title
Receive a presentation and awards from the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano for participation in the 2019 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board receive a presentation from Joel Sjostrom, President and CEO of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano to recognize the efforts of Solano County employees in the 2019 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight challenge.
SUMMARY:
Since 2004, Solano County has been participating 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 2019 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight campaign, Solano County employees, Contra Costa employees, Solano County friends of the community and Contra Costa County friends of the community totaled a combined net donation of $133,878.88 (see breakdown below).
Financial breakdown of $133,878.88 County employee and Friends of the County donations:
Solano County employee reported donations: $46,295.17
Solano County friends of the County reported donations: $1,913.50
Contra Costa County employee reported donations: $84,498.44
Contra Costa County friends of the County reported donations: $1,171.77
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 record-breaking donation of $48,225.50 (employee plus friends) as part of the 2019 campaign, and for a grand total of $505,440 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. Contra Costa County employees broke Solano County’s three-year winning streak, taking home the Big Apple trophy for 2019. In 2019 Solano County employees donated an average of $16.38 per person, one-penny shy of the $16.39 per person contribution record set in 2018. Contra Costa employees donated an average of $16.57 per employee in 2019, $0.19 cents higher than Solano County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget. Accepting the awards will have 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 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. For each $5.00 raised, the Food Bank can provide 10 meals for residents in need.
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.
In October 2019, Larry Sly, on behalf of Solano County Board of Supervisors, extended the annual friendly food fight challenge to competitively raise money for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.
Solano County won the challenge in 2012 and 2013 with Contra Costa County regaining the title in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 Solano County won the Big Apple trophy, making Solano County the only County to have won the Food Fight three years in a row. In 2019, Contra Costa County regained control of the Big Apply Trophy, breaking Solano County’s three-year winning streak. Solano County collected $16.38 per employee and Contra Costa County collected $16.57 per employee. This represents a 2019 total of $46,295.17 for Solano County and $84,498.44 for Contra Costa County for a combined county employee total of $130,793.61, approximately $20,000 higher than what was contributed in 2018.
In addition, 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 $1,913.50 and $1,171.77 respectively, for grand total of $3,085.27 contributed. The combined 2019 total, including County employee and Friends of the Counties, was $133,878.88. The net cumulative total since the first Counties Care Food Fight in 2004, including the Friends of the Counties, is $2,021,748.
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 raise $16.00 per employee. With the assistance of 51 departmental Food Drive team leaders throughout the County, that goal was exceeded with $16.38 per employee raised.
Below is a list of the departmental team leaders:
n Agriculture, Ashton Sturr
n Assessor/Recorder, Jeannette Moya, Michelle Morehouse, Kayla Scott and Rebecca Fortune
n Board of Supervisors, Judi Booe
n County Administrator, Melinda Sandy, Tammi Ackerman, Jodene Nolan and Matthew Davis
n First 5 Solano, Luke Winders
n County Counsel, Theda Peck
n Child Support Services, Keli White and Alyssa Aquino
n Department of Information Technology / Registrar of Voters, Frankie Brown and Alma Rodriguez
n District Attorney, Stephanie Lopez and Maria Parra
n General Services, Linda Cheeseman, Stacey English and Michelle Offermann
n Health and Social Services (H&SS) - Administration, Marianne Richardson and Kent Casimir
n H&SS - Special Investigations Bureau, Elizabeth Garcia Reyes
n H&SS - Child Welfare Services, Patricia Moody and Jessica Torres
n H&SS - Employment and Eligibility, Grace Quejado, Ann Gonzales, Melinda Aplin, Rosemary Zalesky, Margie Harris and Sergio Soto
n H&SS - Behavioral Health, Marisol Lopez
n H&SS - Substance Abuse, Kristina Feil, Joecilla San Nicolas and Genevieve Mauritz
n H&SS - Older and Disabled Adults, Shelly Howisey
n H&SS - Public Health, Terry Boucher, Rachel Piedra and Patricia Zuniga
n Human Resources, Jennifer Gamez
n Library Services, Cathy Sheldon and Natasha North
n Probation, Nancy Gutierrez, Rose Brieno and Christina Martinez
n Public and Alternate Defender, Arlena Saldana
n Resource Management, Eva Rivera
n Sheriff/Coroner, Katrina Bingaman
n Treasurer/Tax Collector/County Clerk, Elizabeth Sumner
n Veteran Services, Debbie Brook
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: Veterans Services $371.92 / employee
Second Place: Human Resources $181.07 / employee
Third Place: County Administrator / First 5 $168.24 / employee
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 2019.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
All Departments and the Board of Supervisors participated in the Solano County Cares Holiday Food Fight challenge with Contra Costa County.