California will employ restaurant workers to deliver meals to seniors, Gavin Newsom says

California’s ailing restaurants will get a boost, and seniors home alone will get three meals a day, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who announced the new program at his Friday coronavirus press conference.

The program, a partnership between the State of California, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and county and city governments, will cover up to $66 a day for eligible seniors to get three nutritious meals. it will be up to local governments to select which restaurants qualify for the program, but Newsom said there will be an emphasis on nutritional meals.

The program will be paid for predominantly by FEMA, which is covering 75 percent of the cost. The state will cover three quarters of the remaining share, with local governments paying what’s left. Newsom said that the program will continue throughout the coronavirus emergency.

California has 1.2 million seniors who are “socially isolated, unable in many respects to cook their own meals,” Newsom said.

The governor said there are eligibility requirements in order to qualify for the program. Seniors must either be at high risk of COVID-19 exposure, be living below 600 percent of the federal poverty line, be impacted or exposed directly to COVID-19 or have a compromised immune system.

Newsom urged seniors to call their area 211 line, or visit covid19.ca.gov, to find out if they can qualify for the program. State and local officials also will do proactive outreach for those seniors who either live in an area without a 211 line or who do not have an internet connection, he said.

The governor said that the program will help restaurants that are struggling with their bottom line, and also provide seniors with some much needed human contact in the form of food delivery.

“It’s not just about the meals, it’s about a human connection,” Newsom said.

As part of that human connection, the governor on Friday also announced the creation of a “friendship line” that the state’s seniors can call if they are feeling lonely or “just to check in.”

That number is 1-888-670-1360.