Nutrition Assistance
Community and Family (Cross Age)
Note
*: Statistically unstable
HHSA Regions: Health and Human Services Agency regions
Indicator criteria: recipients being active at some point through the calendar year
Age Group: 0-18 years, 19 and older
Zip codes within San Diego County assigned to Family Resource Centers
Data not available:
Percentage by Race-Ethnicity calculation: those recipients were excluded from total numbers of recipients if Race-Ethnicity data are not available.
For the zip code map data, numbers are censored and rates are not calculated when the number of events is fewer than 20.
Race-Ethnicity categories:
Hispanic: Puerto Rican, Other Hispanic, Guatemalan, Mexican, Cuban, Salvadoran, Hispanic,
Asian/Pac. Islander: Hmong, Chinese, Korean, Guamanian, Cambodian, Samoan, Laotian, Other Asian, Native Hawaiian, Other Islander, Asian Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Japanese,
While, Black, Native American: American indian or Alaskan Native, Other: Other or Unknown, Multi-Ethnicity: Two or More Ethnicities
Source:
San Diego County CalSAWS (Data for Year 2021-2023 provided on 11/7/2024, Year 2024, provided on 1/3/2025)
Prepared by: County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, Self-Sufficiency Services – Management Reporting
Thomas Brothers Maps. “Zip_Code.zip” SanGIS, Thomas Brothers Maps, SanGIS JPA members and associated agencies. 2023-10-02. San Diego Geographic Information Source – JPA. 2024-08-05 https://rdw.sandag.org/Account/gisdtview?dir=Miscellaneous.
What is the indicator?
This indicator—the number of CalFresh (SNAP) recipients who are children ages 0-18 and adults age 19 and older—tracks how many eligible San Diego County residents are participating in CalFresh. This information is collected through the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency.
Why is this important?
Adequate nutrition is essential for healthy development and well-being at any age.
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known in California as CalFresh, provides nutrition assistance to low-income individuals and families. The combined use of Food Stamps and EITC can take a family of four with one minimum-wage earner to reach or surpass the poverty line. Children receiving SNAP tend to perform better in school and experience fewer nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, every $1 spent on SNAP generates $1.67 in economic activity, benefiting the broader community. SNAP also provides a rapid response to nutritional needs during emergencies or economic downturns.
What strategies can make a difference?
These evidence-based and best practices are used across the country to increase participation in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) known in California as CalFresh:
- Expand targeted outreach to underserved populations (e.g., military families, Native Americans, immigrants, refugees, seniors, rural communities, and persons with disabilities) using multilingual and culturally diverse workers in both community settings and application offices.
- Promote the use of SNAP at farmer’s markets, community-supported agriculture venues, and encourage food pantries to assist with enrollment.
- Offer incentives for healthy food purchases, such as providing vouchers for fruits and vegetables or cashback on EBT cards.
- Raise awareness on SNAP eligibility prescreening in helplines like 211.