez: He is the Calfresh Program for the LA County, Department of the Social Services. DPSS is in charge with administering federal state and County funded DPSS programs for people who may need nutrition benefits, health care coverage, cash assistance, and job training. They provide essential services to over 3.5 millions in LA County. It’s the large public services in the Country and the third largest department in the County.
They know many families that were hit very hard by this crisis.
What is the Calfresh Program? It is known as Food Stamps, federally known as SNAP Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program.
Hunger impacts all aspects of human life from health care to education.
On April 2020, Hunger can bee seen clearly. They received 126. 8875 thousand applications. In contrast, on April 2019, they received 45.468 thousand applications.
Website: dpss.lacounty.gov
Phone number: 866 613 3777
Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 7:30pm
Saturdays: from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
To apply online: getcalfresh.org
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