San Francisco DOS Commission approves a slate of grants to sustain food, legal and community services during COVID

The Department of Disability and Aging Services Commission unanimously approved a package of grant renewals and new contracts Dec. 4 intended to sustain nutrition, social-connection and legal services for older adults and adults with disabilities through 2021 and beyond.

Staff presentations described how DOS partners kept programs running during the pandemic by shifting congregate meals to to-go or home-delivery models, offering wellness calls and virtual programming, and adapting safety procedures for limited one-on-one services. Executive Director Shereen McFadden highlighted the importance of continued federal and state support and said that “effective December 1 ... California is ... expanding access to Medi Cal for older adults and people with disabilities,” and that DOS will work with the Human Services Agency (HSA) and community partners to help residents navigate the changes.

Key grants approved include a new agreement with the Chinatown Community Development Center to provide a home-delivered grocery program for SRO residents (01/01/2021–06/30/2025) and a multi-provider renewal of the Home Delivery Grocery Program covering 01/01/2021–06/30/2021 (three grantees that delivered over 142,000 food bags in 2019–20). Project Open Hand’s Healthy Outcomes nutrition program was renewed after staff cited outcome data: “92 percent of respondents reporting that their overall health has maintained or improved, 75 percent maintained or improved medication adherence, and 58 percent of clients with diabetes saw a reduction in their hemoglobin A1C.”

Commissioners also authorized programs that support neighborhood social-connection and volunteer-based services (community connectors, village and community-bridge models), a technology-and-connections grant for Curry Senior Center providing loaned iPads, Fitbits and training, and veterans-focused programming by Swords to Plowshares. Several contracts were described as incumbent renewals; staff said no providers were lost when pandemic pivots occurred.

Public commenters raised neighborhood issues and service needs: one caller pressed the commission to preserve the greenbelt and Harvey Milk Plaza at Castro Station while supporting elevator access; others emphasized the need for culturally competent legal services and language interpretation. Staff and contractors highlighted outreach to monolingual and limited-digital-access populations.

The commission recorded unanimous roll-call approvals for the agenda items covered in this roundup. Many contracts include a 10 percent contingency; totals named in staff presentations include $21,959,727 (community center contracts) and multiple program-level amounts listed on the agenda. Several commissioners recused themselves where conflicts were declared; staff maintained that quorum and voting thresholds were met.

The meeting adjourned after brief commissioner announcements and holiday greetings.