County extends application period for pandemic food assistance for children to July 15

RIVERSIDE COUNTY – Social services officials are encouraging qualified Riverside County households with children to apply for a one-time Pandemic-EBT food benefit before the application period closes Wednesday, July 15. Children who were receiving free or reduced-price school lunches when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March are eligible for the payment of up to $365. The amount a household receives will be determined by its number of qualified children. Students can still get grab and go meals at their local schools and community locations, officials said. “Ensuring our local children have adequate, healthy food during this time of unprecedented economic hardship is a communitywide priority,” Allison Gonzalez, program director of self-sufficiency at the Riverside County Departm