Dave Guarino
Dave Guarino is the former Director of Emerging Technology at Propel. He is a SNAP expert and technologist who has been working for more than 10 years to increase access to safety net benefits using tech.
Prior to joining Propel, Dave was the cofounder and director of GetCalFresh, a digital SNAP assister service that simplified applying for food stamps in California, serving millions of households. He has also spent time in state and federal government working to make public benefits more accessible.
Through both his work and in a volunteer capacity, Dave has directly assisted thousands of people in navigating the SNAP program's complicated rules and sometimes-difficult processes.
Dave's work to help people get SNAP has been recognized with a Social Services Community Recognition Award (San Diego County Social Services Advisory Board) in 2018 and a Hunger Fighter Award (California Hunger Action Coalition) in 2019. He was also nominated for a "Freshy Award" for SNAP Outreach Leader of the Year in 2019.
Articles by Dave Guarino
Helping a million SNAP recipients navigate work requirement changes
20 surprising things you can buy with EBT
Getting official state updates to 370,000 SNAP recipients during the shutdown
20 surprising things you can buy with EBT
Solving the small frictions of legal aid referrals with light AI help
Using AI to help SNAP recipients diagnose and restore lost benefits
What to expect during your SNAP interview
EBT customer service phone numbers for all 50 states
Does SNAP require child support participation?
Benefits navigation and the potential of AI
Building a SNAP LLM eval: Part 2 - testing and automation
Building a SNAP LLM eval: part 1
A complete list of restaurants that accept EBT
Benefits News: EBT theft reimbursement extended to Dec. 20th
Una lista completa de restaurantes que aceptan EBT
Building a SNAP LLM eval: part 3 - testing nuanced capabilities
SNAP: asked for documents, but can't get them?
Only got $24 in food stamps? Here's why and what to do about it
Do food stamps roll over?
AI Models Are Getting Dramatically Better at Complex Policy Questions: Evidence from SNAP Asset Limits
Yes, you can use your SNAP in another state
AI can strengthen our safety net — these leaders are learning how
Why didn't I get a food stamp (EBT) deposit this month?
Prototyping with AI to help navigate SNAP purchase restrictions: lessons from edge cases
Using AI to help SNAP recipients make sense of “notices"
How to qualify for food stamps, explained
Getting a SNAP interview if you're having trouble