Esperanza Orozco, 80, holds up her Electronic Benefits Transfer card, celebrating CalFresh Appeciation Month. Valley News/Courtesy photo
RIVERSIDE COUNTY – Esperanza Orozco said she enjoys making meals with recipes from her native Mexico. She feels fortunate to receive CalFresh, California’s largest food assistance program, so she can afford a healthy diet and lifestyle.“CalFresh means a lot, especially now as food prices are so high,” Orozco, 80, who applied for CalFresh when a family member told her about the program a year ago, said.Orozco is one of the quarter-million Riverside County residents who use CalFresh benefits to stretch their monthly food budgets. Experts said thousands of low-income residents in Riverside County may qualify for CalFresh but don’t know about the program or feel embarrassed to apply. Orozco said she’s glad for this extra help that relieves her stress in the checkout aisle
