Federal SNAP cuts, known as CalFresh in California, continue phasing in as Redlands Family Service Association opens 2026 food box registration. First distribution begins March 31.
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Federal SNAP cuts, known as CalFresh in California, continue phasing in as Redlands Family Service Association opens 2026 food box registration. First distribution begins March 31.
REDLANDS, Calif. — Federal cuts to SNAP, known as CalFresh in California, are still phasing in nearly a year after they began, with additional eligibility restrictions set to take effect April 1.
As those reductions continue, Family Service Association of Redlands will open registration March 2 for its 2026 Community Food Box Distribution program.
The first distribution is scheduled for March 31. Additional 2026 distribution dates are June 9, July 7, Aug. 11, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15.
Registration is required for each distribution and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Residents seeking assistance must complete the online form at Redlands Family Service Association Community Food Box.
The organization began hosting monthly distributions during the COVID-19 pandemic but scaled back to six per year as food and operational costs increased. The current schedule includes a spring distribution, three summer distributions prioritizing families with school-aged children, and two year-end distributions aligned with Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Family Service Association distributes between 100 and 150 food boxes per event. The program serves low-income families with children under 18, seniors 55 and older, and individuals with disabilities living within the organization’s service area.
The distributions come amid continued reductions to CalFresh under recent federal policy changes.
H.R. 1, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” triggered an eligibility and funding phaseout of food assistance benefits that began July 4, 2025, and will continue through June 2026.
Changes implemented by the Trump administration include stricter time-limit rules for able-bodied adults without dependents, the elimination of benefits for many lawfully present immigrants beginning April 1, and expanded time limits starting June 1 that will affect additional groups, including some older adults, veterans, former foster youth and people experiencing homelessness.
According to the California Health and Human Services Agency, the policy could put more than 3 million California households at risk of losing some or all of their food assistance.
More than one in four children in San Bernardino County receive CalFresh benefits, compared with about one in five children statewide. About 200,000 households in San Bernardino County participate in the program.
In addition to the food box program, the nonprofit operates a weekday meal service from 10 to 11 a.m. at its campus at 612 Lawton Street. The number of meals served rose 32% between 2024 and 2025, with close to 29,000 meals served last year, according to Kyra Stewart, executive director of Family Service Association.
“We see incredibly increased food and housing needs,” Stewart said.
Local leaders have formed a food security task force in response to growing concerns about hunger. Stewart said the city’s newly formed task force has opened important conversations among service providers.
Family Service Association encourages residents to register early as demand for assistance continues to rise.
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