Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Food Security topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Seaside Homeless Commission hears reports from grantees on food-security work
Summary
The commission received updates from Stepping Stone Outreach, the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Family Resource Center and Gathering for Women on how Seaside Homeless Commission grants have been used to provide meals, gift cards and wellness services; presenters reported specific totals and operational challenges including rising fuel costs and ongoing housing navigation needs.
The Seaside Homeless Commission on June 3 received presentations from three community organizations that used commission grants to support food-security programs.
John Holt, managing director of Stepping Stone Outreach, said the organization received a $9,000 grant and had spent about $2,100 through the end of April (May numbers were not yet included in the report). Holt told commissioners that fuel costs have risen sharply and are now Stepping Stone's largest expense; the organization provided a $250 gas stipend in April split among three volunteers to help with transportation. Holt said Stepping Stone collected roughly 47,000 pounds of food during the quarter and distributes food to about 1,000 people per month, noting most recipients are seniors and people experiencing homelessness. He corrected a slide error to report a quarterly total of 2,680 clients and said the program emphasizes perishable, higher-nutrition items such as milk, eggs, meat and produce.
"You're not going to find 47,000 pounds of food for a little over $2,000 anywhere," Holt said, describing the grant as highly leveraged and thanking the commission for supporting operations that include vehicle, utilities and communication costs.
Representatives from the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District's Family Resource Center — Aaron Wood, director of Student Support Services, and Erica Parker, the district's housing specialist — reported on a $4,000 grant used to support families in Seaside. Parker said 856 students who reside in Seaside qualify as McKinney-Vento students under federal law; the family resource center distributed 40 gift cards worth $50 each to families to meet immediate food needs and reported the cards help families who are unsheltered or living in vehicles or motels access culturally appropriate foods. Parker said the center also provides housing navigation and referrals to rental-assistance programs, and acts as a liaison between families and school sites for services such as tutoring and enrollment assistance.
"The gift card came at the right time for my family," Parker quoted a parent who received assistance. Parker said the center operates out of the district's family resource office at the adult school and continues to coordinate with local rental-assistance programs to support families seeking housing.
The commission later reopened business item 5A to receive a report from Gathering for Women. Ananette Lev, program facilitator, said Gathering for Women, in partnership with Community Human Services, operates shelter and meal programs for single women and families. Lev reported that between March and May the program provided about 745 meals to an average of 25 individuals and described associated wellness programming, including brief meditation sessions, laughter yoga, arts activities in partnership with the Monterey County Arts Council, and therapeutic services provided through community partners. Lev said the meals and programming aim to stabilize guests so they can pursue housing, mental-health and employment goals.
A member of the public who identified herself as Linda praised the shelter programming and asked about meditation and other wellness components; commissioners and presenters discussed expanding such offerings.
The commission did not take funding-action votes at the meeting; presenters said they will return with additional updates as requested.
