Financial Assistance

Part of our Mission is to provides continuing economic support for individuals and families through culturally sensitive, courteous, accurate and timely services.

Assistance for Single Adults
General Assistance (GA) aids indigent adults who are legal residents of Alameda County and who have no other means of support. It is a state-mandated program that is locally administered and funded by the County of Alameda.

Assistance for Families with Children
CalWORKs (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids) replaced the program called Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Greater Avenues to Independence (GAIN) in January 1998.

Assistance for Elders & Disabled Adults
Financial assistance available for elders and disabled adults.

Assistance for Refugees
Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) program is for newly-arrived refugees who are single and families without children. these people are entitled to receive Cash Assistance, Medical and Food Stamps during the first 8 months in the United States

Food Stamps
The Food Stamp Program provides monthly nutrition assistance for low-income people to purchase nutritional food.

Debit Card
Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT, is a new way to get Food Stamp and cash benefits. Instead of issuing benefits to customers with paper checks and Food Coupons, they will receive a plastic card, called the Golden State Advantage card, that can be used at ATMs and Point of Sale or POS machines in grocery stores, banks, gas stations, convenience stores, etc. to buy food and get their cash benefits.

Direct Deposit
Direct deposit means your monthly cash aid check will be deposited into your checking or savings account instead of mailed to you. Switching to direct deposit is your choice. You can continue to have your check mailed to you.