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Authorize the County's contribution of $3,500 from the General Fund contribution allocated to District 3 to benefit Meals On Wheels ($1,200), Child Haven Inc. ($800), Rebuilding Together Solano, Inc. ($800) and Faith In Action ($700)
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X__
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
Supervisor Jim Spering requests that the Board authorize the County's contribution of $3,500 from the General Fund contribution allocated to District 3 to benefit Meals On Wheels ($1,200), Child Haven Inc. ($800), Rebuilding Together Solano County, Inc. ($800) and Faith In Action ($700).
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Justification:
During the 2017/18 Budget Hearings, the Board appropriated $5,000 to allow District 3 to support community service programs. District 3 recommends the distribution of the remaining funding as follows:
Meals On Wheels ($1,200)
Meals On Wheels, a non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation, is a county-wide program. In the Fairfield-Suisun area, the organization provides over 300 seniors (60 years or older) with nutritious meals delivered to their home by a group of dedicated volunteers. These are seniors who no longer are able to cook or grocery shop for themselves.
Meals On Wheels also serves the congregate dining program at the Fairfield Senior Center where seniors can come and enjoy a nutritious meal with other seniors in the Fairfield community.
The meals are planned by a registered dietician and are prepared in the central kitchen facility in Suisun.
For many seniors, this may be the only warm meal of the day. The meal service allows many seniors to remain independent longer and stay in their homes.
Funds will be used to provide nutritious meals.
Child Haven ($800)
Child Haven, Inc, a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation, began providing services more than 30 years ago in Solano County. While the delivery of services changed slightly over the years, the mission has not. Child Haven programs provide intensive therapeutic mental health and developmental services for children and their families with the belief that early intervention, education, and targeted professional services help children heal and families grow.
Children served at Child Haven often suffer from severe neglect, have experienced the trauma of physical or sexual abuse and have been exposed to violence. Nearly 450 children, ages birth to 18, receive services at Child Haven each year.
Funds will be used for direct services as Matching Funds to support Child Haven’s Child Abuse Treatment program.
Rebuilding Together Solano County ($800)
As a housing nonprofit organization, Rebuilding Together Solano County assists low-income homeowners, specifically low-income seniors, disabled individuals and veterans, on providing them with a healthy and safe home. The cost of owning and maintaining a home can be a challenge for these vulnerable citizens with little disposable income for home repairs and modifications.
During a one-day project, local businesses, community members and concerned residents come together from all walks of life to rehabilitate homes in Solano County. This is accomplished with volunteer skilled and unskilled labor, donated materials/services and financial support from within Solano County.
In 2016, more than 4,500 Rebuilding Together volunteers rehabilitated 27 homes for low-income homeowners (seniors / veterans / disabled) and held more than 36 community facility workdays in Solano County.
Funds will be used for Work Day Rehabilitation materials for homes in Fairfield or Suisun.
Faith In Action ($700)
Faith in Action: Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers of Solano County promotes the independence, ends the isolation, and sustains the dignity of homebound frail elders, seniors with cancer and other chronic illnesses, seniors with disabilities, the medically uninsured, and their family caregivers throughout Solano County. The organization provides non-acute, non-medical support services to enrolled care receivers by matching them with trained volunteers.
The program was formed in 1997; in 2000, the agency incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. Over 500 seniors are enrolled in the various programs and are connected to approximately 150 volunteers.
The agency evolved out of a concern regarding the number of frail seniors and persons with chronic illnesses who lived alone and who were being discharged to their homes without any caregiver support. Many could no longer drive due to their age or illnesses, making it difficult to get to follow-up appointments and necessary treatment. The lack of transportation also proved to be a barrier in buying groceries or obtaining needed medications.
Volunteers are matched with care recipients in 1:1 relationships, providing connection to the community. This "service provision through relationship" model looks not only to assisting care recipients in maintaining their independence, while helping them to age in place, but also to the building up of sense of self and an increased quality of life.
Funding will be used only for program and volunteer services and not for salaries and office expenses.
Guidelines for Grant Funding Requests:
During the 2017/18 Budget Hearings, the Board appropriated $25,000, $5,000 to each supervisorial district, to allow Board members to support community service programs. The Board directed County Counsel to provide guidelines on how to recommend funding for qualifying agencies or programs. The guidelines are as follows:
1) Each supervisor must submit the proposed expenditure to the County Counsel and the Auditor/Controller for initial review.
2) The Board must approve the expenditure by a majority vote.
3) The Board must determine that the expenditure is for a public purpose.
4) The Board may authorize an expenditure of public funds to a nonprofit organization so long as the County retains ultimate control over the exercise of judgment and discretion of the intended program.
5) To ensure accountability, all expenditures are subject to periodic audit by the Auditor/Controller; and
a) If the recipient provides an activity, program or service (“activity”), it shall provide an activity report within 30 days of the activity that states the number of persons attending (if applicable) or participating activities carried out, feedback from participants (if applicable) and benefits of the activity. The recipient’s failure to provide a report may result in its being considered ineligible for future funding.
b) If the recipient is purchasing property or making improvements, it shall use the funds for only the specified purposes and allow representatives of the county to inspect and/or audit the purchase or the contractor’s performance, the facility or the portion improved with the funds and/or the records pertaining to the expenditures. The recipient shall retain for inspection and audit purposes any and all books, receipts, documentation and other records of the expenditures for three (3) years from date of receiving funds.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This expenditure is included in the District 3 FY2017/18 budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to authorize this expenditure. However, this is not recommended as this item is consistent with Board policy.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
This report was prepared in coordination with the County Administrator’s Office, County Auditor-Controller’s Office and County Counsel.