CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. - Contra Costa County plans to distribute grocery debit cards to the county's 107,000 CalFresh enrollees facing a loss of benefits due to the federal government shutdown.

The debit cards will carry a value similar to a family's existing benefit, Supervisor John Gioia said Saturday. The average monthly benefit for a family of three is $573.

"Subject to the Board of Supervisors vote next Tuesday, where we will declare a local emergency, we plan to allocate up to $21 million out of our rainy-day reserves to fund these benefits for the month of November," Gioia said in a press release.

The cards will be distributed at four Employment and Human Services Department offices:

1305 MacDonald Ave., Richmond

151 Linus Pauling Dr., Hercules

400 Ellinwood Way, Pleasa

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