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Adopt and present a resolution challenging Contra Costa County to participate in the 16th annual Counties Care Holiday Food Fight friendly challenge to benefit the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The County Administrator’s Office recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt and present a resolution challenging Contra Costa County to participate in the 16th annual Counties Care Holiday Food Fight friendly challenge to benefit the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
SUMMARY:
Solano and Contra Costa Counties, working with the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano (Food Bank), have been participating in an annual counties care holiday food fight friendly challenge since 2004 when the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors extended the first challenge to Solano County. This will be the sixteenth year of this annual event to raise funds for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
The event allows employees at both counties the opportunity to help those in need in their respective counties through financial donations as food insecurity and hunger are a continuing and growing concern in both counties and throughout California. Last year’s combined county employees contributed a fifteen-year cumulative total of more than $1.45 million. With the friends of the food fight included, more than $1.88 million has been donated to the Food Bank.
In 2018, Solano County won the annual event with $16.39 contributed per employee and maintained control of the “Big Apple” trophy - a three-year winning streak. As the holder of the “Big Apple,” Solano County challenges Contra Costa County to participate in the employee-to-employee 2019 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight friendly challenge to compete for possession of the “Big Apple” trophy.
If adopted by the Solano County Board of Supervisors, the resolution will be presented to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors at their November 5, 2019 meeting. If accepted by Contra Costa County, the 2019 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight will commence on November 18 and run through December 31, 2019.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no cost associated with adopting the resolution challenging Contra Costa County to participate in the 2019 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight friendly challenge. If accepted by Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, staff time of departmental food fund drive coordinators will be borne by the individual County departments involved in the drive. Solano County employees have contributed more than $408,000 over the last fifteen years, and together, both counties have contributed more than $1.45 million to the Food Bank. In addition, non-employee “Friends of the Food Bank” in Solano County has resulted in a cumulative total of more than $438,000 in online donations during the annual county-to-county drive.
DISCUSSION:
The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano distributes approximately 7 million pounds of food annually throughout Solano County. Approximately 63,000 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 child care centers, and group homes.
The Food Bank’s mission is “leading the fight to end hunger, in partnership with our community and in service of our neighbors in need” and through continued community support, the Food Bank can accomplish this.
This would be the sixteenth consecutive year for the Counties Care Holiday Food Fight friendly challenge if the Board authorizes Solano County to extend this friendly challenge to Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and employees. To date, Solano County has held the coveted “Big Apple” trophy 8 times, whereas Contra Costa County has held on to it 7 times in the fifteen-year history of the food fight challenge.
Solano County and Contra Costa County employees will strive, through their donations, to make their County the champion and holder of the “Big Apple.” Last year Solano County won the challenge with a record-shattering $16.93 contributed per employee, $3.76 more than the previous record, and maintained possession of the “Big Apple” trophy. Contra Costa County collected $10.89 per employee. This event raises funds for the Food Bank and allows employees in both counties an opportunity to help those in need in their respective county through financial donations. All funds raised in each county will be used to purchase food for the needy and hungry in each respective county.
On November 5, 2019, Larry Sly, Executive Director for Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, will present the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors with the Solano County resolution challenging them to the sixteenth-annual Counties Care Holiday Food Fight. If accepted, this year’s employee-to-employee food drive fund challenge will run from November 18 through December 31, 2019.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to challenge Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and employees this year, but this is not recommended as Solano County won the food drive challenge last year and this would allow Contra Costa County an opportunity to regain the title. But more importantly, while providing for some fun and friendly competitions, the counties care holiday food fight provides financial donations for the Food Bank to purchase food for the needy and hungry in the counties of Contra Costa and Solano.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano will be coordinating the competition efforts with the counties of Contra Costa and Solano to conduct this food drive.