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Council seeds local immigration‑related aid, approves short‑term food delivery pilot amid outreach to county partners
Summary
The San Fernando City Council on July 8 authorized short‑term local funding to support families affected by immigration enforcement and to launch a one‑month food‑delivery pilot, while staff pursues broader county partnerships and drafts MOUs.
The San Fernando City Council directed staff on July 8 to expand local immigration‑related assistance and food distribution partnerships and approved initial seed funds for two nonprofit partners.
Financial assistance: Staff reported two nonprofit partners — Home Again LA and ICON CDC — can administer a rapid financial assistance program. Both proposed a small emergency award amount per household ($250 per individual / $500 per family under the nonprofit proposals) and an ability to launch within days of an agreement. Council approved a contract with Home Again LA for $10,000 to seed a local rapid‑response financial assistance program to help families facing urgent needs related to detentions or income loss tied to immigration enforcement. Staff will return contract documents and implementation details and will coordinate outreach through the city’s Business & Community Resource Center.
Food distribution pilot: Council also discussed immediate food delivery needs for families reporting fear of leaving home due to immigration enforcement. Council authorized a one‑month, $5,000 pilot with Ignite the Light of Hope to deliver groceries and essentials to families (two weekly distributions in San Fernando were discussed). Staff was directed to pursue county‑level funding partnerships (Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office) and to prioritize immediate delivery where safe and requested. Staff will prepare an agreement (MOU) and will return with distribution logistics, recordkeeping, and options to roll funding forward or expand if county funds become available.
Coordination and outreach: Social‑service staff said existing city partnerships include North Valley Caring Services (street outreach), Los Angeles Regional Food Bank programs (senior commodities, summer meals), and 1Generation senior nutrition. Council asked staff to ensure social‑service partners receive police outreach contact lists so cases are tracked and followed by services teams before enforcement actions are taken.
Why this matters: Council placed an explicit emphasis on immediate, local support for residents at risk of deportation or sudden income loss and on food access for families who say they are too fearful to leave home. The council funded initial local responses while staff pursues additional county and regional funding and formal agreements.
Next steps: Staff will finalize MOUs/agreements, publish outreach materials and referral steps, and onboard nonprofit partners for disbursement and delivery. Staff will report back on results and additional funding needs.
