Sierra Roots provides weekly meals and clothing to people who are homeless. Clothing, including socks and shoes, is available every week. Individuals can get clothing once every two weeks.

During winter months, lunch served on Thursdays at 11:30am at the First Community Church at 300 Main Street, Nevada City.

During summer months, Thursday lunches are served at 11:30am at Pioneer Park, 421 Nimrod Street in Nevada City in the picnic area near the horseshoe pits.

Web pages

• Home - https://sierra-roots.org/

CalFresh, formerly known as Food Stamps and known federally as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), provides extra funds to help those who are in need each month to buy groceries.

CalFresh provides people with electronic “debit” cards (known as EBT) which they can use to buy most foods at many grocery stores, farmers markets, and some corner markets/gas stations.

Applying for CalFresh

• Californians can visit BenefitsCal.com or GetCalFresh.org to apply or call 877-847-3663 (FOOD)
• CalFresh is a low income program; the gross income limit is 200% of the Federal Poverty Line
  • That said, CalFresh program rules are complex; some income is not countable, and some individuals with income below 200% FPL may not qualify for CalFresh

ebtEDGE

• The ebtEDGE application provides EBT cardholders with increased card/account management tools
• It can be downloaded from the app store, or accessed via a web browser

Additional notes:

Several Nev…

The Nevada County Department of Social Services provides information on how to replace food that was lost or damaged in a qualifying emergency using CalFresh.

A form must be submitted within 10 days of the end of an event, such as a power outage. Sometimes counties extend the deadline beyond 10 days.

To Apply for Replacement Benefits

Complete and submit Replacement or Disaster Supplement Affidavit (CF 303) to apply for CalFresh replacement benefits after disaster.

• In Person | Nevada County Department of Social Services suggests that people come in person to a DSS office for most efficient service.
• Online | BenefitsCal.com

Forms

Fax the completed form to 530-265-9860.

• English CF 303 form
• Spanish CF 303 form

Locations

• Grass Valley | Brighton Greens
  • 988 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, CA 95949
  • 530-265-1340
• Nevada City | Eric Rood Administrative Center
  • 950 Maidu Ave, Suite 120, Nevada City, CA 95959
  • 530-265-1340
• Truckee | Nevada Cou…

The Nevada County Department of Social Services provides drop-in benefits information and application assistance.

They help people in enrolling in or renewing benefits programs like:

• Cash Assistance | CalWORKs & more
• Food Assistance | CalFresh
• Healthcare | Medi-Cal
• Housing
• In-Home Supportive Services
• Veterans Services

Drop-In Days and Locations

• Grass Valley Library
  • 207 Mill St, Grass Valley, CA 95945
  • 530-273-4117
  • First Tuesdays, 10:30am-12:30pm
• Madelyn Helling Library
  • 980 Helling Way, Nevada City, CA 95959
  • 530-265-7050
• First Wednesdays, 10am-12pm

Additional notes:

These are drop-in services and no appointment is necessary.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/879/Social-Services
• Drop-in Services Information - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=7270

The San Juan Ridge PARTNERS Family Resource Center (FRC) provides families in the San Juan Ridge area with information and referrals to local resources, services, and facilities on a drop-in basis for visitors of all ages.

General services include:

• Playgroups for children ages 0-5
• Weekly activities for older children
• Child development information
• Parenting support
• Counseling
• Education
• Employment tools

Specific offerings include:

• Buss passes
  • Bus passes are issued as 2 one-way trips with transfers that can be used on all routes to make a roundtrip from the San Juan Ridge.
• Laundry vouchers
  • Laundry vouchers come with one detergent pod and are good for a single wash and dry at Launderland in Grass Valley. 
  • Details for when and how to redeem is printed on the voucher. 
  • The number of laundry vouchers issued at one time will depend on family size and other factors.
• Adult yoga
  • Mon 6-7:15pm and Wed 9-10:30am
• A food pantry
  • Tue & Thu 12-3pm (for emergencies)
• A computer, phone, fax, and p…

2026 CalFresh Market Match (also known as Market Money) runs until 12/19/2026. Spend CalFresh dollars at the locations below and receive up to a $10 match or a reduced cost every week. See details below.

Nevada City Farmers Market

Location:

Union Street, Downtown Nevada City

Hours:
Saturdays through December 19th, 8:30 am – 1:00 pm

Present your EBT card and ID at the Market Manager’s booth. Customers can purchase EBT tokens and be matched up to an additional $10 in tokens

So many vendors to choose from! EBT eligible items include:
Vegetables and Fruits
Honey, Eggs, Frozen Meats
Canned Goods
Baked Goods (i.e. bread, granola, pastries)
Yogurt, cold take-away dishes

Please Note:

• • All Black tokens from 2025 are no longer valid.

  • You MUST use all of your white 2026 match tokens by 12/19/26

Mountain Bounty CSA Vegetable Share

Customers will purchase a monthly subscription of the Vegetable Share (Western Nevada County) – Regular or Small box, reducing the overall subscription cost by 50%.

CSA boxes are del…

The Spirit Peer Empowerment Center offers peer-led services and activities for people experiencing mental health challenges, substance use, or housing instability.

Basic needs & support services:

• Naloxone (Narcan) on-site for opioid overdose
• Food, clothing, and period product distribution
• Hot showers (5 per day, 10am-1:30pm; arrive early; ADA-compliant but not roll-in)
• Laundry and clothing closet access
• Assistance with Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and housing applications
• Lifeline phones for eligible Nevada County residents (Wednesdays, 9am-3pm; photo ID and proof of income required)

Recovery & planning groups:

• WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) | 8-week course
• Housing Circle; application support and housing navigation (call 530-274-1431 for schedule)
• Peer support groups for:
  • Co-occurring disorders
  • Identity Diversity (LGBTQ+)
  • Anxiety and depression
  • A Diagnosis with Dignity
  • Men’s and women’s groups

Wellness & creative activities:

• Restorative yoga and guided wellness sessions
• Beading for We…

The SAFE (Stability, Access, Foundation, Empowerment) program is committed to finding and helping youth ages 12 -25 who are experiencing homelessness.

Many youth experiencing homelessness do not have access to local or state funding or simply don’t know what services are available. And few nonprofit organizations in the region can help.

SAFE fills the gap by connecting youth who have alternative, unpredictable, or inconsistent housing access with community resources and well-trained professionals.

SAFE helps mitigate homelessness in Nevada County by providing:

• Basic needs, such as food, clothing, housing, hygiene supplies, showers
• Education and training, including transitioning to college and/or trade school
• Physical health and mental wellness counseling
• Training to develop the necessary skills to live independently

Web pages

• Home - https://bffyouth.org/safe/

The Food Bank of Nevada County offers food home delivery for eligible families.

Call FREED at 530-477-3333 for a screening to learn if you are eligible for food home delivery due to inability to leave your home to get your own groceries. For seniors and people with disabilities who have absolutely no way to get to a food distribution anywhere.

Web pages

• Home - https://foodbankofnc.org/
  

The Salvation Army offers a small emergency food pantry for people needing short-term food assistance.

Services include:

• Emergency pantry access for people and families unable to make it to larger distributions

Web pages

• Home - https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org/