Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Measure K: Agreement with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
RECOMMENDATION:
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Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing the County Executive, or designee to execute an amendment to the agreement with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, extending the term through June 30, 2026, and increasing the amount by $2,000,000 to a new not-to-exceed amount of $4,000,000.
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BACKGROUND:
On March 26, 2024, this Board approved recommendations for Measure K funding allocations in the priority areas of Children, Families, and Seniors; Housing and Homelessness; and Emergency Preparedness. The Board concurrently approved Second Harvest of Silicon Valley’s (“Second Harvest”) application for Measure K funding pursuant to the FY 2024-25 Measure K Notice of Funding Opportunity in the amount of $2 million to provide food assistance services to low-income residents of San Mateo County. The County subsequently entered into an agreement with Second Harvest for the term of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
On March 11, 2025, this Board approved the Measure K funding allocations for FY 2025-26, which included $2 million for Second Harvest to continue to provide food assistance services to low-income residents of San Mateo County.
DISCUSSION:
Second Harvest is a nonprofit organization that operates a food bank dedicated to ensuring that anyone in Silicon Valley who needs a healthy meal gets one. Second Harvest’s mission is to end hunger, distributing food through a network of sites in San Mateo County, including to residents who have incomes below 275% of the Federal Poverty Level. Second Harvest serves 500,000 people every month, including providing home delivery to 5,300 households.
In the first three quarters of FY 2024-25, Second Harvest has exceeded their performance metrics. They targeted to distribute 20 million pounds of food during FY 2024-25 and have already exceeded that target, distributing 24.6 million pounds of food to date. In addition, Second Harvest targeted to operate 100 food distribution sites in San Mateo County each quarter, and recently reported operating 266 sites within the County.
The demand for food assistance remains critically high, with the number of individuals served each month comparable to levels seen at the height of the pandemic. This ongoing need has been further strained by the current federal administration’s reduction in funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which previously supplied 10 percent of the food distributed by Second Harvest. As a result, the need for additional resources is at an all-time high.
In addition to providing food, Second Harvest also conducts ongoing outreach activities in San Mateo County that promote food programs to inform the public of the resources to address food insecurity and establishes and maintains partnerships with the County and community agencies to provide additional food and nutritional services. Second Harvest Food Connection teams have seen elevated phone traffic, averaging about 183 calls per day.
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed the resolution and amendment as to form.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Food insecurity remains a critical issue in our community, with many low-income individuals relying on food distribution programs as a primary source of nutrition. As demand rises and federal support declines, local organizations are struggling to keep up. Funding these programs is essential to protect public health, reduce hardship, and ensure that everyone has access to the basic necessity of food.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Outcomes |
Target |
Fiscal Year (FY) |
|
20 million Pounds of Food Distributed in San Mateo County |
100 Food Distribution Sites Operated in San Mateo County Quarterly |
7/1/2024 - 6/30/2025 |
|
20 million Pounds of Food Distributed in San Mateo County |
100 Food Distribution Sites Operated in San Mateo County Quarterly |
7/1/2025 - 6/30/2026 |
FISCAL IMPACT:
$2,000,000 in Measure K funding for the amended Agreement will be included in the Non-Departmental Services Recommended Budget for FY 2025-26.