@Zainab Ahmed I went through this exact nightmare 6 months ago when my benefits suddenly stopped. Here's what finally worked: 1) Call the state CalFresh hotline at 1-877-847-3663 instead of your county office - sometimes they can see issues the county can't. 2) If you can't get through by phone, use the "Contact Us" form on the MyBenefitsCalWin website and mark it as URGENT - they responded to mine within 24 hours. 3) Most importantly, if your benefits were cut without proper notice, you can get emergency replacement benefits while appealing. Ask specifically for "replacement benefits pending appeal" when you do get through to someone. Don't give up - you and your kids deserve to eat while this gets sorted out!

I feel for you so much - this happened to my family last year and it's absolutely heartbreaking when you can't feed your kids because of bureaucratic failures. Here's what saved us: go to your county CalFresh office first thing in the morning (like 7:30am before they officially open) and wait in line. When they open, tell the front desk worker you need EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE and that your children haven't had adequate meals. Use those exact words. They have discretionary emergency funds for situations like yours and can often issue temporary benefits same-day while your case gets reviewed. Also, download the GetCalFresh app - sometimes their chat feature connects you faster than calling. And please don't feel ashamed about reaching out to local food pantries in the meantime. Your kids need to eat NOW while you're fighting this system. You're doing everything right, mama. This isn't your fault.

I'm going through a similar situation right now and this thread has been so helpful! I was also confused about whether I could apply for just CalFresh without the cash benefits. Reading everyone's experiences has really clarified things for me. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - I called my county office yesterday and they told me that during the application process, they'll also ask if you want to be referred to other programs you might qualify for (like WIC if you have young children, or utility assistance programs). You can say no to those referrals if you're only interested in food benefits. The worker I spoke with also mentioned that having your Social Security cards for all household members, birth certificates for children, and recent pay stubs ready will speed up the process significantly. She said missing documents are one of the biggest reasons for application delays. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made me feel much more confident about starting my own application!

I wanted to chime in as someone who works in social services (though not specifically for CalFresh). Your situation is actually very common and nothing to worry about! The key thing to remember is that CalFresh eligibility is entirely based on household composition - meaning who lives together and purchases/prepares food together. Your relationship status with your children's father doesn't matter for CalFresh purposes, only whether he's part of your food-purchasing household (which he's not since he lives elsewhere). When you apply, you'll check the box for CalFresh only and leave CalWORKs unchecked. During your interview, just explain that you live with your children, their father lives separately, and occasionally provides some financial help. Be honest about any regular support he gives - they're required to ask about income sources, but occasional help with expenses typically doesn't count as regular income. The eligibility workers have seen every family arrangement you can imagine. They're not there to judge your living situation, just to determine if you qualify for benefits based on your household's needs. Your situation is straightforward once you frame it in terms of who shares your home and meals. Good luck with your application!

Hey, I work with a nonprofit that helps people navigate these exact situations. A few additional things that might help: 1. Sacramento County has a Rapid Rehousing program through their Continuum of Care - call (916) 874-9277. They can sometimes provide immediate temporary assistance while other applications are processing. 2. If you're willing to consider shared housing temporarily, Sacramento Self-Help Housing (mentioned earlier) also maintains a list of rooms for rent in safe situations - this could buy you time while waiting for rental assistance to come through. 3. Document EVERYTHING - take photos of your 3-day notice, keep records of every call you make (date, time, who you spoke with, reference numbers). This creates a paper trail that can help expedite future assistance. 4. Ask specifically about "diversion funds" when you call housing programs - these are small amounts (usually $500-2000) designed to prevent homelessness and often have faster approval processes than larger assistance programs. The key is applying to multiple programs simultaneously rather than waiting for one to be denied before trying the next. You've got this - the fact that you're already proactively seeking help puts you ahead of many people in similar situations.

One more resource that might help immediately - Sacramento has a Homeless Services Coordination office at (916) 875-HELP that can connect you to emergency shelter if worst comes to worst, but they also maintain a database of all available assistance programs in real-time. When I called them last year during my own housing crisis, they were able to tell me which programs actually had funds available that week versus which ones had waiting lists. Also, since you mentioned being scared - that's completely normal. I was terrified when I got my eviction notice. But what helped me was making a daily action plan: call 3 programs each morning, follow up on 2 applications each afternoon. It kept me focused and moving forward instead of just panicking. You've already gotten so much good advice here - now it's just about working through the list systematically. One last thing: if any program tells you they're out of funds, ask them when their next funding cycle starts. Sometimes it's just a matter of days or weeks, and they can put you on a priority list for when new money comes in.

Thanks for the update! This is exactly why I always recommend people check their BenefitsCal account online regularly, even if everything seems fine. Sometimes you can catch these "pending review" statuses before your benefits get suspended. Also, definitely sign up for electronic notifications like Darcy mentioned - I switched to paperless notices after missing an important letter that got delivered to the wrong apartment in my building. It's saved me so much stress since then. Hope you get your documents submitted quickly and your benefits restored!

Wow, this whole thread is such a perfect example of how broken the CalFresh system is! @Gael Robinson I'm so glad you got it figured out, but it's absolutely ridiculous that they can just suspend benefits because a letter "might" have been sent. I've been dealing with similar issues for months - they keep requesting the same documents over and over, even after I've submitted them multiple times. The worst part is how they make it seem like it's OUR fault when THEIR system doesn't work properly. I'm definitely going to look into that Claimyr service and sign up for electronic notifications. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps to know we're not alone in this struggle!

I'm new to both CalFresh and this community, and wow - this thread has been incredibly educational! I was literally planning to ask the same question about Costco platters for my family barbecue next weekend. Reading everyone's experiences about the prepared food restrictions really opened my eyes. I had no idea the rules were so strict about ready-to-eat items, even cold ones. The DIY sandwich bar idea that keeps coming up sounds perfect and honestly way more appealing than I initially thought. I love that it's more interactive for guests and clearly much more budget-friendly. Plus after reading Anna's detailed breakdown of what to buy and how to prep ahead, it doesn't seem overwhelming at all. Quick question for the group - for someone completely new to shopping with EBT at Costco, are there any other common items that might seem like they'd be covered but actually aren't? I'd rather learn from everyone's experiences here than find out the hard way at checkout! Thanks so much for sharing all this knowledge - this community seems like such a supportive resource for navigating CalFresh successfully.

This thread has been so helpful for someone just starting with CalFresh! I had the exact same question about those Costco sandwich platters and was about to make the same mistake. The DIY sandwich bar idea that everyone keeps mentioning sounds amazing - not only does it work with EBT, but it actually sounds way more fun and personal than a pre-made platter. I love that guests can customize their own sandwiches exactly how they like them. I'm definitely going to try Anna's shopping list approach for my upcoming family gathering. The cost breakdown showing you can feed way more people for much less money is exactly what I needed to hear. Plus the prep-ahead tips make it seem totally manageable even for someone like me who's not super experienced with party planning. Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences and being so welcoming to newcomers asking these kinds of basic questions. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating all these CalFresh rules that aren't always obvious from the official guidelines!