WEDNESDAY EVENT: County Partners with Activist Dolores Huerta to Let Families Know About Food Assistance Available During Economic Downturn

 

County of Los Angeles

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
12860 CROSSROADS PARKWAY SOUTH  CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA 91746
Tel (562) 908-8400  Fax (562) 908-0459

                                                                                                                   

 

                             PHILIP L. BROWNING
                             Director

                            SHERYL L. SPILLER
                            Chief Deputy

"To Enrich Lives Through Effective And Caring Service"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 21, 2010                                                                                                              Contact:  James Bolden 310-266-4799
                                                                                                                                               Shirley Christensen 562-908-8311

L.A. County Partners with Activist Dolores Huerta to Deliver Important Message                            of Food Assistance to Struggling Families During Economic Downturn

The call, in the form of a 30-second PSA by Ms. Huerta, will go out to those in immediate
need to take advantage of the County's 'CalFresh' benefits

WHO:        Dolores C. Huerta, national civil rights activist and long-time advocate for the working poor; Philip L. Browning, Director, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS); and community stakeholders from the Florence-Firestone community.        

WHAT:        The announcement by DPSS regarding its latest efforts to disseminate important information about the federally-funded Food Stamp assistance program — now called 'CalFresh' — to struggling individuals and families in desperate need of food assistance during the holidays and beyond.

The department's public awareness efforts include the release of a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) featuring Dolores Huerta and the deployment of the department's Health and Nutritional Mobile Office Van, which travels to non-traditional locations throughout the County providing information about CalFresh.

The Department has also issued a call to the entire DPSS workforce, encouraging them to do their part in helping to increase public awareness about food assistance, as well.

BACKGROUND:        The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported in November that about 15% of U.S. households — about 17.4 million families — lacked enough money to feed themselves at some point in 2009.  The USDA also found that 6.8 million of these households — with as many as one million children — experienced ongoing financial problems that left them unable to eat on a regular basis.  

In the English/Spanish language PSA, Ms. Huerta urges families most vulnerable to hunger during the current downturn in the economy to take advantage of the federally-funded CalFresh benefits to properly provide for their families.

WHEN:                Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 10:30 AM

LOCATION:        Florence Firestone Multipurpose Center, 7807 S. Compton Ave., L.A. CA 90001 (Note: This location is shared by 1^st District Supervisor Gloria Molina and 2^nd District Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas)

VISUALS:        A video loop of the 30-second PSA, the DPSS Health and Nutrition Mobile Unit on site helping local residents with their questions about CalFresh benefits.

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