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HomePOMONA / TUESDAY
OCTOBER 13, 2026
FOOD BUDGETSTHE DAILY LEAD

CALFRESH · POMONA

A produce match is back—and Pomona has a participating store.

Eligible CalFresh shoppers can earn a dollar back for every dollar spent on fresh fruits and vegetables, up to $60 a month. The state’s current list includes Mother’s Nutritional Center on Indian Hill Boulevard.

13 OCTOBER 2026LOCAL FACTS · USEFUL NEXT STEPS4-MINUTE EDITION

THE BIG STORY · FOOD ACCESS

Fresh food money can stretch further again.

California restarted its Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot on October 1 after a pause. The benefit is automatic for qualifying purchases—no separate enrollment form—but shoppers should confirm the program is operating before traveling.

The California Department of Social Services says people who currently receive CalFresh—or former recipients who still have food benefits on their EBT card—can earn the incentive when they buy eligible fresh fruits and vegetables at an approved retailer or farmers market. Every dollar spent on qualifying produce earns a dollar back, up to a total of $60 in incentives each month.

The earned benefit returns to the shopper’s EBT food account. Unlike the qualifying purchase, which must happen at a participating location, the earned incentive can then be spent on CalFresh-eligible food at any retailer that accepts CalFresh EBT.

STEP 1Use food EBT

Buy eligible fresh fruits or vegetables at an approved participating location.

STEP 2Earn the match

Get $1 back for each qualifying $1 spent, until reaching the $60 monthly cap.

STEP 3Use it on food

Spend the earned incentive on CalFresh-eligible food wherever CalFresh EBT is accepted.

One participating location is listed in Pomona

The state’s live location list, checked Tuesday evening, names Mother’s Nutritional Center, 1805 Indian Hill Blvd., Unit A, Pomona, CA 91767. The retailer’s own program page describes the same dollar-for-dollar mechanism and $60 monthly limit.

CHECK BEFORE YOU GO

A listing is not a guarantee at the register.

CDSS warns that the program may be temporarily paused at any listed location and tells shoppers to ask whether it is operating. Semillas did not conduct an in-store transaction or reach the Pomona location by phone for this edition.

The state says $20 million was added for the pilot statewide. That is not a Pomona allocation, and the program lasts only while funding is available. The match is tied to CalFresh food benefits; WIC and SUN Bucks are separate programs and do not by themselves qualify a shopper for this incentive.

A VERIFIED NEXT STEP

Check the state list, then ask the store.

Before making a special trip, confirm that the Pomona location is processing the match. The retailer lists a program contact at CAFV@mothersnc.com.

Open participating locations ↗Email program contact

AROUND POMONA

Two files to watch

STATUS CHECKED OCT. 13

SCHOOLS · PROCESS

Consolidation is under study. No school closure has been approved.

Pomona Unified says an advisory committee is reviewing enrollment, facilities, programs, transportation, equity and community input. Its page says no decisions have been made and final decisions rest with the Board of Education. The next committee meeting is listed for October 27 at 5 p.m., subject to change.

A consultant’s planning table estimates 17,112 TK–12 students for 2026–27 across facilities with capacity for 24,103—a gap of 6,991 seats. That figure is a systemwide planning measure, not a list of students who will move or campuses marked for closure.

Check the district process hub ↗

TRANSIT · STOP 1718

Garey and Holt stop closure affects six routes.

Foothill Transit says stop 1718 at Garey Avenue and Holt Avenue is closed for construction from October 5 through December 11. The notice covers Lines 195, 482 and 486 eastbound; Lines 197 and 292 southbound toward Pomona; and Line 291 southbound toward Pomona Ranch.

The operator directs riders to a stop on Garey Avenue south of Center Street. This is a stop closure—not cancellation of the six lines. Conditions and dates can change.

Read the live transit alert ↗

DOCUMENT TRAIL

Original sources

  1. California Department of Social Services — pilot FAQ
    October 1 restart, eligibility, dollar-for-dollar match, $60 monthly cap, use of earned benefits and funding caveat.
  2. California Department of Social Services — participating locations
    Pomona address and warning that participation may temporarily pause.
  3. Mother’s Nutritional Center — retailer program page
    Independent retailer description of earning and redeeming the match; program email.
  4. Pomona Unified — School Consolidation & Optimization hub
    No-decision status, advisory role, meeting schedule and planning documents.
  5. Pomona Unified — 2026–27 capacity and enrollment planning table
    Systemwide totals; not a closure list.
  6. Foothill Transit — Pomona stop closure alert
    Stop 1718, affected directions and substitute stop guidance.

WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW

Limits of this report

We did not test a transaction at the Indian Hill store, and no local participation or remaining-funds count was available. We also do not know which—if any—school options the district committee will recommend. Transit construction dates may change.

CORRECTIONS & LANGUAGE

Help us get it right

This edition was updated . Send corrections to info@elecorp.org. This current edition is English-only; a Spanish edition is pending fluent human review and will not be presented as approved before that review.