Restaurant Meals Program

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) implemented the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) – an optional program which enables elderly, disabled, and homeless CalFresh recipients to purchase meals at participating restaurants using their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards – through a geographically-based phased-in process targeting restaurant recruitments in areas with high RMP eligible populations in February 2018. Outreach efforts initially focused on restaurant participation in these targeted geographic areas as a pilot. SSA’s RMP is one of the components in the County’s response to homelessness via enhanced linkages to mainstream benefits.