CalFresh was a major focus, with a list of desired improvements including more data sharing among agencies, addressing misunderstandings or myths about CalFresh, streamlining the process to apply for and receive CalFresh, reducing the barriers to college students receiving CalFresh, and even automatic flagging and notification of eligible households based on census data (an idea Carbajal rejected due to the confidentiality of census data).
Local experts on nutrition who met with Carbajal included Erik Talkin, executive director, and Lacey Baldiviez, both from the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County; Susan Liles, director of Nutrition Services for the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department; Bridget Baublits, assistant superintendent from the Santa Barbara County Education Office; Patricia Keelean, chief executive officer of CommUnify; Aydin Nazmi, professor and co-chair of the Basic Needs Initiative at Cal Poly; and Rebecca Segundo, Basic Needs & Rapid Rehousing manager for UCSB.
Carbajal said he plans to relate their stories in testimony at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health scheduled for September.
