AgdaPkt 2007-05-21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.1 H Page 1 REPORT To #he Honorable Mayor and City Council Fro:m the Ci Mana er y�ay 21, 2007 SUBJECT Approval and Authorization to Execute Memorandum of Understanding for Food Stamp C?utreach Program at Fair Oaks Community Center RECOMMENDATiON Approve and Authorize the City Manager fio sign Memorandum of Understanding between Second Harves# Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo and the City of Redwood City for the Food Stamp Outreach Pragram of the Fair Oaks Community Center from October 1, 2p06 to September 30, 2007. BACKGROl1ND One of the services provided by the Fair Oaks Community Center is food assistance. Fair Oaks partners with the Second Harvest Food Bank to provide most of the foad items that we distribute to the community — emergency food for families, weekly groceries for seniors, groceries for homeless adults, and monthly groceries for (ow- incame families. Additionally, Fair Oaks refers households to various o#her food resources, including the county's Food Stamp Program. For most of the households served, food assistance is vita{ to their ability to make ends meet in our high-cost community. Yet, less than 50% of those eligible for food stamps in San Mateo County actually take advantage of the program. Due to low #ood stamp enro(Iments statewide, the California Department of Heal�h Services, the California Department of Social Services, and the Cafifornia Association of Food Banks have partnered fio access federal reimbursed match funding for food stamp outreach activities throughout California. In the spring of 2006, the Second Harvest Food Bank, a member of the Cafifornia Association of Food Banks, approached the Fair Oaks Community Center about the possibility of becoming a subcontractor with them to both promote and assist clients with enrollment in the Food Stamp Program. Although the Food Stamp Program is primarily a function of the County Human Services Agency, they, too have sought out community partners such as fhe Second Harvest Food Bank and the Fair Oaks Community Center to help increase enrollments. As a subcontractor of the Second Harvest Food Bank's Food Stamp Outreach Program, the Fair Oaks Community Center staff would be involved in disseminating materiafs about food stamps to our client population, assisting clients with a pre-screening too! to help determine eligibility to apply, and in some cases assist clients in filling out their food stamp appliea�ions. In exchange the Fair Oaks Community Center wou[d be eligible for reimbursement of 1/3 of the cost af providing this service. Although Fair Daks staff has participated in initial trainings for this program, staff transitions have prevented actual implementation of the program. The goa( for the remainder of the contract period is to incorporate the food stamp outreach and assistance into the regular activities and responsibilities of the Fair Oaks Community Center s#aff as possible. Funds received thraugh the reimbursement would be used to support the services provideci.