California Divide: Public Assistance | CalMatters

Where to get financial help during coronavirus in California — and is it enough?

by Jackie Botts June 29, 2020July 7, 2020

California’s pandemic safety net programs are straining under overwhelming demand. So did Gov. Gavin Newsom overpromise or underdeliver?

Arial view of a residential neighborhood near train tracks in Bell Gardens, East LA County. Photo by J. Emilio Flores, courtesy of Cal State LA

No jobs, no tests, no savings: Southeast LA County hit hard by pandemic

by Jacqueline Garcia June 4, 2020September 16, 2020

Financial help for California’s undocumented immigrants starts Monday

by Jacqueline Garcia May 14, 2020September 16, 2020

Food bank volunteer Emogene Thomas, 68, arranges cans on a table at Teamsters 315 Hall in Martinez on March 19, 2020. The food bank serves seniors but had about half regular the number of visitors due to coronavirus concerns. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Governor’s promise to immediately feed seniors hasn’t yet delivered

by Jackie Botts May 1, 2020May 2, 2020

A sign attached to a restaurant door in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland alerts customers that it will remain closed during the ‘shelter in place’ mandated for six Bay Area counties on March 16, 2020.

Watch: Dealing with (un)employment during the coronavirus pandemic

by Nigel Duara March 26, 2020May 14, 2020

Bay Area food bank opens pop-up pantries as demand rises

by Erica Hellerstein March 24, 2020March 24, 2020

‘We live paycheck to paycheck’: Undocumented workers struggle as economy grinds to a halt

by Jacqueline Garcia and Jackie Botts March 24, 2020April 20, 2020

Getting Through Coronavirus: Dealing with (Un)Employment Issues

by CalMatters March 24, 2020May 14, 2020

Martin Lee, a local resident, loads a bag of food into a vehicle at the Sunnyvale Community Services food distribution site, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Sunnyvale, Calif. The social services organization has seen a bid drop in their volunteers, many of whom are senior citizens. Photo by Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group

‘This is like having a fire, almost every day:’ Bay Area safety net agency struggles to keep up amid coronavirus outbreak

by Erica Hellerstein March 18, 2020March 18, 2020

Shuttered businesses along Telegraph Avenue in Oakland on March 16, 2020. Today, seven counties enacted a shelter in place order until April 7 to curb the spread of novel coronavirus

Out of a job? Can’t pay your bills? These proposals may help keep you afloat amid coronavirus

by Jackie Botts March 18, 2020March 18, 2020