Access to Food Programs in Napa County
Napa County Emergency Food System
Emergency food services, including cash aid (e.g. CalFresh and WIC), bulk food (e.g. food bank pantries), and programs providing prepared food (e.g. Table and Salvation Army), are critical to improving food security in Napa County. The Emergency Food System Study was undertaken in order to provide agency partners, policy makers, and community residents a better understanding of the barriers to access to existing emergency food services from the standpoint of the user and eligible non-user, in order to surface opportunities to improve program services, system coordination and service expansion. When available, tracking levels of emergency food service program participation over time can help us understand the impact of local efforts, as well as how factors at the state and national level may be influencing food program participation.
Emergency Food System Study: Program Participation
Respondents of the Napa County Food Program Survey were asked to indicate which food assistance programs they or someone in their household are currently accessing. Commonly utilized programs as reported by respondents included receiving food from the food bank and food pantries (26%) and Free Fruits and Vegetables programs (22%), such as OLE Health (22%). Common meal programs that participants attended included The Table (27%), Salvation Army (27%), and free or reduced-price meals from schools (22%). One quarter of respondents indicated they receive CalFresh (25%) and 17% indicated they receive WIC. Of note, many of the respondents who completed a survey were recruited to participate in the survey by a community liaison before, during, or after utilizing services from one of the programs listed above. Therefore, utilization of these programs is not generalizable to Napa County.
Change the filter below to see the percentage of survey respondents that participate in Food Assistance Programs by Program Type (Food, Meals, or Cash for Food).
CalFresh (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
The CalFresh Program, also known as SNAP or Food Stamps, provides low-income individuals with monthly cash aid for purchasing food to increase their food budget and meet their nutritional needs.
Source: CalFresh 2018 data, Napa County
The CalFresh Program Reach Index (%) is an estimate for measuring true CalFresh participation rates for eligible individuals and households, which take into account ineligibility due to immigration status. According to 5-year estimates, 43% of eligible individuals are currently accessing CalFresh in Napa County.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
WIC provides supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education and counseling, and screening and referrals to other health, welfare, and social services for pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children <5 years of age who are low-income and nutritionally at risk.
WIC Program Coverage (%) is an estimate of the percentage of eligible women, infants, and children that received WIC benefits in an average month during 2011.
National School Lunch Program
The National School Lunch Program provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children in public and nonprofit private schools each school day. Children from low-income households are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program.
Free & Reduced Price Meal Participation (%) is an estimate of the percentage of eligible students that are currently participating in the program.
Change the filters below to view Free & Reduced Price Meal Participation and Enrollment by School Level.
Food Assistance Programs
Napa County's Emergency Food Provision System includes food assistance programs that provide groceries and/or meals to individuals at risk for food insecurity. Community Action of Napa Valley (CAN V) operates a Food Bank in Napa County which provides food to a network of Food Pantries.
Technical Notes
The percentage of households participating in Food Bank programs was estimated by dividing the total number of food bank clients (estimates provided by CAN V) by the total number of households per census tract, using 2010 Census population estimates.