Council highlights city help securing $50,000 county grant for Ignite the Light of Hope food distribution

The San Fernando City Council on Monday approved a consent item that included a $5,000 city sponsorship to Ignite the Light of Hope for local food distribution services, and Councilwoman Victoria Garcia told the chamber that she supported the nonprofit’s successful county grant application for additional funding.

Why this matters: Garcia said the city’s $5,000 contribution helped Ignite the Light of Hope secure a roughly $50,000 grant from the county to expand food distributions. Councilmembers described the city’s role as leveraging limited municipal funds to attract larger county resources and to keep city funds available for other programs.

Garcia said the county grant will fund six months of expanded food-distribution activity at approximately $9,000 per month. She thanked staff for promptly preparing a letter of support that she said staff drafted in about a day. Garcia also emphasized San Fernando Together, the local initiative that provides rental assistance, food distribution and legal resource connections for residents affected by immigration enforcement.

The consent calendar item that funded the $5,000 sponsorship was approved by roll call during the meeting without separate discussion. A council member acknowledged that some residents had concerns about the food distribution line process; Garcia said city staff and partners aim to prevent any potential risks to undocumented residents and to use trusted community organizations to reach those most in need.

Next steps: Staff will continue coordination with the nonprofit and county partners on distribution logistics and program outreach.