Contra Costa County Social Services

Shawn Polly (Mad Weed Scientist)

Update 3/6/20: Hey finally someone contacts us for our assessment. They want us to shut down our retail and manufacturing company just to come in and get help. So let me get this straight. Close our doors, be unprofessional, loose customers, or we loose our benefits and any long awaited (6 months) assistance from this department? Where is the 6 months of food stamps that was stolen? Where is the 6 months of cash that was stolen? We are entitled to the same rights as any citizen in America! Also I just found out at 12:30 pm that theh have taken away more food stamps from my family. Earlier I spoke to an assessment worker who told me they could not help us with advertising, insurance, etc because our business has a 40% deduction rate that was required? First off Mrs. Guermo told us that the assessment office would help us with these services. Second Mrs. Williams our original case worker lied and put the 40% deduction after we told her not to. We told her that the business has not received a profit and we have a 50% share holder. She never took into consideration our request or the 50% business partner. The Department of Human Services lies, manipulates and steals from the homeless business owner. They wait until you have the chance to not be homeless and kick you in the face making sure you fall back down on the ground. Since October 2019 this DHS office has discriminated on my family for being the first cannabis sativa L (industrial hemp) business to be on welfare services. Our sanctions were never lifted as we worked for 6 months. In this they robbed us 6 months of food, cash, and childcare. Update: 3/4/20: One week after posting below no one has contacted us and we still have no way to get through to their phone line. (Original Post) I believe my family is being discriminated on for having a licenced industrial hemp company. The last six months we have had workers lie to us and fraud us from benefits. Cannabis in general was recently looked down upon by the department of human services. Once upon a time they took away benefits from people that participated in this industry. Last week on 3 different days I tried contacting our welfare to work worker and left voice mails. Mrs.Guerra has not returned any of my calls. The case worker we had before took away our benefits and took several additional months to lift our sanctions. We have been working full time now for over six months. They deliberately kept us from childcare for 6 months and we have had our kids with us at work the entire time. They deliberately lowered our benefits when we qualified to have sanctions lifted. They have not told us who are asset worker is now for 2 weeks. This has kept our business from tapping into much needed resources to stay alive. Last month a stranger paid our rent one day before eviction was filed. Our welfare to work worker told us all these problems would go away weeks ago and I can't get her to respond. Also I can't contact anyone by phone in their department. I feel like they have discriminated on me and my family by continuing to make sure our lives are hard. They are not giving us the equal treatment that they give everyone else. They have rewarded good behavior with evil. One would think when a family loses everything in a wildfire they would help them to keep there business going. We have never had the equal opportunity that other businesses have had with the resources they provide and they avoid us at all cost. If we loose our business this month I will make it my fulltime job to hold the ugliest picket signs letting everyone know how we have been treated. We don't deserve this type of treatment. Your department lied to us and kept 5 months of food stamps and cash aid from us. Your case workers filled out false documents that was not agreed upon for our business deduction. Your case workers have lied and manipulated us on several occasions. This has cost us emotionally, physically, and mentally. Your practices need to be reexamined by the federal government which allows industrial hemp companies to operate.

Robert B.

I had an excellent experience at bld 400 Ellinwopd Way. I reaplied for my Medi-Cal benefits. The ladies were very helpful, and of the nicest attitude.

Ms.L P

Pack a lunch bring a book cause its a hurry up and wait game, however this office is surrounded by beautiful trees a stream and pond with ducks and fountain its set in a rustic forest type setting creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere maybe nring a picnic basket find a place in the shadeand enjoy the view . take note that the Security Guard who is cute with big blue eyes is helpful and positivly goes out of her job description to make sense of your inquires.

Shae Cloud

Very easy to navigate. Some of the workers can be a bit difficult but for the most part the services offered are extremely helpful. Nice environment not too crowded or chaotic.