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Committee amends and forwards $22.95M SF–Marin Food Bank grant to keep pantries running through June 2022

San Francisco Budget and Finance Committee · October 20, 2021

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Summary

The committee approved an amendment to extend and increase the Human Services Agency grant with the San Francisco Marin Food Bank, endorsing a reduced contingency tied to projected future expenditures and forwarding the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

The Budget & Finance Committee on Oct. 20 voted to forward an amended resolution that extends and increases the Human Services Agency’s grant agreement with the San Francisco Marin Food Bank to sustain COVID-19 food assistance through June 30, 2022.

Cindy Lin, manager of HSA’s food coordination team, told the committee the amendment would extend the grant term by six months and add $6,750,000 in new spending with a 10% contingency for a total not-to-exceed amount the department presented as $22,951,645. The San Francisco Marin Food Bank has operated pop-up pantries and an expanded home-delivery program during the pandemic, Lin said, adding that the program serves roughly 15,000 households per week at pop-up pantries and delivers about 8,000 grocery bags a week to seniors and adults with disabilities; the modification will fund approximately 375,000 bags of food through the extended term.

The Budget Legislative Analyst recommended the committee amend the resolution to set the not-to-exceed amount at $22,950,645, applying contingency to projected future expenditures rather than the full historical total. Supervisor Gordon Mar pressed staff on contingency assumptions and whether program participation was expected to decline; Lin said participation had not declined in the prior 20 months and HSA did not expect a decline during the extension, and the Department accepted the BLA’s recommendation.

Tanish Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco Marin Food Bank, spoke in support and said the two programs funded by this resolution would serve 24,500 unduplicated people in San Francisco through June 30, 2022 and that the bank serves upwards of 55,000 households in a given week across its operations. The committee amended the resolution as BLA recommended and voted to forward the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation; roll call recorded three “Aye” votes.

What’s next: The amended resolution will be transmitted to the Board of Supervisors for final action.