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Adopt a resolution accepting Contra Costa County’s challenge to participate in the seventeenth-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 a resolution accepting Contra Costa County’s challenge to participate in the seventeenth-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 seventeenth 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 sixteen-year cumulative total of more than $1.58 million. With the friends of the food fight included, more than $2.01 million has been donated to the Food Bank.
In 2019, Solano County returned control of the coveted “Big Apple” trophy to Contra Costa County after holding on to it for three years in a row (2016, 2017 and 2018). 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.
The 2020 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight, if adopted by the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors at their November 10, 2020 meeting, will be presented to the Solano County Board of Supervisors at their November 17, 2020 meeting. If accepted by both Contra Costa and Solano County, the 2020 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight will commence on November 16 and run through December 31, 2020.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no cost associated with accepting the resolution challenging Contra Costa County to participate in the 2020 Counties Care Holiday Food Fight friendly challenge. If adopted by the Solano 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 $450,000 over the last sixteen years, and together, both counties have contributed more than $1.58 million to the Food Bank.
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 seventeenth consecutive year for the Counties Care Holiday Food Fight friendly challenge if the Solano County Board of Supervisors authorizes Solano County to participate against Costa County Board of Supervisors and their employees. To date, Solano County and Contra Costa County are tied at eight, the number of times each County has held on to the Big Apply trophy over the sixteen-year history of the challenge.
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.
On November 17, 2020, Joel Sjostrom, Executive Director for Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, will present to the Solano County Board of Supervisors, urging them to participate in the seventeenth-annual Counties Care Holiday Food Fight. If accepted, this year’s employee-to-employee food drive challenge will run from November 16 through December 31, 2020.
This year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic health emergency, the Counties Care Holiday Food Fight event planners are working closely with the Solano County Department of Health and Social Services, Public Health division, and the Solano County Department of Resource Management, Environmental Health division to establish safety protocols to help slow the transmission of COVID-19 disease and help keep everyone safe while participating in the fundraiser events. These protocols include, but are not limited to social distancing best practices, wearing face coverings, educating participants on what to expect and implementing cleaning procedures before, during and after every event.
ALTERNATIVES:
(1) The Board could choose not to accept the challenge from the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and employees this year, but this is not recommended as Solano County lost the food drive challenge last year and this would allow Solano 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.
(2) The Board could choose not to accept the challenge from the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and employees this year due to concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic health emergency, but this is not recommended, as staff is working closely with the Solano County Department of Health and Social Services, Public Health division and the Solano County Department of Resource Management, Environmental Health division to implement safety protocols designed to help slow the spread of COVID-19 transmission and keep everyone safe during the competition.
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.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION