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Receive a presentation from staff on the results of the 2023 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight competition and a thank you video from the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano recognizing the efforts of Solano County employees in the 2023 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight challenge
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board receive a presentation from staff on the results of the 2023 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight competition and a thank you video presentation from the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano recognizing the efforts of Solano County employees in the 2023 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight challenge.
SUMMARY:
Since 2004, Solano County has participated in an annual holiday food drive with Contra Costa County to raise funds for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. At the official end of the 2023 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight campaign, Solano County employees, Contra Costa employees, Solano County friends of the County and Contra Costa County friends of the County totaled a combined net donation of $119,558 (see breakdown below).
Financial breakdown of $119,558 County employee and friends of the County donations:
• Solano County employee reported donations: $63,547
• Solano County friends of the County reported donations: $337
• Contra Costa County employee reported donations: $55,648
• Contra Costa County friends of the County reported donations: $26
The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano would like to recognize Solano County’s Board of Supervisors, County employees and friends of the County for their participation, creativity and hard work in raising funds for those individuals and families in need in Solano and for their donation of $63,884 (employees plus friends) as part of the 2023 campaign, and for a grand total of $730,290 donated since the first friendly food fight competition in 2004. This funding has made a huge difference in the Food Bank’s ability to support those who need it most.
In 2012 and 2013, Solano County won the friendly food fight and held the ‘Big Apple Trophy.’ In 2014 and 2015 the trophy returned to Contra Costa. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 the trophy remained with Solano County. In 2019, Contra Costa County employees broke Solano County’s three-year winning streak, taking home the Big Apple trophy. In 2020, Solano County regained control of the Big Apply trophy, and held on to it for 2021 and 2022. Solano County will continue to retain the Big Apple trophy for a fourth year in a row in 2023.
Solano County employees donated an average of $21.45 per person, just $0.85 cents below the record set in 2022 at $22.30 per person, and still well above the previous record of $19.30 per-employee set in 2021. In 2022, Contra Costa employees donated an average of $5.74 per-person.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Receiving the presentation and department awards has no impact on the County’s finances.
DISCUSSION:
The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano distributes approximately 7 million pounds of food annually throughout Solano County. Approximately 145,500 hungry people, including children and seniors, in Solano County are served by the Food Bank each month. Both perishable and non-perishable food is also provided to countless nonprofit agencies throughout the County such as food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, senior and childcare centers, and group homes.
The first annual Counties Care Holiday Food Fight challenge began in 2004 with a challenge from Contra Costa County to join them in an annual event to raise funds to support food collection and distribution efforts in both counties, as well as some friendly competition. All funds raised by employees during the annual food fights are used to benefit the residents of the respective county.
On October 24, 2023, the Solano County Board of Supervisors, after a presentation from staff and the Food Bank, extended a challenge to the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors, to participate in the annual friendly food fight challenge to competitively raise money for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano to benefit residents in both communities. The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors accepted the challenge at their Board meeting on November 7, 2023.
Additionally, since 2006, the Board of Supervisors of each county have encouraged residents of Solano and Contra Costa Counties to open their hearts and wallets to also assist the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and its client organizations during the annual holiday food fight, thus creating the Friends of the Counties online donations. Friends of Solano County and Friends of Contra Costa County contributed $26 and $337 respectively, for grand total of $363 contributed. The combined 2023 total, including County employee and Friends of the Counties, was $119,557. The net cumulative total since the first Counties Care Food Fight in 2004, including the Friends of the Counties, is $2,487,413.
Solano County Cares Holiday Food Fight was led by Melinda Sandy and Tammi Ackerman in the County Administrator’s Office. This year’s goal was to try and raise at least $20 per-employee, a lofty goal, considering it had only been broken twice in the competition’s history. With the assistance of 49 departmental Food Drive team leaders throughout the County, that goal was exceeded, with employees raising a collective $21.45 per person.
Below is a list of the departmental team leaders:
n Agriculture - Patricia Yeaney, Adrina Carlsen and Patty Flores
n Assessor / Recorder - Jacob Curtis and Jonathan Rodela
n Auditor / Controller - Rebecca Fortune
n Board of Supervisors - Danette Mercado
n CAO - Melinda Sandy, Tammi Ackerman, Aimee Johnson, and Matthew Davis
n First 5 - Alicia Gutierrez and Toya Adams
n County Counsel - Theda Peck and Cynthia Gordon
n Child Support Services - Patricia West-Pese, Jan Marie Vista, Kelly Ford, Deonna Randolph and Karen Salazar
n Information Technology / Registrar of Voters - Jenny McCoy and Kayta Norris
n District Attorney - Cheryl Talbit
n General Services - Elizabeth Dudley and Felix Penn
n H&SS Administration - Kobie Good and Amy Sanders
n H&SS WA SIB - Charmaine Paragas-Garcia and Esperanza Cabunoc
n H&SS, Child Welfare Services - Sarah Barksdale
n H&SS E&E - Rosemary Zalesky
n H&SS Family Health Services - Katreena Dotson
n H&SS Behavioral Health - Genevieve Mauritz
n H&SS Public Health, Older and Disabled Services - Shelly Anderson
n H&SS Public Health - Norma Limon
n Human Resources - Jessica Smith and Melissa Tharp
n Library - Natasha North, Brenda Guzman and Cathy Sheldon
n Probation - Nancy Gutierrez and Elba Ruvalcaba
n Public Defender / Alternate Public Defender - James Browning and Alexa Elayda
n Resource Management - Erika Crawford and Narcisa Untal
n Sheriff / Coroner - Nicole Stone
n Treasury, Tax Collector, County Clerk - Sakhone Thienepheth
n Veterans Services - Nancy Hobbs
All County departments participated and donated dollars in the spirit of competition and have made a significant contribution toward alleviating hunger in Solano County. The following departments will be receiving trophies based on the most dollars contributed per departmental employee:
• First Place: County Counsel, $326 / employee
• Second Place: Veteran Services, $224 / employee
• Third Place: County Administrator, $170 / employee
• The following departments will be receiving wood plaques based on the most dollars contributed over the past five (5) years, including the total amounts:
• Most dollars raised over the past five (5) years, large department (200+ employees), Health and Social Services, with $54,175 dollars raised
• Most dollars raised over the past five (5) years, medium department (75-199 employees), Library Services, with $30,237 dollars raised
• Most dollars raised over the past five (5) years, small department (less than 75 employees), County Counsel, with $29,451 dollars raised
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to receive the presentation; however, this alternative is not recommended as the Board has supported the annual counties holiday food fight challenge in the past and challenged Contra Costa County to the Food Fight in 2023.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
All Departments and the Board of Supervisors participated in the Solano County Cares Holiday Food Fight challenge with Contra Costa County.