About

What is the CalFresh Outreach Program (CFOP)?

CFOP is funded through the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and is implemented in partnership with county social services offices. It assists people through the entire CalFresh application process including assistance with the application itself, obtaining verification documents, navigating the 30-day application period, as well as the renewal process.

Vision & Mission Statement

The UCSC CalFresh Outreach program believes access to healthy, nutritious and culturally relevant foods is a human right. Acknowledging our collective responsibility to each other’s wellbeing, we aim to empower students to feel confident when using their benefits in all spaces to directly improve a student’s academic performance, physical health, and psychosocial wellbeing.

CalFresh is not inclusive enough to abolish systematic barriers that allow food insecurity to permeate UCSC’s diverse student body. Our program acknowledges that eligibility is a privilege. We dedicate ourselves to advocating for broader and more inclusive means to support those experiencing food insecurity.

Services

• CalFresh Pre-Screener
  • Don’t know where to start? Take our pre-screener survey to find out if you could qualify for CalFresh benefits. Our program assistants will then contact you within 2-3 business days to help assist you further!
• Virtual Drop In Hours
  • Meet with one of our program assistants to verify your eligibility, gather required documents, or get answers to any CalFresh application related questions that you may have!
• CalFresh Program Assistant Support
  • Schedule an appointment with a CFOP Program Assistant if you would like peer to peer support to help you get started.
• CalFresh Application Assistance
  • Ready to start the CalFresh Application Process? Our partners at Second Harvest Foodbank are here to help! Schedule an appointment today so that we can walk you through the entire CalFresh Application, help you upload required documents, and set you up with a county phone interview.
  • Recertification Assistance is also available.
  • If you are a UCSC student living outside of Santa Cruz County and would like to be connected to CalFresh support in your county, email calfresh@ucsc.edu
• Apply on Your Own
  • We’re here to help, but if you would like to apply on your own, please use the link above to get started.

Contact Us

• Virtual Drop In Hours
  • Visit our Linktree for updated hours and Zoom link information
• Have questions, concerns, or disability-related needs?
  • Email calfresh@ucsc.edu
• For updates and student resources, follow us on Instagram