Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Manager
Subject: Allocation of Additional CARES Act Funds to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley for Expansion of Food Assistance for Vulnerable Populations in San Mateo County
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution:
A) Authorizing the re-appropriation and re-allocation of $1,000,000 in unused Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds, which had been previously allocated to the County Office of Education to support universal meals at several school districts within the County, to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to support the expansion of food assistance for vulnerable populations in San Mateo County to respond to the increased need for food assistance and increased costs in the distribution of food assistance due to the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
B) Authorizing the allocation of an additional $1,000,000 in CARES Act funds to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to support the expansion of food assistance for vulnerable populations in San Mateo County to respond to the increased need for food assistance and increased costs in the distribution of food assistance due to the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
C) Authorizing and directing the County Manager, or designee, to execute an amendment to the County’s agreement with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to support the expansion of food assistance for vulnerable populations in San Mateo County to respond to the increased need for food assistance and increased costs in the distribution of food assistance due to the COVID-19 public health emergency to increase the agreement amount by $2,000,000 for a new total amount not to exceed $4,000,000 for the same term of October 20, 2020 through December 30, 2020.
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BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 global pandemic has amplified inequities and created extreme hardship for the community’s most vulnerable. Job loss, wage loss, and depletion of savings have pushed many families deeper into poverty and caused others to seek food assistance for the first time.
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley (“Second Harvest”) is a food bank dedicated to ensuring that anyone in Silicon Valley who needs a healthy meal gets one. Since February 2020, an average of five hundred thousand (500,000) people per month have received food from Second Harvest, double the number of people that Second Harvest served before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2020, as a result of the pandemic, Second Harvest began experiencing increased demand for food assistance in San Mateo County. The need for food assistance has steadily risen since then, and now stands at more than double the February 2020 service levels, based on pounds of food distributed. Additionally, costs to provide food assistance have increased due to increased demand as well as implementation of safety protocols to ensure COVID-safe distribution of food assistance.
On August 4, 2020, this Board approved an allocation of $1,000,000 in CARES Act funds to the County Office of Education to support universal meals at several school districts within the County (Resolution No. 20-582). Following this Board’s issuance of Resolution No. 20-582, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) changed the operating rules for school meals such that any child 18 years old or younger can receive free meals at any school for the duration of the 2020-2021 school year as a pandemic relief measure. Consequently, the County Office of Education no longer needs the $1,000,000 in CARES Act funds previously allocated by this Board to support universal meals at school districts in the County.
On October 20, 2020, this Board approved the allocation of $2,000,000 in CARES Act Funds to Second Harvest to support the expansion of food assistance for vulnerable populations in San Mateo County to respond to the increased need for food assistance and increased costs in the distribution of food assistance due to the COVID-19 public health emergency (Resolution No. 20-791). The County subsequently executed an agreement with Second Harvest to support the expansion of food assistance for vulnerable populations in San Mateo County to respond to the increased need for food assistance and increased costs in the distribution of food assistance due to the COVID-19 public health emergency for a total amount not to exceed $2,000,000 for the term of October 20, 2020 through December 30, 2020.
DISCUSSION:
Since universal meals at school districts in the County are currently funded through the USDA for the entire 2020-2021 school year and the County’s contribution of CARES Act funds to provide gap funding for the universal meals program this school year is no longer needed, staff recommends that this Board approve the re-appropriation and re-allocation of the $1,000,000 in CARES Act funds to address food insecurity in the larger community arising from the COVID-19 public health emergency through an additional contribution to Second Harvest. Staff further recommends that this Board approve the allocation of an additional $1,000,000 in CARES Act Funds to Second Harvest for the same purpose.
These additional contributions, which together total $2,000,000, would go a long way in helping Second Harvest meet the increased need for food assistance in the County following the COVID-19 public health emergency and covering increased costs associated with implementing COVID-19 safety protocols for food distribution to vulnerable populations in the County, such as pre-boxing food for distribution and providing home delivery of groceries to clients unable to attend distribution events due to increased risk of transmission of COVID-19. This additional $2,000,000 in CARES Act funds from the County could also help Second Harvest cover the substantial costs of providing grants to local community based organizations to expand capacity to assist in food distribution, providing additional staffing in warehouse, transportation, and distribution operations as well as procuring trucks and other infrastructure necessary to meet the increased demand for food assistance and ensure COVID-19 safe distribution of the food assistance.
Granting the County Manager, or designee, the authority to execute an amendment to the existing agreement with Second Harvest to increase the total agreement amount by $2,000,000 will allow the work necessary to expand food assistance for vulnerable populations in San Mateo County to continue seamlessly and expeditiously.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact on the County General Fund associated with authorizing the re-appropriation and re-allocation of unused $1,000,000 of CARES Act funds, which were previously allocated to the County Office of Education as gap funding for universal meals in County school district, and the allocation of another $1,000,000 of CARES Act funds to support the expansion food assistance for vulnerable populations in San Mateo County to respond to the increased need for food assistance and increased costs in the distribution of food assistance due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.