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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05191998 - C28 _....... _.. __. .. ........ ...... _ ....�. ..... F'R81' _Off, TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Y' CONTRA COSTA FROM: FAMILY& HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE COUNTY ° .�►- - DATE: May 19, 1998 SUBJECT: Services to Legal Immigrants and AB 2463 (Villaraigosa) SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)& BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION ECOMM NDAT QN(S1: 1. ACCEPT the attached report of the Social Service Director on Services to LegalImmigrants: status of AB 2463 (Villaraigosa), a status of federal legislation to restore food Stamp benefits to some legal noncitizens; >_ status report on meeting the food needs of legal immigrants-, and final' report of the Contra Costa County IHSS/SSI Citizen Project: 2. ADOPT a position of support on AB 2463 (Viliaraigosa) which expands the state only food stamp program to all legal immigrants (not just those under 18 or over 64 years of age)who were discontinued from the federal food stamp program in 1997. 3. AUTHORIZE the Chair, Board of Supervisors, to sign letters to the County's state legislative delegation requesting their support of AB 2463. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT- YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR—RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE —APPROVE —OTHER SIGNATURE(S)- Donna 1 Mirk DeSaulnier ACTION OF BOARD ON , T996 APP'ROVE'D AS RECOMMENDED E OT14ER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS.A X UNANIMOUS{ABSENT_ t TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact:Sara Hoffman,335-1090 ATTESTED RIITCHEL©It,CLERK of E BOARD OF SUPERVISORS cc: J.Callan,Social Service AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR B.Hofmann,Social Service S.Hoffman,CA© FFf S#31 The Family and Human Services_Committee met with Bob Hoffmann,,Assistant,Social Service Director, on May 11 1998 to review the report on services to legal immigrants, including: status of AB 2483 (Villaraigosa); a status of federal legislation to restore food stamp benefits to some legal noncitizens; . )-I,- status report on meeting the food needs of legal immigrants; and b final report of the Contra Costa County IHSS/SSI Citizen Project. In February, the Family and Human Services Committee recommended, and the Board concurred; with a position of support for state and federal legislative action to restore funding for food stamps for legal immigrants age 18 to 84, At that time, no specific legislationhad been drafted to address the issue. Since then, AB 2463 (Villaraigosa) was introduced into the state legislature. Assemblywoman Dion Aroner is a co-author of AB 2463. Approximately 900 legal immigrants in Contra Costa County would be affected, based on age eligibility. In addition, AS 2463 provides a state only program to provide cash assistance for immigrants ineligible for SSl/SSP benefits due to the 1996 federal welfare reform law which eliminated eligibility for legal immigrants who arrived after August 22, 1996'' or for those not disabled who arrived prior to that date. Both Supervisors Donna Gerber and Mark DeSaulnier agreed that the loss of food stamps for individuals reduced the total funds available for meeting the food needs of families, including children.'''While hard data is not available on the impact of the reduced food stamps, it is clear from the Health Services Department's last report to the Family and Human Services Committee that inadequate food for children can result in anemia and other health problems. Mr. Hofmann noted that the Food Bank had reported increased demands for food over the last quarter of 1997 generally, but they have not seen a dramatic impact as a result of changes made by the Social Service Department based on the new food stamp regulations. The Board of Supervisors action on May 5, 1998 to increase the Food Bank contract by $50,000 will expand their food support capacity. Faith based groups also generally reported slight increases in demand over the past six to twelve months. In addition, Mr. Hofmann reported on the status of the IHSS/SSI citizen project, which provided support for immigrants to become naturalized citizens and thus retain federal benefits. The committee agreed to'keep this issue on referral to be rescheduled at such time as there is a need for action by the Board of Supervisors. 2 .. ......... r?xr .A'r:r +.•:r+ I 1rrr.".: 5 S CIAL RVICE DEPARUMM Can-tra Costao TU: Board Family & Human Services Committee DATE. May 6, 1998 FROM. John C le it ctor c Phil Batchelor SHIECT: Report egarding Services to Legal Immigrants As requested by the Board on February 24, 1998 the following is a report on services to legal immigrants. This report contains information on the. • Status of AB 2463 (Assemblyman Villaraigosa); • Status of federal legislation to restore food stamp benefits to some legal non-citizens; • Request for food received and any unmet needs experienced by the Contra Costa County Food Bank and the faith community along with recommendations and ways to ensure meeting the food needs of legalimmigrants; and, • Final report of the Contra Costa County IHSS/SSI Citizenship Project. (1) The 1996 federal welfare reform law made most legal immigrants ineligible for federal food stamp benefits regardless of their date of entry into the United States. In response, California created a state-only food stamp program, which provides benefits to legal immigrants under the age of 18 and over the age of 64 who would have previously qualified for federal food stamp benefits. Only legal immigrants who entered the country prior to August 22, 1996 are eligible. AB 2463 would expand the state-only food program to cover individuals regardless of age or date of entry into the United States. In California, approximately 178,000 legal immigrants between the ages of 18 and 65 lost their food stamp benefits and would' be eligible for the state-only program. The 1996 federal welfare reform law also made aged immigrants who are not disabled ineligible for SSI/SSP benefits regardless of when they entered the United States, and made all legal immigrants after that date ineligible. AB 2463 also creates a state-only program to provide cash assistance for these individuals. The number of current legal residents who would qualify is unknown, but probably in excess of 2,000 individuals statewide. AB 2463 has passed the Assembly Human Services Committee and is now before the Assembly Appropriations Committee. This bill is consistent with the Board's position that the state should provide food stamps to Family&Human Services Committee Report May 6 1998 Regarding Services to Legal Migrants Page 2 adult legal immigrants and thus the Board would probably wish to support it. As noted above, it also extends ,SSI/SSP benefits for these individuals. The Board may wish to support the legislation for this reason as well, as these individuals would otherwise be without support or dependent on a lower level of support from General Assistance. 2) At the federal level, S 1154 and its companion bill, HR 2534 while covering many more topics are less comprehensive regarding immigrants than the state legislation. They would. restore Food Stamp benefits to disabled immigrants; immigrants who were in the country and over age 65 on August 22, 1996 and immigrant children under 18 who were in the country on the same date. The legislation is presently in conference. 3) Your Board recently received the 1998 report on Food Security in Contra Costa County which provided significant background on this issue. The Food Bank reports increased demand but notes that over the last quarter of 1998 generally, they have not seen a dramatic impact as a result of changes made by the Social Service Department. They believe this may be because they were already serving many of the people affected by the implementation of welfare reform. The limited hours of food distribution sites may also make it difficult for the low income population to access these services. Faith based groups (some of which are referenced in the report from the Food Bank) generally report slight increases in demand over the past six to twelve months. See Attachment 1 for a recap of those reports. In summary, there seems not to have been a significant impact on the county's Food Bank or faith based resources as a result of the discontinuance of food stamps to non--citizens age 18 to 64. There is considerable concern on the part of many of these groups that they will experience increased demand as a fallout of welfare reform and thus they urge the county to support legislation to ameliorate the negative impacts of welfare reform and restore benefits where possible. Much of the impact of welfare reform on safety net services may not be seen for some time (until time limits run out) as participants will continue to receive cash and other supportive services so long as they participate in programs as required.' On May 5th your Board allocated additional funds to the Food Bank to support the distribution of emergency and supplemental food. The Social Service Department will insure that staff are aware of available resources so that they may make appropriate referrals. 4) IHSS/SSI Citizenship Project - In November, 1396 the Social Service Department sent a needs assessment questionnaire to 5,500 SSI non-citizens who were at risk of losing their benefits in August, 1937 because of recently enacted federal welfare reform legislation. Approximately 3,544 individuals responded to the survey and about 2,444 indicated that they needed citizenship services. Family c Human Services Committee Report May b, 1998 Regarding Services to Legal Immigrants Page 3 On April 22, 1997 your Board allocated $40,000 to provide citizenship services, targeting IHSS/SSI recipients who were expected to be the most severely impacted when the nein laws took effect. The county estimated that the costs of supporting immigrants cut off IHSS/SSI benefits would be approximately 15 million dollars. County casts could be greatly reduced if these immigrants became naturalized citizens and retained their federal benefits: The Social Service Department issued a Request for Proposal on 4/28/97. Four private, non- profit community agencies responded and were subsequently funded with seven-month contracts beginning June 1 and ending December 31, 1997. Each contract specified a maximum payment level based upon estimated time and materials costs for serving a designated number of persons during the contract period. Some 598 contacts were made and 485 persons were assessed and served in the project. Attachment 2 is a summary of the funding and the results achieved by each of the four agencies. Family&Human Services Committee Report May 6, 1998 Regarding Services to Legal immigrants Page 4 Attachment 1 Food Bank The Contra Costa Food Bank provides food directly to low-income families and individuals at food distribution sites throughout the county. Among the 16 Food Assistance Program sites, there was a notable increase in service to Oakley residents. Comparing the first quarter of 1997 and 1998, the number of households served increased by 31% from 277 to 362. The number of people served increased by 68% from 626 to 1053. A comparison of service statistics submitted by Emergency Food Pantries throughout Contra Costa County to the Contra Costa Food Bank in 1997 and 1998 yielded the following information: In the first quarter of 1998 as compared to the first quarter of 1997, countywide, pantry service to households has increased by 12%. Of particular note is that pantry services in Bay Point have increased by 19%. In Bay Point, 2401 households received 3 day emergency food baskets in the first quarter of 1998 as compared to 202 households in the first quarter of 1997. Additionally, pantry services at the two pantries closest to the Monument Boulevard area in Concord, showed dramatic increases when first quarter statistics for 1997 and 1998 were compared. The pantry at St. Francis of Assisi on Oak Grove has seen pantry service expand by 51%. This may be due to the fact that more people are learning about the existence of this pantry, as it is a relatively new pantry, opening in the second quarter of 1996. Another pantry in Concord, SHARE on Willow Pass Road, has since seen the demand for service grow; SHARE provided food to 26% more households during the time period analyzed. In West County, pantry service has increased by 43% when statistics are compared for the first quarters of 1997 and 1998. It is difficult to know whether this is due to a growth in demand or increased pantry capacity, since the two major pantries in Richmond were making changes in the firs quarter of 1997 that limited their ability to provide pantry services. A limited comparison of 1st quarter 1998 with third quarter 1997 revealed that the level of service at the Richmond Food Pantry did not change between those quarters. The other major pantry in .Richmond, Global Reaching Out, has been able to provide more regular service and larger amounts of food in 1998 as compared to 1997 which could explain why more people are going there. However, their location near MacDonald on 25th St. makes thein quite accessible to the population of able bodied individuals whose benefits were cut in December. Global Reaching Out provided food baskets to an average of 2:14 households per month in the first quarter of 1998, compared to 91 households per month during the same period in 1997. In the third quarter of 1997, monthly service averaged 136 households. 5 Family&Human Services Committee Report May 6, 1998 Regarding Services to Legal lmnxigrants Page 5 Faith Based Groups Loaves and Fishes reported that in the first quarter of 1997 they served 31,615 meals and in the first quarter of 1998, they served 33,0197. They noted that they had seen an increase in demand in Pittsburg while attendance in Martinez and Concord declined somewhat. The Souper Center in Richmond reported that over the past six months they have served approximately the same number of lunches. They are seeing about the same number, but different groups of Hispanic residents. They are serving a higher percentage of Caucasians. Pisces, the Pittsburg food pantry, reported a decrease from 7,126 vouchers in 1996/97 to 4,878 in 1997/98 but they attribute this to better screening of applicants rather than a decrease in need. St. Anthony's in Oakley served 1,781 families in 1997 and 457 in the first quarter of this year, a slight increase. They noted that they saw an increased demand for about three months last Fall when some non-citizens stopped receiving food stamps but the number then returned to the earlier level.. St. Peter Martyr in Pittsburg became a food pantry about a year ago with about six requests per month. That has increased about fourfold but may be attributed to the fact that this resource became known in the community. SHARE in Concord has seen a slight increase in food requests. They expected a larger increase but believe the small increase was due to more people working. Total Services Provided by Share: 1/97 552 6/97 538 11/97 551' 2/97 520 7/97 485 12/97 514 3/97 521 8/97 492 1/98 609 4/97 539 9/97 520 2/98 550 5/97 494 10/97 513 3/98 645' Salvation Army in Concord reported the following numbers served: 1/97 283 1/98 263 2/97 249 2/98 241 3/97 271 3/98 215 Hillcrest Congregational Food Pantry in Pleasant Hill supported by six to eight local churches, served 4,848 individuals in 1996, 4,446 in 1997, and in 1998 thus far are down 50 from 1997. First Presbyterian Church of Concord served approximately 10% fewer individuals this year than last year. { Family&Human services Committee Report 6 1998 ` R-cgarding services to Legal Immigrants May Page b Northwest County Manna Basket in Pinole is serving approximately the same number this year as last. AMF Food Closet in Antioch report the following numbers served. 9/97 118 households 383 individuals 10/97 108 363 11/97 83 292* 12/97 94 336* 1/98 120 431 2/98 99 354 3/98 121 429 In addition to these numbers, AMF served approximately 400 households at Thanksgiving and 400 at Christmas. They feel there is a need for more that is not being met. Church of God in Christ in Bay Point has seen a 50% to 100% increase in requests for food in the past year. They served approximately 25 households per month in 1997 and are now serving between 25 and 50 per month. bobl4 legal.fhs at ATTACHMENT 2 May 6, 1998 Page 7 CONTRA COSTA IHSS/SSI CITIZENSHIP PROJECT Cumulative 7 month (final.) Report .ItrnrtE THRQUr;H .DEE`ENBER 1997. AGENCY FILIPINOS LAO JEWISH UNITED -TOTALS FOR FAMILY FAMILY COUNCIL AFFIRM. SERVICES SPANISH ACTION SPG. ORGS Funding $8,.343 $11,657 $13,200 $6,800 $40,000 Goals SERVE SERVE SERVE SERVE SERVE 99 136 154 79 468 CCITAGTS 196 166 ' .149 87 598 ASSESS- lio 148 141 86 485 MENTS N-400 1 21 107 36 165 COMPLE-- TIONS N-648 7 59 55 19 140 WAIVERS DOCUMENT 1 44 38 16 99 DISABIL- ITIES REFERRALS 10 113 37 27 187 TO CIT. CLASSES/ TESTING LEGAL 3 8 20 19 50 REFERRALS FINGER 4 105 25 1 PRINTS 9 149 INTERVIEW 88 122 37 37 284 PREPS. INTERPRET 1 55 7 5 68 ER SERV. AT INS INTERVIEW Totals 221 675 467 (Assess- 264 1,627 ments and Services) SaftivAm The Board of Supervisors Contra C** 661 Pine suet,Roam 106 Costa (510)3X4900 Martinez,CWHomia 94553-1293 County .Nm�,tat Diat�ct myt.!!.t�IkMege,2ne DtaMct �y "�' Cones tiaeF 1 Std D vid Welk Csast+WJW,491 DI*L-t / Joe CsndwB ,Sh Dketcict o May 14, 1998 The Honorable Adam Schiff Senator - 21 st District Room 4032 State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Senator Schiff: On May 5, 1998, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors authorized me to write to you expressing their support for your SB 1373, which would declare the intent of the Legislature to invest one dollar per capita in the arts and to do this by increasing the budget of the California Arts Council beginning in the 1998-99 fiscal year, Contra Costa County has a very dedicated and active Arts and Culture Commission which, however, is always in need of additional funding to carry out its responsibilities. We are hopeful that you will be successful in getting SB 1373 through the legislative process this year and that you will be able to get an additional commitment of funds to the California Arts Council in the 1998-99 State Budget. Very truly yours, ( ✓"Il7 V J ROG RS, CHAIR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS -2- cc: Senator Richard K. Rainey Assemblymember Tom Torlakson Assemblymember Dion Aroner Assemblymember Lynne Leach Janet McDonald, Executive Director California Arts Council 1300 l Street, Suite 930 Sacramento, CA 95314 Members, Board of Supervisors Margo Cowan, Arts & Culture Commission 1236 Escobar Street, Martinez, CA 94553 Chief Clerk, Board of Supervisors The Board of SupervisorsOrltra nit satSO&W ''m 0**off CountfA&W"Mm&m Suifding Costa W1 Fine Sheet,Room'106 {s o MaCt3nez.Caomia 94553-1293 County Jim PAWS,f At ftbid ti�yM B iNHcstW 2nd 04W £ bctun Qwbw,ani tJisW ft*Do6wWw,stn opt Jaws CWMIOMM,6th Oletttot * _ May 19, 1998 Assemblywoman Lynne C. Leach 15th District State Capitol, Room 4015 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Assemblywoman Leach: This is a request for your support of AB 2463 (Villaraigosa)which would expand eligibility and provide funding for Food Stamps for legal immigrants. In February,our Board received a report that approximately 2,300 individuals in Contra Costa County were discontinued from the Federal Food Stamp program in August 1997. Of these, about 700 are now receiving state only food stamps as a result of State legislation which provided benefits to legal immigrants who are either under 18 years of age or over 64 years of age. Some 1,600 legal immigrants continue to go without Food Stamps. While many of these individuals are in families which continue to receive Food Stamps or some other form of aid, the total funds available for their subsistence has been reduced and the entire family is now living off the reduced level of benefits. Nutritional assistance is a vital need for these families, especially for children. We know that many of these families are relying on outside help from friends,neighbors and churches to help sustain them. Faith groups within the County reported significant increases in requests for food assistance (although it is not possible to attribute this only to discontinuances). AB 2463 would expand the state-only program to cover eligible individuals regardless of age or date of entry into the United States. If you would like further information on this issue, please contact me or our Social Service Director, John Cullen (phone 925/313-1579). Sincerely, J Rogers, ihair cc: Jahn Cullen, Social Service Director Les Spahnn, County Lobbyist SaWhMW The Beard of Supervisors Contra 00� Cowy Aft1r09m*m BindingCot co�e,+f 00 i 661 1�$ t,Room 106 (510)335-19 1� z,Caftto is 946x3-12N County abn P498s.1st Dwtr ct G W S.iNEliosm,2nd Dishid Lions Gexbw,Sed Disaict ikwk 11 auWOW,Ah DWO Jeer ca rldwwlilk.sire Dhdrirt May 19, 1998 Assemblyman Tom Torlakson I l th District State Capitol,Room 2003 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Assemblyman Torlakson: This is a request for your support of AB 2463 (Villaraigosa)which would expand eligibility and provide funding for Food Stamps for legal immigrants. In February,our Board received a report that approximately 2,300 individuals in Contra Costa County were discontinued from the Federal Food Stamp program in August 1997. Of these, about 700 are now receiving state only food stamps as a result of State legislation which provided benefits to legal immigrants who are either under I8 years of age or over 64 years of age. Some 1,600 legal immigrants continue to go without Food Stamps. While many of these individuals are in families which continue to receive Food Stamps or some other form of aid, the total funds available for their subsistence has been reduced and the entire family is now living off the reduced level of benefits. Nutritional assistance is a vital need for these families, especially for children. We know that many of these families are relying on outside help from friends,neighbors and churches to help sustain them. Faith groups within the County reported significant increases in requests for food assistance (although it is not possible to attribute this only to discontinuances). AB 2463 would expand the state-only program to cover eligible individuals regardless of age or date of entry into the United States. If you would like further information on this issue, please contact me or our Social Service Director, John Cullen (phone 925/313-1579). Sincerely, Jinn Rojers, Chair cc: John Cullen, Social. Service Director Les Spahnn, County Lobbyist The Board of Supervisors�y�t� MIN Butchelm County Adrnit*tration Building Costa County d 651 Ping Street,Room 106 lor (510)336-1900 M #ine atz,Uffomia 94553.1293 County Dint fto"*,1 N DisO10 tiir�►$.Uitbrt►R,�DistrkY .,� o Dome Qwt w.3ttt DiaMm Mrtk DOM**w,4th Dhtrict .lot CtttoitnMYt,61h Ditbict "'i �.- �1 psrA L+.'f"` . May 19, 1998 Assemblywoman Dion Aroner 14th District State Capitol, Room 2163 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Assemblywoman Aroner: Thank you for your letter of March 6, 1998 advising us of your co-authorship of AB 2643 (Villaraigosa) which would, among other things, provide state Food Stamps benefits for all legal immigrants who lost flood Stamp benefits (not just the children and elderly as under current law). I wanted to let you know that our Board is formally supporting this legislation. Thank you for co-authoring this Bill,which we agree is so vital to so many immigrants and their families. Sincerely, Jiro Rogers, Chair cc: John Cullen, Social Service Director Les Spahnn, County Lobbyist The Board of Supervisors Contra C" u Ow CountyA&Mlsftt on SuMftLJO Lit fs�o? s-1W 851 Pine Stm3et,Room 186 MarYriez,CaMomle 94553.1293 County ." 'O.1at owlat firy'a 9.UMMM,2nd D ftnm Ow .wr.M D"ia '_• WIk OpirulefMr,i#i Diattiat �1� ' •' due Cww*wnft lStA Di&wt ;a May 19, 1998 Senator Richard K. Rainey Seventh District State Capitol, Room 4094 Sacramento, CA 95814 Hear Senator Rainey: This is a request for your support of AB 2463 (Villaraigosa)which would expand eligibility and provide funding for Food Stamps for legal immigrants. In February, our Board received a report that approximately 2,344 individuals in Contra Costa County were discontinued from the Federal Food stamp program in August 1997. Of these, about 740 are now receiving state only food stamps as a result of State legislation which provided benefits to legal immigrants who are either under 18 years of age or over 64 years of age. Some 1,640 legal immigrants continue to go without Food Stamps. While many of these individuals are in families which continue to receive Food stamps or some other form of aid, the total funds available for their subsistence has been reduced and the entire family is now living off the reduced level of benefits. Nutritional assistance is a vital need for these families, especially for children. We know that many of these families are relying on outside help from friends, neighbors and churches to help sustain them. Faith groups within the County reported significant increases in requests for food assistance (although it is not possible to attribute this only to discontinuances). AB 2463 would expand the state-only program to cover eligible individuals regardless of age or date of entry into the 'United states. If you would like further information on this issue, please contact me or our Social Service Director, John Cullen (phone 925/313-1579). Sincerely, Jiuq Rogers, Chair cc: John Cullen, Social Service Director Les Spahnn, County Lobbyist _.....__. ......... ......... _........ ......... .......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......_.. _... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......_.. .................................................... The Board of Supervisorsontr 1B County AdrrM10m*m SWWinq Costa ni 651 Pine Street,Room 106 1} (610) -19x0 Martinez,Caiitomia 94553-1293 County y Jeer+ ,ya ft lm Gell*S.i gkwr+t,2nd Okwia f Danns Owbw,&d District � .. U k O&SOmbftr,Mb Dfti l Joy gnOwnOW 6tlt Mhict c aid May 19, 1998 Senator Richard K. Rainey Seventh District State Capitol, Room 4090 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Senator Rainey: This is a request for your support of AB 2463 (Villaraigosa)which would expand eligibility and provide funding for Food Stamps for legal immigrants. In February,our Board received a report that approximately 2,300 individuals in Contra Costa County were discontinued from the Federal Food Stamp program in August 1997. Of these, about 700 are now receiving state only food stamps as a result of State legislation which provided benefits to legal immigrants who are either under 18 years of age or over 64 years of age. Some 1,600 legal immigrants continue to go without Food Stamps. While many of these individuals are in families which continue to receive Food Stamps or some other form of aid,the total funds available for their subsistence has been reduced and the entire family is now living off the reduced level of benefits. Nutritional assistance is a vital need for these families, especially for children. We know that many of these families are relying on outside help from friends, neighbors and churches to help sustain them. Faith groups within the County reported significant increases in requests for food assistance (although it is not possible to attribute this only to discontinuances). AB 2463 would expand the state-only program to cover eligible individuals regardless of age or date of entry into the United States. If you would like further information on this issue, please contact me or our Social Service Director, John Cullen (phone 9251313-1579). Sincerely, .. Jij�Rogers, Chair cc: John Cullen, Social Service Director Les Spahnn, County Lobbyist The Burd of Supervisors Contra Cis*&00 sowd aw County Adminlsft"on 8ullding C Ste o>US-19W W1 Pim Street,Rom IN .pima "W11-im County fir,va t�lsaaca �n.ui�ez►r,ar+d ams Dolan la WbW W Dftld wry DON**r,ft DWrart ,lar QWOW04W st c May 19, 1998 `sr----- iX, Senator Barbara Lee Ninth District State Capitol, Room 5060 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Senator Lee. This is a request for your support of AB 2463 (Villaraigosa)which would expand eligibility and provide funding for Food Stamps for legal immigrants. In February,our Board received a report that approximately 2,300 individuals in Contra Costa County were discontinued from the Federal Food Stamp program in August 1997. Of these, about 700 are now receiving state only food stamps as a result of State legislation which provided benefits to legal immigrants who are either under 18 years of age or over 64 years of age. Some 1,600 legal immigrants continue to go without Food Stamps. While many of these individuals are in families which continue to receive Food Stamps or some other form of aid,the total funds available for their subsistence has been reduced and the entire family is now living off the reduced level of benefits. Nutritional assistance is a vital need for these families, especially for children. We know that many of these families are rely'ang on outside help from friends,neighbors and churches to help sustain them.' Faith groups within the County reported significant increases in requests for food assistance (although it is not possible to attribute this only to discontinuances). AB 2453 would expand the state-only program to cover eligible individuals regardless of age or date of entry into the United States. If you would like further information on this issue, please contact me or our Social Service Director, John Cullen (phone 925/313-1579). Sincerely, im Rogers, Chair cc: John Cullen, Social Service Director Les Spahnn, County Lobbyist The Board of Supervisors Contra CW*OfO.� Coun#f A&Wri str"on Building Costa "d 651 Ping S#ree#,Room 106 COU��W Mar#inez,CMH#otrtia 04&9-3-1 M County An ft"S,let District ft*D.UNIM a,2nd D hld ... Oohm t2ttrtw,M DW&id Me*Da win1w,41ft DlstriCi .bi Cww*VMW 5th DWict 4 May 19, 1998 Senator Barbara Lee Ninth District State Capitol, Room 5060 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Senator Lee: This is a request for your support of AB 2463 (Villaraigosa)which would expand eligibility and provide funding for Food Stamps for legal immigrants. In February,our Board received a report that approximately 2,300 individuals in Contra Costa County were discontinued from the Federal Food Stamp program in August 1997. Of these, about 700 are now receiving state only food stamps as a result of State legislation which provided benefits to legal immigrants who are either under 18 years of age or over 64 years of age. Some 1,600 legal immigrants continue to go without Food Stamps. VVlWe many of these individuals are in families which continue to receive Food Stamps or some other form of aid, the total funds available for their subsistence has been reduced and the entire family is now living off the reduced level of benefits. Nutritional assistance is a vital need for these families, especially for children. We know that many of these families are reWg on outside help from friends,neighbors and churches to help sustain them. Faith groups within the County reported significant increases in requests for food assistance (although it is not possible to attribute this only to discontinuances). AB 2463 would expand the state-only program to cover eligible individuals regardless of age or date of entry into the United States. If you would like further information on this issue, please contact me or our Social Service Director, John Cullen (phone 925/313-1579). Sincerely, c Jin Rogers,, Chair cc: john Cullen, Social Service Director Les Spahnn, County Lobbyist