One of the key features of CalFresh is that it is intended to buy ingredients for people to cook meals with at home; it doesn’t generally permit the purchase of prepared meals. But did you know there is one small exception?
The CalFresh “Restaurant Meals Program” (RMP) gives certain people who are at high risk for chronic hunger the option to use their CalFresh Food benefits to buy prepared meals at approved participating restaurant vendors.
It’s
not for everyone. The RMP is intended for people who may not have the means,
facilities, or ability to cook. Therefore, it is only available to people aged
60 or older, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and
their spouses.
And
it’s not everywhere. There are only four locations in our County where the RMP
can be used: Wendy’s at 1102 North H Street in Lompoc, Subway at 609 North
Milpas in Santa Barbara, Subway at 3967 State St. #4 in Santa Barbara, and
Wendy’s at 2150 S. Bradley Road in Santa Maria.
But it can very helpful for people who don’t have a way to cook meals. In addition, Santa Barbara County CalFresh recipients can use their benefits at participating restaurants in other counties, some of which have more restaurants participating in the program than our county does.
The
program was established in 1978 to provide elderly and disabled CalFresh recipients
with the option to purchase prepared food at authorized restaurant vendors. In
1996, the program was expanded to serve homeless CalFresh recipients. In
California, the RMP began as a pilot program in the early 2000s in San
Francisco County, and grew over time to include 18 counties. Effective October
12, 2019, Assembly Bill (AB) 942 mandated that CDSS implement the RMP as a
statewide program. As a result of AB 942, restaurant vendors who are
federally approved may participate in the RMP statewide, within all 58 counties
in California. As of September 1, 2021, the RMP has expanded to a statewide
program. CDSS seeks to have restaurant vendors in every County.