For Immediate Release
September 3, 2021
Contact:
Gene Kennedy, Public Information Specialist
951-203-0343
gkennedy@rivco.org
Assistance is available as COVID-19 unemployment benefits end
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. — Pandemic unemployment benefits are set to expire for millions of Americans on Saturday, and Riverside County officials are reminding affected residents about programs that can help with their health, food, housing, and job training needs.
“Our department is a front door to resources for those who are struggling to make ends meet. Many people need help right now and we encourage them to see what resources are available,” said Allison Gonzalez, assistant director of Self-Sufficiency, a division of the Department of Public Social Services.
Riverside County’s Self-Sufficiency programs serve nearly a half-million households countywide. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, applications for help with food, health and housing leaped by 20 percent in the pandemic’s economic fallout. Gonzalez predicts the county’s job training programs will grow busier as the economy reawakens and opportunities emerge.
“Our programs provide participants with tools, resources, and support towards independence,” Gonzalez said. “We have various programs available to assist them and community partners with employment opportunities.”
Free or low-cost health care coverage information is available at Covered California. Applications for CalFresh, CalWORKS and Medi-Cal can be submitted at C4Yourself.com,
California’s Housing is Key program offers rent and utilities assistance. Job seekers can find tools and opportunities through CalJOBS, a free virtual job center. Riverside County will host a virtual job fair on Sept. 23. More than 3600 jobs will be available. Register at desertjobexpo.com.
To learn more, visit www.rivcodpss.org or call 877-410-8827.
# # #
DPSS has served Riverside County since 1923, when the department’s first two employees began serving local needs. Today, the department has more than 4,000 employees and serves one million residents a year in the tenth most populous county in the country.
