On Friday morning, Westminster resident Terry Rains will line up at the Community Services building to apply for a new, one-time grocery assistance program.
Through the Westminster First Grocery Assistance Program, eligible seniors and veterans can receive a $100 gift card to offset grocery costs.
“As a senior on a fixed income, I definitely intend to file my application,” Rains said.
In November, the City Council allocated $350,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act funds for a grocery assistance program for residents over the age of 55 and veterans. The program was intended to assist older residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; age was a major risk factor for dying or becoming seriously ill with COVID.
Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen, who proposed the program, said he felt it was important to use part of the $23 million the city received to benefit the city’s senior population as they bore the “burden of COVID.”
“It affected them the most,” Nguyen said.
To qualify for the gift card, residents, who are over the age of 55 or are veterans, must submit receipts that total $100 pre-tax for food items purchased at a local Westminster grocery store or general-purpose store, such as Walmart or Target, within the city.
Eligible residents, wanting to avail of the program, should submit a completed application form; proof of residency, age and veteran status; and valid identification such as a driver’s license. Eligible applicants will then get the $100 gift card.
Nguyen said the program will be the first of many under the “Westminster First” banner where councilmembers identify the needs of their constituents and provide direct assistance.
The program, Rains said, is “necessary” especially as seniors across the county experience food insecurity and COVID-era subsidy programs are beginning to end.
States, including California, increased recipients’ food aid during the pandemic through additional funding from the federal government. However,…
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