Low-Income Resources in California
Welcome to Money Fit’s Low-income resource list. There are different options organized into four categories: Food, Housing/Utilities, Child/Family Care, and Healthcare. Each resource has a brief description as well as contact information like a phone number and website URL.
We also provided an application for our Debt Management Program. If you’re struggling with debt, our nonprofit organization can provide the help you need to overcome financial burdens.
Use the following resources to determine if you qualify to receive financial assistance from a variety of programs.
How You Can Benefit From a Debt Management Program
While many consumers define debt management differently, we can all agree that getting out of excessive consumer debt leads to greater stability, less stress, and improved chances for long-term financial success.
Debt relief, debt counseling, debt consolidation, debt negotiations, debt elimination, and debt management all seem to mean the same thing: get rid of debt. However, they can vary widely in their meaning and method. Often, unscrupulous online actors identify themselves by one term but lead their unsuspecting clients down a completely different, and often financially disastrous, path.
If you are looking for a program that helps you repay 100% of your debts at more favorable terms, then look no further than Money Fit’s Debt Management Program. Food Resources
CALFRESH
CalFresh, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, provides monthly food benefits to individuals and families with low income and provides economic benefits to communities. CalFresh is the largest food program in California and provides an essential hunger safety net. CalFresh is federally mandated and in California, is state-supervised and county-operated.
Phone: 1-877-847-3663
Website: CalFresh Online
The School Breakfast Program
The School Breakfast Program is a federally funded program that assists schools and other agencies in providing nutritious breakfasts to children at reasonable prices. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for overseeing the program nationally. In California, the program is administered by the California Department of Education.
Phone: 800-952-5609
Website: California School Breakfast Program
Federal Resource – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency.
Housing and Utilities
Employment Development Department
Persons looking for work in California can find suitable jobs on the Internet in the California Job Openings Browse System (CalJOBSSM) or America’s Job Bank (AJB). If necessary, Job Service staff in EDD field locations will provide assistance in using the Internet systems, and can provide other job-finding services
Address: Employment Development Department PO Box 826880, MIC 83 Sacramento, CA 94280-0001
Phone: 1-800-758-0398
Website: https://www.edd.ca.gov/
federal resource – Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist families with energy costs.
Child and Family Care
CALWORKS
CalWORKs is a public assistance program that provides cash aid and services to eligible families that have a child(ren) in the home. The program serves all 58 counties in the state and is operated locally by county welfare departments.
Phone: 866-613-3777; 310-258-7400; 626-569-1399
Website: CalWorks Online
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
CAPI provides cash assistance to certain aged, blind, and disabled legal non-citizens ineligible for Supplemental Social Security Income/State Supplemental Payment (SSI/SSP) due to their immigration status.
Address: CAPI Wilshire Office 2415 W 6th St. Los Angeles, CA 90057
Phone: 866-613-3777; 310-258-7400; 626-569-1399
Website: https://dpss.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dpss
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
CalWORKs is a welfare program that gives cash aid and services to eligible needy California families. The program serves all 58 counties in the state and is operated locally by county welfare departments. If a family has little or no cash and needs housing, food, utilities, clothing, or medical care, they may be eligible to receive immediate short-term help. Families that apply and qualify for ongoing assistance receive money each month to help pay for housing, food, and other necessary expenses.
Address: CalWorks Metro Family 2315 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone: 866-613-3777
Website: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/calworks
Children’s Council of San Francisco
Each year Children’s Council provides more than 5,000 free child care referrals to parents; start-up training, technical assistance, and material support to 1,000 child care providers; child care subsidy assistance to low-income families, and child care advocacy and information to the general public.
Address: Children’s Council of San Francisco 445 Church Street San Francisco, CA 94114
Phone: 415-276-2900
Website: https://www.childrenscouncil.org/
Federal Resource – Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
WIC is a federally funded nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children that helps families by providing financial assistance to purchase healthy supplemental foods from WIC-authorized vendors.
WIC also provides nutrition education, breastfeeding information, and support as well as assists in finding healthcare and other community services.
Federal Resource – The Head Start Program
Head Start programs support children’s growth and development in a positive learning environment through a variety of services, which include
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Early learning: Children’s readiness for school and beyond is fostered through individualized learning experiences. Through relationships with adults, play, and planned and spontaneous instruction, children grow in many aspects of development. Children progress in social skills and emotional well-being, along with language and literacy learning, and concept development
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Health: Each child’s perceptual, motor, and physical development is supported to permit them to fully explore and function in their environment. All children receive health and development screenings, nutritious meals, oral health, and mental health support. Programs connect families with medical, dental, and mental health services to ensure that children are receiving the services they need.
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Family well-being: Parents and families are supported in achieving their own goals, such as housing stability, continued education, and financial security. Programs support and strengthen parent-child relationships and engage families around children’s learning and development.
Federal Resource – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides grant funds to states and territories to provide families with financial assistance and related support services. State-administered programs may include childcare assistance, job preparation, and work assistance.
Healthcare Resources
Bay Area Legal Aid
Bay Legal’s mission is to provide meaningful access to the civil justice system through quality legal assistance regardless of a client’s location, language, or disability.
Address: Bay Area Legal Aid 1035 Market St. #6, San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-982-1300
Website: click here
South of Market Health Center
SMHC provides a wide range of high-quality primary medical, disease prevention, dental and podiatry care. Pre-natal and well-baby care, patient education, and outreach are also available.
Address: SMHC 229 7th Street San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-503-6000
Website: https://www.smhcsf.org/
Federal Resource – Medicaid
Authorized by Title XIX of the Social Security Act, Medicaid was signed into law in 1965 alongside Medicare. All states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories have Medicaid programs designed to provide health coverage for low-income people. Although the Federal government establishes certain parameters for all states to follow, each state administers its Medicaid program differently, resulting in variations in Medicaid coverage across the country.