Over the weekend, something important happened in San Francisco.
When federal SNAP disruption threatened food benefits for 112,000 residents, the City and GiveCard moved fast, launching an $18M emergency response to get prepaid assistance cards to families who need them.
The Challenge
Many recipients speak Spanish or Mandarin as their primary language, and call volume was about to blow past capacity. In emergency situations like this, language barriers and jammed phone lines can keep the most vulnerable people (kids, seniors, people with disabilities) from getting help.
What We Built: A Universal Concierge
We partnered with GiveCard to spin up multilingual voice AI support starting friday and working through the weekend. We designed it as a universal concierge that meets people where they are, adapts to their needs, and speaks their language. The system handles calls in English, Spanish, and Mandarin at scale, so residents can get help immediately.
What it does:
Helps people understand the card, program, and how to use it
Verifies identity before providing activation codes
Walks through claiming and activating virtual cards
Supports setting up cards on Apple Pay and Google Wallet
Helps track physical card delivery
This universal concierge approach means handling complex, time-sensitive situations with an empathetic, trauma-informed tone, because we know people are calling in stressful situations. It knows when to provide immediate help and when to triage to human agents for predetermined issues that need human support. And it never stores personal data.
The Impact
Families across San Francisco can now call and access emergency food benefits in their language. No barriers. This week, thousands of people are buying groceries with these cards. That's the real measure of success.
This partnership shows what's possible when you move quickly and use technology where it actually helps.
What's Next
When emergencies hit, getting help to people quickly and compassionately is everything. We're grateful to be part of this response, and we're here to support organizations doing critical work for their communities.
