The Los Angeles community that supports the scholars and families of Alliance schools is deeply affected by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) federal funding delays.
Families most in need are paying the price. A family must earn under 130% of the poverty line to be eligible for CalFresh, California’s SNAP program. For a family of 4, that means less than $41,796/year in 2025.
This delay immediately impacts our communities:
- Between 30-50% of Alliance scholars at each school are currently enrolled in SNAP
- 64% of scholars qualify for free lunch and could be eligible for SNAP.
- 91% of Alliance scholars qualify for free or reduced meals
That means 2 out of every 3 Alliance scholars are eligible for CalFresh. Those who are enrolled are experiencing their first month of not receiving these life-saving benefits.
Families who are eligible but are not currently enrolled face the same challenges, but without the same hope for a reprieve once budgets are approved. The reason for not enrolling is personal to every family, but it can be due to the difficulty of the application process, challenges in documentation, and perception around accepting benefits.
Alliance provides free breakfast and lunch on school days to every scholar in keeping with the California Universal Meals program. And we have many programs dedicated to filling the nutritional gaps for students, including our summer meals sites.
It is vital to continue to prioritize making nutritious and affordable food available to all our communities.
Nov 14, 2025 update: SNAP Benefits Update: Trump Admin Says When Full Benefits Will Be Restored
Source:
https://edsource.org/2025/trump-administration-snap-delays/744323
https://ehsd.org/benefit-programs/calfresh-formerly-known-as-food-stamps/
https://dpss.lacounty.gov/en/food/calfresh/gross-income.html