On Friday morning, Westminster resident Terry Rains will line up at the Community Services building to apply for a new, one-time grocery assistance program.

Through the Westminster First Grocery Assistance Program, eligible seniors and veterans can receive a $100 gift card to offset grocery costs.

“As a senior on a fixed income, I definitely intend to file my application,” Rains said.

In November, the City Council allocated $350,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act funds for a grocery assistance program for residents over the age of 55 and veterans. The program was intended to assist older residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; age was a major risk factor for dying or becoming seriously ill with COVID.

Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen, who proposed the program, said he felt it was important to use part of the $23 million the city received to benefit the city’s senior population as they bore the “burden of COVID.”

“It affected them the most,” Nguyen said.

To qualify for the gift card, residents, who are over the age of 55 or are veterans, must submit receipts that total $100 pre-tax for food items purchased at a local Westminster grocery store or general-purpose store, such as Walmart or Target, within the city.

Eligible residents, wanting to avail of the program, should submit a completed application form; proof of residency, age and veteran status; and valid identification such as a driver’s license. Eligible applicants will then get the $100 gift card.

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Nguyen said the program will be the first of many under the “Westminster First” banner where councilmembers identify the needs of their constituents and provide direct assistance.

The program, Rains said, is “necessary” especially as seniors across the county experience food insecurity and COVID-era subsidy programs are beginning to end.

States, including California, increased recipients’ food aid during the pandemic through additional funding from the federal government. However, Congress voted in December to reallocate that money toward food aid for school children in the summer, and the extra CalFresh benefits will end in March.

That means a single-person household could go from receiving as much as $281 per month for food aid this month to just $23 in April, according to a CalMatters report.

Pre-pandemic data in Orange County estimated that 29.4% of adults 65 years and over experienced food insecurity. Then, when COVID-19 hit, there was a 63% increase in senior meals — meals provided at senior or community centers — revealing an “unmet demand for food among seniors,” according to the Orange County Strategic Plan for Aging.

The latest census data shows Westminster’s population over the age of 65 is 16.2%.

The program initially rolled out in the early days of December with staff distributing an estimated 950 gift cards. However, city staffers were overwhelmed by the demand, and other city business came to a halt. The program was temporarily suspended.

Staff, city manager Christine Cordon said, have now implemented a plan where applicants are asked to come on a “specialized intake day” — Friday, Feb. 10 — when a dedicated group of people is able to process applications.

Residents, she said, are encouraged to line up at the Community Services building, located at 8200 Westminster Blvd., beginning at 9.45 a.m. and must be in line by 2 p.m. to be served.

The application is available online at the city’s website, and interested residents can fill it out ahead of time or it will be available on-site on Friday. Receipts will need to be submitted in-person on Friday.

Gift cards will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to one per resident.

An estimated 3,000 gift cards will be distributed, Cordon said.

This is the only time the program will be offered, according to the city, given the funding is coming from a one-time source from the federal government.

Any gift cards remaining will be processed on a subsequent application day on Feb. 22, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Those who have previously applied cannot reapply.

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