[00:00:03]
[1. ROLL CALL ]
NOW CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.WELCOME TO THE HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING.
IT IS TUESDAY, JULY 14TH, 2026.
IT IS 7:01 PM STAFF ROLL CALL PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER NAKAMURA PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER, YOU PRESENT VICE CHAIR ONELLI PRESENT AND CHAIR NELSON ZAPPS.
JUST NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER MCW IS NOW PRESENT.
SO WE HAVE EIGHT PRESENT AND ONE ABSENT, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM.
[2.PRESENTATIONS]
2.1.PRESENTATION BY OPEN HEART, KITCHEN, AND SPECTRUM COMMUNITY SERVICES REGARDING COORDINATED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY IN A LIVERMORE COMMUNITY.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THE HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM OPEN HEART KITCHEN'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOHN BOAST AND SPECTRUM COMMUNITY SERVICES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LAURA CALVERT, REGARDING THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND HOW THEY COLLABORATE TO SERVE THE LIVERMORE COMMUNITY.
IT'S NICE TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN.
GOT A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK THERE.
UM, WANT TO GO THROUGH SOME SLIDES HERE.
OH, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
I THINK IF YOU COULD TALK LOUD ENOUGH PROBABLY.
UM, I WANT TO GET TO WHAT OPEN HUNTER OUR KITCHEN DOES, BUT, UH, IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO SHARE A BIT ABOUT MISSION AND VISION AND VALUES, THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN ALIGNMENT WITH, AND THEY KEEP US ON TRACK.
UM, WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE AREN'T JUST PAPERWEIGHTS ON OUR DESK OR SIGNS THAT WE PUT IN THE BATHROOM TO TAKE UP WALL SPACE, BUT ACTUALLY GUIDE AND INFORM THE DECISIONS AND CHOICES THAT WE MAKE IT UP IN OUR KITCHEN.
SO, UH, WHO ARE WE? UM, MISSION? THIS IS, UH, ABOUT SIX YEARS OLD NOW.
UH, WE USED TO BE FEEDING, UH, OUR, OUR MISSION WAS TO FEED ANYONE HUNGRY IN THE TRI-VALLEY.
WELL, THAT'S NOT ENTIRELY TRUE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE HUNGRY TO COME TO, TO OUR SERVICES.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE THIS A LITTLE MORE EXPANSIVE AND A LITTLE MORE, UH, NOT SO CHARITY DRIVEN, BUT ALSO JUSTICE BASED.
AND SO WE PROVIDE ETHICAL ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD TODAY WHILE BUILDING A FOOD SECURE TOMORROW.
UM, THE FIRST HALF OF THAT SPEAKS TO THE CHARITY, UH, THE WALKING ALONGSIDE PEOPLE.
UH, THIS IS AN EVERYDAY PROCESS.
THEY CAN'T WAIT FIVE OR 10 YEARS, UH, DOWN THE ROAD FOR US TO, UH, TO MAKE CHANGES, UH, BUT AFTER THE COMMA FOR US, THAT SPEAKS TO THE JUSTICE PIECE OF THIS.
UH, THIS IS THE MARATHON WORK.
THIS IS THE POLICY LEVEL WORK IN SACRAMENTO AND WASHINGTON DC UH, WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE A FOOD SECURE TOMORROW, UH, WHERE OUR SERVICES AREN'T JUST STRIPPED AWAY, BUT THEY BECOME OBSOLETE, UH, VISION.
UM, OPEN HEART KITCHEN WILL WORK WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MEET THE MOST BA BASIC NEEDS OF VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY EMPOWERING THEM TO BUILD BETTER FUTURES.
UH, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS TO TRY TO POSITION AND SITUATE, UH, FOLKS, UH, FOR THEM TO TAKE HOLD OF THEIR OWN FUTURE.
UH, FOR MANY FOLKS, UH, THEY'VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO DREAM.
AND SO TO STABILIZE THEM AND TO, UH, GET THEM BACK ON THEIR FEET SO THAT THEY CAN START USING THAT PREFRONTAL CORTEX AND BEGIN DREAMING AND MAKING PLANS FOR THEIR FUTURE, UH, AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES WHERE THEY ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND SELF-SUSTAINING IS, UH, AN EXCITING PART OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UH, SOME CORE VALUES ARE GUARDRAILS THAT KEEP US ON TRACK, UH, THAT WE EVERY DAY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN ALIGNMENT WITH.
UH, THE VERY FIRST, UH, UH, IS VERY INTENTIONAL DIGNITY.
WITHOUT THIS, IT IS HARD TO DO ANY OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UH, SO CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, ENVIRONMENTS WHERE FOLKS CAN EXPERIENCE DIGNITY, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
UH, ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT VINEYARD RESOURCE CENTER IS EVERYONE THAT COMES IN, UH, WE TELL THEM THAT WE'RE ALREADY ON THEIR SIDE.
YOU, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO CONVINCE US.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO PERSUADE US.
WE'RE ALREADY, WE'RE ALREADY RIGHT THERE WITH THEM.
[00:05:01]
INNOVATION, UH, THIS WORK REQUIRES INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS.UM, IT ALWAYS HAS, IT ALWAYS WILL.
THIS IS A JOINT COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY EFFORT.
UH, BUT ADVOCACY IS A KEY COMPONENT, UH, OF CREATING SYSTEMIC CHANGE, UH, WHICH IS, UH, SPEAKING AGAIN TO GETTING UPSTREAM.
AND THEN FINALLY, COLLABORATION.
UH, THE SCOPE AND THE SCALE OF OUR PROBLEMS ARE SO LARGE.
THERE'S NEVER GOING TO BE A SINGLE NONPROFIT THAT CAN SOLVE IT ALL ON ITS OWN.
WE NEED EACH OTHER IN THIS WORK.
UH, IT'S MORE COMPREHENSIVE, AND IT'S MORE ROBUST WHEN WE DO THIS WORK TOGETHER.
SO, WHAT WE DO, UH, IN A NUTSHELL, OUR BACK, OUR BREAD AND BUTTER HAS ALWAYS BEEN PROVIDING MEALS.
IT STILL IS OUR BACKBONE AND BREAD AND BUTTER.
IN 2025 OPEN, OUR KITCHEN SERVED NEARLY 1 MILLION MILS.
THIS IS GOOD NEWS AND HORRIBLE NEWS WHERE YOU'RE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
UH, BUT SINCE 1995, OPEN HEART KITCHEN HAS SERVED OVER 9 MILLION MILLS.
ABOUT 3 MILLION OF THOSE 9 MILLION WERE SERVED DURING COVID VINEYARD RESOURCE CENTER.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THIS PLACE OPENED IN JAN, JANUARY 17TH, 2024, A DATE THAT WILL FOREVER BE BURNED.
IN MY MIND, UH, IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING JOURNEY FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
UH, BUT WE ARE HAPPY TO KEEP COUNTING.
UH, THE SHEER NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THIS FACILITY AND ACCESSED ITS SERVICES AND RESOURCES IS, UH, UH, HUMBLING EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE.
UH, COMMUNITY MILLS AT VINEYARD, WE SERVE NEARLY 115,000 COMMUNITY MILLS TO A LITTLE, ALMOST 1100 CLIENTS IN 2025.
THESE ARE UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS.
UM, PART OF THE RESOURCE CENTER IS NOT JUST FOOD, BUT IT ALSO INVOLVES, UH, THE ABILITY TO LAUNDER CLOTHES AND THE ABILITY TO WASH ONE'S BODY.
AND SO LAST YEAR IN 2025, WE DID NEARLY 3000 LOADS OF LAUNDRY AND NEARLY 8,000 SHOWERS.
SO 12 TO FIVE, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
THE DINING ROOM IS A PLACE THAT FOLKS EAT STARTING AT FIVE O'CLOCK, THE TABLES AND CHAIRS GET BROKEN DOWN, MOVED OUT TO MAKE SPACE, AND TO MAKE ROOM FOR 30, UH, COTS TO GO UP EVERY NIGHT FOR A RESERVED BED MODEL SHELTER.
SO IN 2025, WE PROVIDED, UH, NEARLY 10,500 COLLECTIVE NIGHT'S REST FOR 185 GUESTS IN 2025, UH, WE JUST CELEBRATED OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF OPEN HEART FOOD BANK.
THIS WAS OUR LATEST BIG PROJECT.
UH, WE BUILT OUT THIS 19,000 SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSE OFF OF PATTERSON PASS OUT BY LAWRENCE LIVERMORE AND SANDIA LABS.
IN 2025, WE PARTNERED WITH NINE LOCAL AGENCIES, UH, PANTRIES, FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS, UH, AND SERVED THE EQUIVALENT OF ALMOST 837,000 MILLS THROUGH THE FOOD BANK.
AND WE'VE RECOVERED OVER 160,000 POUNDS OF FOOD THROUGH OUR FOOD RECOVERY PARTNER, WHICH IS THE PLEASANT COSTCO.
ANOTHER PART OF WHAT WE DO, UH, WE JUST CELEBRATED OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR, IS OUR SENIOR MILL PROGRAM.
WE SERVED ALMOST 37,000 MILLS TO 707 SENIORS IN 2025.
AND NOT TO BURY THE LEAD
UH, REBECCA B ASSEMBLY MEMBER, REBECCA BAUER HANS, UM, NOMINEE FOR CALIFORNIA NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR.
UH, I, I DON'T WANNA PUT DISTRICT 16.
OUT OF EVERY NONPROFIT IN CALIFORNIA, LET'S OPEN OUR KITCHEN
AND LAURA, LAURA HAS SOME GOOD NEWS TO SHARE LATER.
SO I DO, HELLO? UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
SO, SO IN 2000, IN 2 20 25 IS AT ALMOST 1 MILLION MILS.
AND SINCE 9 95, IT'S 9 MILLION, OVER 9 MILLION MILS.
BUT FOR 25 IT'S LIKE ALMOST 10%.
WE ADDED OPEN HEART FOOD BANK, WHICH WE HAVE A FORMULA THAT CONVERTS POUNDS OF FOOD TO THE EQUIVALENT MILLS.
SO JUST ON THE AMOUNT OF POUNDS OF FOOD THAT WE REDISTRIBUTED TO THOSE NINE PARTNER AGENCIES IN 2025, THAT WAS NEARLY 836,000 MILLS.
ADD THAT TO ROUGHLY 115,000 COMMUNITY MILLS.
37,000 SENIOR MILLS GETS AS CLOSE TO THAT 1 MILLION MILL MARK, 2025.
SO YOU CALCULATE NOW THROUGH PER MEAL, IT'S LIKE YOU CALCULATE THROUGH LIKE THE WEIGHT OF FOOD.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THE CONVERSION TO, TO GET TO, I MEAN, SOME IN, SOME, IN SOME CIRCLES, POUNDS OF FOOD IS THE PREFERRED KINDA METRIC FOR US.
SINCE WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT NUMBER OF MILLS, WE HAD TO COME UP WITH A CONVERSION FORMULA TO ACTUALLY SHARE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE LARGEST SORT OF MILL ENVIRONMENT.
SO ALSO, DO YOU HAVE LIKE, UM,
[00:10:01]
WELL, NOWADAYS YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT, LIKE I HEARD YOU SAY ABOUT, UH, YOUR MORE LIKE TRY TO BE MORE DIGNITY.SO TRY, DO YOU HAVE LIKE A, A NUTRITION, LIKE FOCUSED NOT SERVING LIKE THOSE JUNK FOOD OR FOR YEAH, WE DON'T SERVE THAT JUNK FOOD.
UM, FOR THE SENIOR MILLS, WE ARE ACTUALLY AS PART OF THE COUNTY CONTRACT REQUIRED TO WORK WITH A REGISTERED DIETICIAN WHO HAS TO APPROVE ALL OF THOSE MILLS.
WE FOLLOW THAT SAME GUIDELINE VERY CLOSELY ON OUR COMMUNITY MILL SIDE AS WELL.
TWO, IT'S JUST EASIER NOT TO HAVE TO, UM, CREATE, RECREATE THE WHEEL.
SO, UH, WE'RE NOT HAVING TO MAKE A TON OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF MILLS WHEN WE CAN SORT OF PIGGYBACK ON ONE ANOTHER.
FOR THE COMMUNITY MEAL PROGRAM, NUTRITIOUS AND HEALTHY NUT, NUTRIENT DENSE, UH, PROTEIN STARCH, VEGETABLE FOR EVERY MEAL, MEATLESS.
SO CALCULATE ALL LIKE THE PORTION LIKE PROTEIN HAVE TO SERVED AND LIKE, UH, REDUCE LIKE, I MEAN LIKE THE SUGAR PROVIDED, LIKE YOU HAVE LIKE ABSOLUTELY.
AND ALSO LIKE 2%, LIKE WE SAY, ALWAYS SAY LIKE, LOW FAT MILK, WE SERVE LIKE THIS CATEGORY MILK.
BECAUSE I VISIT A SPECTRUM AND THEY DO LIKE 2%.
BUT WHAT ABOUT CLIENT ASK YOU THEY WANT A WHOLE FAT MILK
I MEAN, IF YOU WAIT LONG ENOUGH, SOMEONE WILL SAY, WHOLE MILK IS BETTER FOR YOU.
AND THEN 2% IS BETTER FOR YOU EVERY FIVE YEARS.
IT, THE MILK PIECE ONLY REALLY COMES INTO PLAY FOR OUR SENIOR CLIENTS.
WE DON'T SERVE MILK AT THE COMMUNITY MILL PARK THAT WE DO AT VINEYARD.
SO WE'VE GOT WATER, WE HAVE JUICE, WE HAVE TEA, WE HAVE COFFEE.
SO THEN, UM, THAT'S FROM MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO NEXT PAGE IS THE VINYARD RESOURCE CENTER.
SO, BECAUSE HERE, UM, ON THIS PAGE IT SAID, UH, UH, 140, LIKE MEALS, A THOUSAND MEALS SERVED COMPARED WITH THE 900, ALMOST 1 MILLION.
SO THIS IS ONLY ONE LOCATION, RIGHT.
OUR COMMUNITY MILL PROGRAM SERVE OUR KITCHEN.
OUR ONLY KITCHEN EXISTS AT THE VINEYARD RESOURCE CENTER, AND THAT'S WHERE COMMUNITY MILL PROGRAM EXISTS.
SO MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 12 TO FIVE.
SO I DID A LITTLE CALCULUS, LIKE A TABLE.
AND SO TOTAL MEALS WE SERVE IS 140,379, UH, TOTAL MEALS.
AND THE CLIENTS YOU SAID IS NOT DUPLICATED.
SO IT'S LIKE ALMOST KINDA LIKE A HUNDRED AND FIVE SEVENTY ONE MEALS PER CLIENT.
SO THAT MEANS ONE THIRD OF THE DAY, THEIR CLIENTS COME TO THE KITCHEN TO EAT.
SO THE RESOURCE CENTER IS NOT OPEN ON THE WEEKENDS.
WE'D LOVE TO, AT SOME POINT IN TIME GET TO SEVEN DAYS A WEEK SERVICE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, YEAH, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 12 TO FIVE.
AND THEN NEXT PAGE IS, UH, UH, THERE IS A SENIORS MEAL PROGRAM NOW.
SO YOU HAVE 96,964 SENIORS MALE SERVED AND TOTAL SERVED TO 707 CLIENTS.
SO THAT WOULD BE CA CALCULATE 52 MEALS MALES PER, YOU KNOW, THAT MEANS SENIOR HAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS MALE COMPARED WITH THE GENERAL CLIENT.
I THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN AT THE COMMUNITY MALE PROGRAM, UH, ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER INCOME INDIVIDUALS THAT TAKE ACCESS TO THAT.
UH, THERE ARE CERTAINLY LOW AND EXTREMELY LOW INCOME SENIORS THAT ACCESS MALES AT OUR SENIOR CENTER SITES.
BUT WHAT WE FIND THERE MORE SO THAN OUR COMMUNITY MALE PROGRAM IS SENIORS SHOW UP, NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY MIGHT BE FOOD INSECURE, BUT THEY LIKE THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL CONNECTION OF DINING WITH OTHER SENIORS.
SO DO HAVE, LIKE, UH, SO THOSE SENIORS THAT THEY HAVE TO DRIVE TO YOUR LOCATION? YEAH.
OR DO YOU HAVE LIKE TRAFFIC, LIKE, RIGHT.
SO WE, WE SERVE SENIOR MILLS OUT OF ROBERT LIVERMORE COMMUNITY CENTER FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
DUBLIN SENIOR CENTER AND PLEASANTON SENIOR CENTER.
SO, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S MY QUESTION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.
I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING OPEN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND SO THANK YOU.
MY QUESTION IS, UH, AS, AS YOU SEE THE INCREASE FROM 25, AND WE ARE ALREADY MID 2026, HOW, HOW ARE FORECASTING SUPPLY CHAIN, THE INVENTORY AND ALSO THE BRANDS THAT, UH, ARE COMING IN SOMETIMES YOU MAY NOT EVEN GET, AND WHAT'S YOUR PLAN FOR
[00:15:01]
UM, MOMENTS OF CRISIS THAT WE SAW LIKE LAST FALL, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN THE SUSPENSION OF THOSE SNAP CUTS, WHICH FORTUNATELY WERE SHORT LIVED.WE DID NOT SEE, UM, AN UPTICK IN THE NEED FOR THE COMMUNITY MOST SERVICE.
BUT WHERE WE DID SEE IT WAS IN THE DEMAND FOR FOOD FROM OUR FOOD PANTRY PARTNERS.
I THINK THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE, IN PART BECAUSE THE FOOD, THE FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS AND PANTRIES, UM, ARE JUST MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE SOMETIMES THAN COMING TO A VINEYARD RESOURCE CENTER, UH, TRYING TO FIND A PLACE TO PARK, WHICH IS DIFFICULT THERE
UH, I THINK, UH, THEY'RE JUST EASIER TO ACCESS.
WHAT, WHAT WE DID NOT HAVE TO DO LAST YEAR THAT WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO, UH, IS ADD AN ADDITIONAL, UH, TRUCK DROP OF FOOD FROM ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK RIGHT NOW.
WE GET A BIG TRUCK, A BIG DROP EVERY MONDAY MORNING.
WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO OVER 3 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD.
WE DON'T HAVE THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION PIPELINE IN THE TRI-VALLEY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT, WE REALLY AREN'T.
WE'VE GOTTEN OUT OF THE, THE POPUP PANTRY, FOOD PANTRY MODEL FOR US.
THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DO THAT AND DO THAT WELL.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A WAY FOR US TO GROW IN THE TRI-VALLEY, UM, IS MAKING SURE THAT IF THE FOOD BANK HAS THE CAPACITY TO MOVE 3 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD A YEAR, WHICH IT DOES, UH, DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DELIVER THAT MUCH? AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE ROWING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
RIGHT? UH, THE ANALOGY I USE IS, UH, OUR ANSWER TO, UH, SOLVING TRAFFIC CONGESTION WAS WHAT? TO BUILD BIGGER FREEWAYS.
WHAT HAPPENED? IT JUST PUT MORE CARS ON THE ROAD.
UH, ALAMEDA COUNTY FOOD BANK IN 2019, JUST ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THE, THE PANDEMIC, THEY WERE DOING 26 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD A YEAR.
THEY NOW DO 62 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD A YEAR.
WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF EXIT STRATEGIES TO DO THIS.
UH, TO COMPOUND THIS FURTHER, WE HAVE, WE HAVE ESSENTIALLY STITCHED IN THE NON-PROFIT, INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX INTO, UH, POOR CORPORATE DECISIONS THAT ALLOW CORPORATIONS AND COMPANIES TO NOT PAY THEIR PEOPLE AND THEN MAKE PHILANTHROPIC DONATIONS TO FOOD BANKS FOR THE VERY, FOR THE EMPLOYEES THAT THEY THEMSELVES WILL NOT PAY.
AND SO, UNTIL WE CAN RAISE LABOR, UNTIL WE CAN CONSTRAIN EXPENSES, WE ARE ON A DEATH SPIRAL OF FEWER AND FEWER EXIT RAMPS.
UH, OUR WORK, AND I THINK, UH, LAURA, UH, WILL SPEAK TO THIS TOO.
IT IS GETTING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO SHORTEN THE LINE, WHICH IS ALL OF OUR GOAL.
WE'VE GOTTEN TO A POINT NOW WHERE WE'RE MEASURING SUCCESS BY DOING MORE.
UH, FOR EVERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM WE DO, WE'VE GOTTA RAISE MORE MONEY TO SUSTAIN IT YEAR OVER YEAR WITH, WITH MORE AND MORE COMPETITION AMONG ONE ANOTHER FOR FUNDING STREAMS, RIGHT? IT JUST, IT'S A, IT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.
UH, NONE OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE INEVITABILITY, ALTHOUGH WE SPEAK OF THEM THAT WAY.
THESE ARE ALL POLICY DECISIONS.
WE SAW THAT THE POVERTY, FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL GO DOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 60 YEARS OVER THE PANDEMIC.
WHY? BECAUSE WE PULLED LEVERS LIKE TAX CREDITS THAT WENT OUT MONTHLY, NOT ONCE A YEAR, AND GAVE PEOPLE SPENDING POWER TO NOT HAVE TO COME TO FOOD BANKS THAT HAVE WEIRD HOURS, BUT TO GO TO GROCERY STORES AND BUY THE FOOD OF THEIR CHOICE, RIGHT? THAT'S DIGNITY.
RIGHT? WE ALREADY HAVE FOOD BANKS.
THEY'RE CALLED GROCERY STORES.
WHAT WE DON'T HAVE ARE SPENDING POWER FOR FAMILIES.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE, WE ARE ON AN OUT OF CONTROL TRAIN RIGHT NOW, AND WE ARE RUNNING AS FAST AS WE CAN JUST TO DEAL WITH THE DOWNSTREAM METRICS, UH, WHICH ARE, UH, OVERWHELMING.
WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF CAPACITY TO DO IT.
UH, WHILE WE'RE ALSO TRYING THE, TO, TO KEEP UP WITH THE CHALLENGE OF PAYING OUR STAFF SO THEY THEMSELVES DON'T HAVE TO RELY ON THE SERVICES THAT THEY THEMSELVES ARE DELIVERING.
SO IT IS, IT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.
UH, THIS IS NOT MY CONVERSATION I HAVE WITH DONORS.
THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, MOST OF THEM.
BUT THIS IS THE TRUTH AND THIS IS THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE FACING.
UM, AND KIND OF LEADING INTO THAT, AND, AND I SEE THESE NUMBERS INCREASING.
GOOD WAY TO PUT, IT'S THAT INCREASING, THAT MEASURE, THAT SUCCESS, BUT AT SOME POINT YOU CAN'T MEET THAT.
BUT IS THERE A CRITERIA IN WHICH YOU SET THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO COME TO THE FOOD BANK AND, AND THIS IS HOW, WHAT THEY GET? UM, AND I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO SET THAT CRITERIA TO SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NORMALLY QUALIFIED TO RECEIVE THIS, UM, BUT AT SOME POINT YOU JUST CAN'T SERVE EVERYONE.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING HOW THAT WAS.
YEAH, AND SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, STEVEN.
SOME OF THE, UH, LIKE THE COUNTY CONTRACTS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR LIKE THE CONGREGATE MILL, UH, C ONE CON, UH, CONTRACT AS IT'S CALLED, HAS SOME OF THOSE MEANS TESTED
[00:20:01]
INCOME ELIGIBILITY LEVERS THAT WE CAN PULL, KNOCK ON WOOD, WE'RE NOT AT A POINT YET WHERE WE'VE HAD TO, TO ESSENTIALLY TRIAGE.BUT THOSE LEVERS ARE THERE OFFICIALLY IN SOME CONTRACTUAL CAPACITIES.
AND OTHERS, THEY'RE THERE UNOFFICIALLY WHERE WE KNOW WHEN WE LOOK OUT, UH, AND WE ALL, WE ALL ARE PASSING THAT, THAT QUICK LITTLE JUDGMENT JUST, UH, JUST BASED ON THE CAR SOMEONE DROVE UP IN, OR THE WAY SOMEONE DRESSES, LIKE, YOU DON'T REALLY NEED AS MUCH HELP AS THIS PERSON OVER HERE.
BUT IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW, UM, WHAT SOMEONE'S GOING THROUGH.
UH, MIGHT HAVE A NICE CAR, BUT YOU MIGHT BE SLEEPING OUT OF IT.
I MEAN, THERE ARE JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT DYNAMICS AND VARIABLES TO THIS, BUT WE COULD GET TO THAT.
UH, AND IN FACT, WE'RE KIND OF IN PART OF THAT DEATH SPIRAL IS SOMETIMES PEOPLE TAKE A STEP UP AND NOW THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN WORSE CASE THAN THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE RECEIVING THE SERVICE BECAUSE THEY MADE $1 LESS, WHICH QUALIFY THEM FOR A PROGRAM.
NOW THAT THEY MAKE $1 MORE, NOW THEY'RE OUT OF IT.
LIKE THEIR SNAP BENEFITS GO DOWN, RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THAT AND THE SOCIAL SERVICE SECTOR THAT ACTUALLY PEOPLE THEN HAVE TO RUN FASTER JUST TO KEEP UP, RIGHT? THEY, AND SO, AND WE CAN'T MAKE IT BETTER TO BE IN WORSE CASE.
AND, AND SOMETIMES OUR PROGRAMS DO THAT.
AND I, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, I KNOW THE, THE COLLECTIONS YOU HAVE AND, AND IN GENERAL THE FOOD FOODING.
UM, BUT A LOT OF THAT COMES WHAT PREPACKAGED? I'M JUST THINKING LIKE IF IT'S A HUNDRED POUND BAG OF BEANS, HOW, HOW DOES THAT GET TO A POINT WHERE IT'S OBSERVABLE FOR SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL? THAT MEANS THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE WATER COOKING? I MEAN, HOW DO, HOW DO YOU DISTRIBUTE SOME OF THESE HARD, YOU KNOW, UH, CONGREGATED TYPE PROGRAMS THAT DISTRIBUTED OUT? YEAH, AND I THINK, I THINK, SO VINEYARD, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE COMMUNITY MILL PROGRAM THERE WHERE SOMEONE CAN COME AND DINE IN, OR SOMEONE CAN TAKE MILLS TO GO IN A TO-GO CONTAINER, WHICH DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY KIND OF UTENSILS OR APPLIANCES TO PREPARE, COOK THAT FOOD, THERE ARE CERTAIN FOLKS THAT WILL GRAVITATE MORE TOWARDS THAT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL FOOD PANTRIES THEMSELVES, EACH, EACH PANTRY HAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT REQUEST IN TERMS OF HOW WE SOMETIMES SORT AND PACK THOSE LARGER BULK ITEMS LIKE POTATOES OR CARROTS OR ONIONS.
THEY KNOW THEIR CLIENTELE BETTER THAN WE DO.
SO WE TRUST, WE TRUST THE FOOD PANTRY LEADERS, UH, TO TELL US EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, DISTRIBUTION WORKS BEST FOR THEM.
SO THAT WHEN WE DELIVER THOSE, HOW, HOWEVER WE'VE SORTED AND PACK THAT IT'S REFLECTIVE OF WHAT THE CLIENTS ARE TELLING THEM, IT'S IS MOST EASIEST FOR THEM TO SORT OF, UM, USE AND COOK IN THEIR OWN HOME BASED ON WHAT THEY HAVE TO PREPARE THOSE MEALS.
SO, UH, YES, SOMEONE WHO'S UNHOUSED, THERE ARE UNHOUSED FOLKS THAT GO TO FOOD PANTRIES, UH, BUT THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TYPE OF FOOD THEY CAN TAKE WITH THEM.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO HOME AND, AND, AND, AND FIRE UP THE STOVE.
UH, SO THAT PARTICULAR CLIENT WILL TAKE A CERTAIN, CERTAIN TYPE OF PRODUCT, OTHER CLIENTS THAT OUR HOUSE THAT HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE APPLIANCES AND KITCHEN UTENSILS WILL TAKE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PRODUCT.
AND SO THE FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS AND PANTRIES ARE REALLY, REALLY, UH, ADEPT AT, AT FIGURING OUT HOW TO SERVE EACH DIFFERENT TYPE OF CLIENT THAT COMES THROUGH THEIR DOORS.
UM, HEY, JOHN, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I WANNA ECHO WHAT SAID ABOUT, UM, THE GOOD JOB THAT FOLKS DO.
UM, WHAT I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE FACE OF, BUT ALSO THE UPSTREAM FOLKS THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, UM, THERE'S AN, THERE'S AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT GOES INTO TO MAKING THIS HAPPEN, WHETHER IT'S, UH, A FARM LEVEL USING GROWING VEGETABLES, DELIVERY, CLEANING, I MEAN, AND THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS INVOLVED.
IT'S, UH, JUST FOR ME IT'S MIND BOG.
AND THANKS FOR GIVING ME THE TOUR.
BUT, UH, JUST TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND THIS WHOLE NON-PROFIT, MY POINT YOU MENTIONED, UM, UH, CARBON INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT IS, IT IS TRULY A, A MEGA OPERATION.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR YOU, YOUR VOLUNTEERS.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES, UH, THAT WE SEE.
I, I DON'T, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BE THINKING, THERE'S NO EASY SOLUTION TO THIS, BUT, UH, APPRECIATE THE WORK AND, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[00:25:01]
I DUNNO.IS THIS, IS THIS EVEN PICKING ME UP? YEAH.
FOR, I CAN'T HEAR IT RIGHT HERE.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE.
I'M LAURA CALVERT, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SPECTRUM COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UM, ONE OF OUR, ONE OF OUR NEWEST EMPLOYEES, TANYA WILSON MORAN.
SHE IS OUR MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM MANAGER, UM, AND A RESIDENT OF LIVERMORE.
AND SO REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE HER ON BOARD.
AND SHE'S BEEN WITH US FOR LIKE, UH, 20 DAYS, THREE WEEKS TODAY.
SO STILL GETTING TO KNOW EVERYBODY.
SO, SPECTRUM COMMUNITY SERVICES.
UM, WE ARE, UH, CELEBRATING OUR 55TH ANNIVERSARY THIS FALL.
AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A PREVIEW, SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY ROLLED OUT YET.
UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE USING A TAGLINE, 55 YEARS STRONGER TOGETHER.
AND AS I WAS LISTENING TO JOHN TALK ABOUT OPEN HEART KITCHEN AND COLLABORATION, REALLY, WE HAVE A LOT OF ALIGNMENT IN THE, THOSE WAYS OF TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NONE OF US DO THIS BY OURSELVES.
UM, IT'S ALL OF US TOGETHER THAT MAKE, MAKE THESE PROGRAMS WORK AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITY WORK AS A WHOLE.
UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GROUND OURSELVES, UM, IN OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND SPECTRUM COMMUNITY SERVICES ENHANCES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING LOW INCOME HERE IN ALAMEDA COUNTY.
AND YOU'LL SEE, AND, AND THERE'S REALLY THOSE TWO, TWO GROUPS, UM, OF PEOPLE WHO ACCESS OUR SERVICES.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE 60 YEARS OLD AND BETTER THAT FOR OUR SENIOR SERVICES.
AND THEN THERE'S THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING LOW INCOME OF ALL AGES AND THEIR HOUSEHOLD, UM, INCOME QUALIFIES FOR OUR ENERGY PROGRAMS. SO I WANTED TO TOUCH ON OUR ENERGY PROGRAMS JUST FOR A SECOND.
UM, WE ARE THE SOLE PROVIDER OF THE LIHEAP AND WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS IN ALL OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
UM, THE KEY PIECES OF THAT IS HELPING PEOPLE PAY THEIR PG E BILLS AS WELL AS GOING IN AND WEATHERIZING THEIR HOMES.
AND REALLY, THAT USUALLY LOOKS LIKE A, UM, SOMEBODY BEING IN A CRISIS SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE WATER HEATER, THEIR FURNACE OR THEIR AIR CONDITIONING ISN'T WORKING, AND, AND THEY NEED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE.
UM, SOMETIMES IT'S WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CALL PG AND E.
THEY'RE LIKE, SOMETHING'S NOT WORKING.
MY, MY WATER HEATER'S NOT WORKING, RIGHT? PG E COMES OUT AND THEY SAY, OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S NOT WORKING, AND YOU HAVE A GAS LEAK.
AND SO THEY, WHAT'S CALLED CAP IT OFF.
AND SO THEY TURN THE GAS OFF ON THAT WATER HEATER, AND NOW YOU REALLY HAVE NO WATER, HOT WATER IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD.
HAVE ANY OF YOU GUYS LIVE WITHOUT HOT WATER IN YOUR HOUSE? IT'S REALLY HARD TO TAKE A SHOWER.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO WASH YOUR, WASH YOUR DISHES.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO STAY HEALTHY.
SO SOME FAMILIES THEN ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE 3000 TO $8,000 TO REPLACE A WATER HEATER.
AND SO THEY GET REFERRED TO US AND, AND WE GO OUT AND WE MITIGATE THAT AS, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN IDEA OF WHAT THOSE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS ARE.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR LIVERMORE? SO LAST YEAR, UM, LAST FISCAL YEAR, SO JULY THROUGH JUNE, UM, WE GAVE 135 LIVERMORE HOUSEHOLDS, UM, ALMOST $95,000 IN CREDITS ON THEIR PG E BILLS TO HELP THEM, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEIR PG E DOESN'T GET DISCONNECTED, MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY CAN HANDLE THOSE BILLS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN BUY OTHER THINGS THAT THERE AREN'T PROGRAMS FOR.
UM, ALSO, FIVE LIVERMORE RESIDENTS GOT THOSE EXTRA SERVICES OF WEATHERIZATION, AND, UM, THAT CAME TO ABOUT $35,000 WORTH OF, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO THOSE HOMES.
AND PEOPLE CAN BE EITHER A HOMEOWNER OR A RENTER AND GET, GET THESE KINDS OF ASSISTANCE.
ONE THING I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT, UM, WE NOW WILL HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF LIVERMORE FOR THE HOME REHABILITATION PROGRAM.
AND WE'RE STILL IN THE STARTING PHASES OF IT, BUT, UM, PEOPLE, UM, CAN GET UP TO $10,000 THROUGH THIS CITY GRANT PROGRAM.
AND WE DO HAVE TWO, UM, CLIENTS ALREADY IDENTIFIED HERE IN LIVERMORE.
AND WE ARE IN PROCESS OF GETTING, UM, THIS WORK DONE.
[00:30:01]
BOTH OF THESE CLIENTS, UM, ALSO, UM, WERE WEATHERIZATION CLIENTS.AND SO WE'VE ALREADY DONE WEATHERIZATION WORK ON THEIR MOBILE HOMES.
THEY BOTH HAPPEN TO, THEY BOTH HAPPEN TO LIVE IN THE SAME MOBILE HOME PARK
SO THEY WANT, THEY NEED A RAMP FOR ACCESS, UM, BETTER LIGHTING, UM, IN, IN THEIR HOME, UM, AND RE UH, SOME WINDOWS AND SCREEN SCREENS.
UM, THE OTHER CLIENT IS ALSO A MEALS ON WHEELS CLIENT, AND WE HAVE ALREADY DONE, UM, A LOT OF THINGS, UM, THERE TO HELP THIS PERSON WHO IS, UM, IN A WHEELCHAIR AND LIVES ALONE.
UM, SO MOBILITY, IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO, TO DO DAILY TASKS.
AND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF OUTDOOR CLEANUP AND PLUMBING, UM, THINGS THAT, THAT NEED TO BE DONE AT THAT HOME.
I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING, GETTING SOME OF THESE COMPLETED AND, AND, UM, AND SHOWING THE RESULTS OF, OF THAT AS WELL.
SO, TRANSITIONING TO MEALS ON WHEELS, UM, SPECTRUM COMMUNITY SERVICES IS THE MEALS ON WHEELS PROVIDER IN THE TRI-VALLEY, AND MEALS ON WHEELS IS A, IS A BRAND NAME THAT IS KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY.
UM, AND JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU GUYS REALIZE WE'RE THE LOCAL PROVIDER MEALS ON WHEELS OF AMERICA.
THEY ARE A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION THAT WE PAY DUES TO.
THEY DO FABULOUS ADVOCACY WORK AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
THEY HELP ME STAY ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, BUT I DON'T GET MONEY FROM THEM.
MEALS ON WHEELS, CALIFORNIA, SAME THING.
IT'S A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION THAT, THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN.
WE ALSO GET A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT KINDS OF RESOURCES FROM THEM.
AND THEN MEALS ON WHEELS OF ALAMEDA COUNTY IS A, UM, NON-PROFIT, UM, OF ITS OWN.
THAT SOLE PURPOSE IS TO RAISE MONEY FOR ALL OF THE MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT ALAMEDA COUNTY.
AND FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT THEY RAISE ABOUT 16 CENTS OF THAT COMES TO, TO SPECTRUM FOR THE MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM HERE.
UM, SO WHAT IS MEALS ON WHEELS? UM, MEALS ON WHEELS IS MORE THAN JUST THE MEAL.
THAT NUTRITION COMPONENT OF THE HOT MEAL THAT WE SERVE FIVE DAYS A WEEK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S ALSO A WELLNESS CHECK.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR MEALS ON CLIENTS LIVE ALONE AND STUDIES SHOW THAT MEALS ON WHEELS, CLIENTS THAT LIVE ALONE SPEND OVER 10 HOURS OF THEIR WAKING HOURS BY THEMSELVES.
SO THEM KNOWING THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET A KNOCK ON THE DOOR AT 1130 EVERY MORNING, AND A VOL, A FRIENDLY VOLUNTEER'S GONNA COME TO THEIR AND TALK WITH THEM AND SOCIALIZE WITH THEM FOR A FEW MINUTES.
IT MAKES SURE THAT THEY GET UP AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET DRESSED.
IT GIVES THEM SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, AND IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF, OF OUR DELIVERY.
UM, SO WHAT KIND OF IMPACT HAVE WE HAD HERE IN LIVERMORE IN THE LAST YEAR? WE SERVED 255 SENIORS, ALMOST 41,000 MEALS.
WE DID THIS WITH, UM, 78 VOLUNTEER DRIVERS, UM, WHO PUT IN ABOUT 4,700 VOLUNTEER HOURS.
UM, AND WE DO THAT 247 DELIVERY DAYS, SO MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, UM, AND EXCLUDING A COUPLE OF HOLIDAYS, THIS REALLY IS A TEAM EFFORT.
AND, UM, THIS IS MARINA, A CLIENT HERE IN LIVERMORE.
UM, AND SHE HAS GOTTEN WRAPAROUND SERVICES FROM US.
SHE'S BOTH A MEALS ON WHEELS CLIENT AND HAS RECEIVED, UM, ASSISTANCE WITH HER PG E BILL AND WEATHERIZATION SERVICES FROM SPECTRUM.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS AND WHERE ARE WE? SO LET'S, UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, UM, THIS PAST YEAR ABOUT 77,000 MEALS IN THE ENTIRE TRI-VALLEY.
AND IF WE LOOK BACK 11 YEARS, WE WERE SERVING ABOUT 34,000 MEALS.
SO OVER THE CO COURSE OF 11, 10 YEARS, RIGHT? WE'VE MORE THAN DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF MEALS ON WHEELS MEALS THAT, THAT WE'RE PROVIDING.
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING DOOR TO DOOR DOUBLE CHECKING ON EVERYBODY TO SEE WHO, WHO NEEDS TO SIGN UP.
UM, DURING COVID, WE SAW, WE, WE SAW, WE SAW A BUMP UP, AND SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT, OH, WELL, THAT'LL GO BACK DOWN.
OUR NUMBERS HAVE NOT GONE BACK DOWN AT ALL.
WE ARE DEALING WITH AN AGING POPULATION,
[00:35:01]
RIGHT? UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 20 TO 25% OF THE POPULATION HERE IN LIVERMORE ARE 60 YEARS AND OLDER.AND OUR OLDER OLD IS THE FASTEST GROWING PORTION OF THE POPULATION.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES WHO RELY ON SERVICES LIKE MEALS ON WHEELS THE MOST.
UM, WE ARE ALSO SEEING THE CLIENTS WHO ARE ON MEALS ON WHEELS STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY.
UM, WE USED TO GET ABOUT A DOLLAR A MEAL IN CLIENT CONTRIBUTIONS, COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY.
SOME PEOPLE DON'T GIVE US ANYTHING.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE MEANSES AND, AND, AND WRITE US A, A BIGGER CHECK.
UM, WE HAVE, IT'S PART OF OUR RULES WE HAVE TO ASK, BUT IT, IT IS CERTAINLY NOT A, A BARRIER AT ALL.
BUT WE HAVE REALLY SEEN, UM, A SERIOUS DROP IN THE CLIENT CONTRIBUTIONS PER MEAL.
UM, PARTICULARLY STARTED LAST NOVEMBER WHEN THE SNAP BENEFITS WERE ON THE NEWS.
I THINK THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF PANIC, UM, AND PEOPLE WERE SCARED.
AND THEN SINCE THEN, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF OTHER ECONOMIC PRESSURES ON FOLKS, AND THIS IS DISCRETIONARY.
AND SO THIS JUST ALWAYS TELLS ME THE STORY THAT, THAT OUR, THAT OUR CLIENTS ARE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY.
UM, SO WHO CAN GET MEALS ON WHEELS? I SAID, DO YOU NEED TO BE 60 YEARS OR, UM, BETTER HOME BOUND AND UNABLE TO PREPARE MEALS FOR YOURSELF AND BE A RESIDENT HERE IN THE TRI-VALLEY? UM, FOLKS CAN SIGN UP, UM, GET INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT WE'RE A LITTLE OLD SCHOOL AND WE LOVE FOR YOU JUST TO CALL US UP
UM, THAT, THAT IS, UH, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THAT GENERATION LIKES TO REACH OUT TO US ANYWAY IS, IS BY THE PHONE.
THEY ARE DELIVERING 1500 MEALS A WEEK, AND IT TAKES US AT LEAST A, WE HAVE A HUNDRED VOLUNTEER SLOTS IN THE TRI-VALLEY.
WE RELY ON PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR A HUNDRED DIFFERENT SLOTS.
AND IT'S, I THINK IT'S GONNA GROW TO 105, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE FIVE, FIVE MORE VOLUNTEER SPOTS THAT WE NEED TO, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA ADD ONTO THAT WEEKLY, UM, LIST.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS.
UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER WITH US OR IF YOU HAVE A FRIEND, UM, PLEASE REFER THEM TO US.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, THE CITY OF LIVERMORE IS HUGE.
UM, THIS COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CDBG AND SOE FUNDS THAT YOU GIVE, UM, ARE THE BACKBONE OF PAYING FOR OUR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT THE VOLUNTEERS WHO, WHO, WHO GO OUT AND, AND, UM, DO THE DELIVERIES EVERY DAY.
UH, WE GET SOME FUNDING, BUT MOST OF THAT FUNDING GOES TOWARDS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE MEALS RIGHT.
AND SPEC SPECTRUM RELIES ON THE CITY FUNDING AND, UM, OTHER FUNDRAISING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP THIS PROGRAM GOING.
I'LL ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FIRST, AND THEN I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT
UM, LIHEAP IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM, UM, THROUGH HHS, AND IT IS FOUND IN COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
UM, LAST YEAR I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, WHETHER THAT PROGRAM WAS GOING TO SURVIVE.
AND, UM, THE VOTERS OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, UM, HAD VOTED FOR SOMETHING CALLED MEASURE W, WHICH IS A SALES TAX.
AND MEASURE W UM, IS BEING USED TO HELP, UH, PAY FOR THE HOME TOGETHER, PLAN FOR THE COUNTY, WHICH IS HOMELESS PREVENTION PROGRAMS, UM, AS WELL AS SOME ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
AND THE COUNTY DECIDED THAT THE LIHEAP PROGRAM WAS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE.
AND IN CALENDAR YEAR 2026, UM, THE COUNTY HAS GIVEN US $3 MILLION, UM, TO SPEND ON LIHEAP, UM, UTILITY ASSISTANCE
[00:40:01]
AND WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS. UH, THAT HAS GREATLY REDUCED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE TURN AWAY.THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR LIHEAP, WHO FILL OUT A FORM THAT IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN FILLING OUT YOUR TAXES, UM, TO GET HELP WITH THEIR PG E BILLS.
AND LAST YEAR, AT THIS TIME, I WAS TURNING AWAY 70% OF THE ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.
RIGHT NOW I'M, WE'RE DOWN TO, UM, TURNING AWAY ABOUT 20%, AND THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AN APPETITE FOR THAT TO CONTINUE.
SO KIND OF MOVED THAT FUNDING CLIFF FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2026 TO JANUARY 1ST, 2027.
AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT NEXT WINTER AND, UM, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SERVE.
UM, BECAUSE WHILE IT IS A HUGELY POPULAR BI PARTISANLY SUPPORTED PROGRAM IN CONGRESS, UM, IN FACT, UH, CONGRESS GAVE IT 20 MORE MILLION DOLLARS IN FISCAL YEAR 26.
UM, THE HOUSE HAS ALREADY RECOMMENDED 10 MILLION MORE FOR 27.
WHEN YOU TAKE $20 MILLION AND YOU DIVIDE IT ACROSS THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES, WE GET LIKE AROUND $5,000
UM, IT'S STILL BETTER THAN BEING CUT IN THE, IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO FIND OTHER FUNDING STREAMS AND OTHER WAYS TO, UM, MEET THAT NEED.
CAN YOU, I COULD PROBABLY JUST HEAR YOU.
UM, I WANTED TO START BY THANKING YOU FOR YOUR GREAT WORK.
I KNOW THE DEMANDS ARE HIGH AND, UM, YOU GUYS ARE JUST AWESOME.
YOU KNOW, UM, I HAD A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN A RIDE ALONG OVER SPRING BREAK.
I DIDN'T, UH, GET TO MEET UP WITH THE REST OF THE GROUP, UM, THE FIRST GO AROUND.
BUT I LIKE HOW, UH, YOU MADE SOME ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO JOIN.
AND, UM, DEFINITELY SEEING IS BELIEVING.
UH, THAT WAS VERY IMPACTFUL FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND AND, UM, SEE A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORS, DIFFERENT PARTS OF LIVERMORE I HADN'T SEEN BEFORE NECESSARILY, AND TALKED TO FOLKS I HAD NEVER TALKED TO.
AND JUST TO SEE, LIKE YOU SAID, HOW MUCH JOY THAT BROUGHT TO THEIR DAY.
JUST TO HAVE, UM, SOME NEW FOLKS, YOU KNOW, COME AND, AND WHEN I CAME ALONG, OH, IS THIS YOUR DAUGHTER? YOU KNOW, TO
UM, SO I WANNA SAY THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.
AND IN ADDITION, YOU KNOW, UM, ALLOWING THOSE RIDE ALONGS, THAT IS SOMETHING VERY IMPACTFUL.
AND, UM, I WAS CURIOUS ALSO ABOUT THE MINIMUM AGE OF VOLUNTEER.
'CAUSE I WORK WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT POPULATIONS WITH OTHER VOLUNTEER WORK I DO.
AND JUST WANTED TO SEE, SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO COME OUT AND, AND DO A RIDE ALONG.
AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVEN'T, HAVEN'T YET, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO TANYA'S THE PERSON YOU'RE GONNA WANNA CONTACT ABOUT THAT.
UM, BECAUSE YEAH, WE ALL HAVE IT IN OUR MIND WHAT THAT'S EXPERIENCE IS GONNA BE LIKE, AND THEN IT'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND, AND PEOPLE LEARN, LEARN FROM IT.
UM, FOR VOLUNTEERING, YOU DO NEED TO BE AN ADULT.
YOU NEED TO BE 18 YEARS OR OLDER.
UM, WE DO BACKGROUND CHECKS, UM, RIGHT.
WE'RE TALK, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR POPULATION, RIGHT? MOST OF THEM LIVE ALONE, UM, IN THEIR HOME.
YOU NOW KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE, YOU KNOW THEIR NAME, RIGHT? WE NEED TO, WE DO THOROUGH BACKGROUND CHECKS ON FOLKS.
UM, AND SO YOU DO NEED TO BE AN ADULT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE PEOPLE WHO, UM, THE ADULT IN THE FAMILY BECOMES A VOLUNTEER, AND THEN WE HAVE A POLICY FOR HOW MINORS CAN BE, UM, WITH THEM ON THEIR VOLUNTEER ROUTE.
AND SO MINORS CAN, UM, PARTICIPATE WITH THEIR ADULT AND, AND GET THAT EXPERIENCE.
YOU'RE IN SEARCH OF VOLUNTEERS.
ONE OF THE GROUPS I VOLUNTEER WITH IS FOUR H MM-HMM
AND I AM CONNECTED WITH A NUMBER OF THOSE PARENTS, SO THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
WE HAVE A BAND APP, AND I COULD MENTION THAT THERE'S A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS, FOR FAMILIES WOULD LOVE THAT FOR THE ADULTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT CAVEAT THAT THEIR, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUTH COULD POSSIBLY VOLUNTEER TOO.
AND THEN ALSO, I JUST WANNA SAY HAPPY 55TH COMING UP.
THAT'S REALLY EXCITING FOR THE ORGANIZATION, AND I WANTED TO SEE ALONG WITH THAT, IT MIGHT BE PART OF YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT.
IS THERE A BIG GALA EVENT OR ANY OTHER, UH, BIG FUNDRAISER COMING UP THAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? THANK YOU
UM, OUR BIG FUNDRAISER, UM, IS, WAS IN MAY.
[00:45:01]
SOUTH LIVERMORE.AND IT'S A SMALL INTIMATE EVENT.
IT IS A, UM, HIGH-END, UH, FOOD AND AND WINE PAIRING, UM, FUNDRAISER, UM, WHERE WE GET TO SHOW OFF, UM, OUR CHEFS, UM, FROM OUR SENIOR MEALS PROGRAM AND THE FOOD THAT, THAT THEY PREPARE.
AND WE ALWAYS PUT, UM, SOMETHING IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MIX THAT IS ACTUALLY THINGS THAT WE SERVE OUR SENIORS, UM, TO SHOWCASE WHAT GREAT QUALITY FOOD THAT, THAT WE SERVE EVERY DAY.
UM, AS FAR AS THAT GALA PIECE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE PLANS FOR WHEN WE TURN 60, WHEN WE TURN OLD ENOUGH TO, TO, UM, UH, RECEIVE SERVICES.
AND SO 60 IS WHEN THAT LARGER EVENT IS ABSOLUTELY GONNA GONNA HAPPEN.
AND YES, WE'RE ALREADY TALKING AND DREAMING ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
I, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN SCHOOL, I CAN'T DO THAT.
RIGHT? THE, UM, YOUNGER KIDS, THE TIMES THAT ARE THE KIDS ARE ON BREAK FROM SCHOOL IS A TIME WHEN A LOT OF OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE ALSO TAKING CARE OF THEIR GRANDKIDS OR GO ON VACATION OR, OR GO OR GO TO A DIFFERENT TOWN TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR GRANDKIDS.
UM, BECAUSE OUR, UM, OUR VOLUNTEERS, A LOT OF THEM ARE VERY ACTIVE, BUT, UM, MAY NOT BE WORKING FULL TIME.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA SPACE AND NEED, UM, EXTRA SUPPORT IN THE SUMMERTIME AND, UM, WHEN THE SCHOOL'S SCHOOL'S OUT.
UM, SO HAVING SOME FOLKS THAT ARE ALREADY CLEARED AND TRAINED AND KNOW HOW TO DO IT AND ARE WILLING TO GO, OH YEAH, IT'S SPRING BREAK AND WE'RE GONNA BE HOME.
WE CAN DO THREE, WE CAN DO, DO THREE, THREE ROUTES THIS WEEK.
AND, UM, GET TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE AND FIT IT INTO YOUR DAY.
I, BECAUSE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE.
THE, UM,
I DID THE SAME DAY OF APRIL, UH, RIDE ALONG.
I REALLY LOVE EXPERIENCE, I'M GONNA SAY.
AND I ASKED A TONS OF QUESTION, SO ALL MY QUESTIONS ARE ALREADY OKAY.
AND SO I'M REALLY AGREED THAT IT'S CHECK CALLING THE ELDERS MM-HMM
AND SO MOST OF THEM ARE LIKE ALONE, THEY NEED SOMEBODY TALK.
WE SOMETIMES WE A SMALL CHIT CHAT MM-HMM
AND WELL, ALSO I VISIT THE, YOU KNOW, UM, SORRY, ENGLISH MY, NOT MY FIRST.
AND SO THE, UH, HONESTLY, UM, THE KITCHEN MM-HMM
SO, UH, WELL, I ALSO ASKED HOW THE FOOD AND THE, YOU KNOW, I ASKED ALL THE QUESTIONS, BUT I, I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF VOLUNTEER ALSO ARE ELDERS MM-HMM
SO DO YOU THINK ABOUT LIKE, WHAT ABOUT YOUNGER PEOPLE? COULD THEY PARTICIPATE, HAVE A MORE, ANYBODY WHO'S AN ADULT CAN, CAN, CAN BE, CAN, CAN BE A VOLUNTEER FOR US, RIGHT? IT REALLY HAS TO DO WITH WHERE PEOPLE ARE IN THEIR LIFE AND WHETHER THEY HAVE THE, UM, THE BANDWIDTH AND THE ABILITY TO, TO VOLUNTEER.
UM, REALLY THOSE VOLUNTEERS THAT YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY MIGHT ALSO BE OF THE AGE GROUP, RIGHT? BUT THAT'S LIKE WHAT, WHAT THE SENIOR MEALS PROGRAM IS AT THE, AT THE, UM, SENIOR CENTERS, RIGHT? THEREFORE MOBILE, UM, OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE 60 AND BETTER, UM, WHO CAN STILL GET OUT OF THEIR HOME, COME, UM, TO THE SENIOR CENTER, OR PROBABLY TAKE A CLASS AS WELL AS, AS IN ENJOY AN OPEN HEART MEAL, UM, MEAL FOR THE DAY.
RIGHT? AND THOSE ARE THE SAME KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO, WHO OFTEN GRAVITATE TO SERVING FOR MEALS ON WHEELS AND GETTING OUT AND VOLUNTEERING USUALLY GIVES BACK TO THE VOLUNTEER
LIKE THEY THINK THAT THEY'RE THERE TO HELP THE SENIORS, BUT WHAT THEY GET BACK FROM THE SENIORS, UM, MORE, MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR, FOR THEIR TIME AND THEIR EFFORTS.
AND, UM, I ABSOLUTELY ENCOURAGE FOLKS OF ALL AGES TO VOLUNTEER.
UM, BUT IT JUST, IT, IT HAPPENS TO BE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT SOMETIMES IT'S ON A BUNCH OF OUR LISTS AND WE'RE LIKE, SOMEDAY WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
AND THEN FINALLY WHEN THEY, WHEN SOMEBODY RETIRES, THEY GO, I CAN FINALLY GO DELIVER FOR MEALS ON WHEELS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS WHO, UM, VOLUNTEER FOR MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, I KNOW THAT SOME OF OUR MALES ON WHEELS VOLUNTEERS ALSO VOLUNTEER FOR OPEN HEART KITCHEN, UM, WHETHER IT'S AT, AT ROBERT LIVERMORE SENIOR CENTER OR AT, UM, VINEYARD, UM, RESOURCE CENTER.
AND SO THEY'RE LIKE, WHICH T-SHIRT AM I WEARING TODAY? YOU KNOW,
[00:50:01]
WE LEARN FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY, THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH EVERYBODY THAN THE REST OF US DO.WELL, I REALLY, I LIKE, I ALSO PERSONALLY EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT SHOWS LIKE A BIG PICTURE, LIKE HOW YOU KNOW, THE CITY.
BECAUSE I, FOR ME PERSONALLY, I, I ONLY GO SEVERAL LOCATION.
LIKE I GO TO WORK, I HOME, I GO GROCERY.
SO IT SHOWED ME HOW DIVERSE THE CITY IS.
ALSO, HOW ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE THE CITY.
SO IT, I, I SAW THE MEAL DELIVER WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THEY LIVE IN THE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE MM-HMM
AND THEY ALSO, WE WENT TO MOBILE HOME AND THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT, LIKE, I GUESS LIKE DIFFERENT QUALITY OF, OF MOBILE HOME MM-HMM
SO, SO I'M, THIS IS REALLY, IT'S LIKE REALLY SHOCKED TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE.
SO IT'S REALLY BROADENED MY VIEW TOWARD, I'M GONNA SAY MORE LEVELS OF THE SOCIETY.
SO REALLY THANK YOU ABOUT THE SHOW ME, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
I, I LOVE THIS EXPERIENCE TO SHOW ME HOW DIVERSITY OUR SOCIETY.
I LIKE RACE, RACE OR, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, CULTURE, BUT ALSO ECONOMICALLY, I NEVER REALLY EXPERIENCED IT BECAUSE I, I HONESTLY, MY WORD IS SO, SO SMALL.
I ALWAYS GO WORK, GO HOME, AND, YOU KNOW, AND I GO GROCERY MM-HMM
I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU GOT TO SEE A GLIMPSE INTO, TO MORE PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT'S HERE.
I, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS.
YOU, YOU, LIA YOU, YOU HELPED WITH THE CITY AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA FIND THE WORD.
SORRY, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE WORK AND ALL.
ALSO, I REALLY THANK YOU FOR ALL THINGS TO ALL THE THINGS YOU DO.
LIKE FOR, FOR D LIKE FOR, ESPECIALLY FOR THE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE NEED OF THIS, THIS OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE I, I DO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I GET 16, WHEN I TURN 16 MM-HMM
MY KIDS ARE GONNA GO TO REALLY FAR AWAY FIVE HOURS AIRPLANE, THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED THERE IS SOMEONE THERE I CAN REACH.
THAT GOING BACK TO THE, THE PAGE WHERE YOU HAVE THE GROWING COMMUNITY NEED MM-HMM
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE DECLINING CLIENT CONTRIBUTIONS MM-HMM
UM, AND, AND I'M HEARING IT A LOT AND AND YOU'RE SAYING IT A LOT, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE STATE, PROBABLY THE UNITED, THE WHOLE UNITED STATES, BUT OUR STATE AND OUR COUNTY AND OUR CITIES ARE DRASTICALLY AGING MM-HMM
AND SO SUSTAINABILITY MM-HMM
SO YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE INCREASING VOLUNTEERS.
YOU'RE, UH, PROBABLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MEALS ON WHEELS, ROUTES, UH, BUT THE FUNDING MM-HMM
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S MORE FUNDING.
I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GETTING LESS FUNDING.
SO HOW, HOW DO YOU SEE THIS? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S A NEEDED SERVICE AND, AND LIVERMORE AND WE SEE A PROBABLY MORE SINGLE AGING POPULATION IN PLACE, KIND OF WHAT DO YOU SEE HOW, HOW TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND CONTINUE TO SERVE WITH LESS? I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF, I MEAN, THAT WAS THE QUESTION THAT CAME IN THE LAST PRESENTATION.
HOW DO YOU SEE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, HOW DO YOU GET TO THE 60TH GALA? MM-HMM.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, AT 2,500 MM-HMM
AND 150 VOLUNTEERS, I MEAN, BUT NO MORE MONEY, RIGHT? SO, AND I, I KNOW THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE ANSWER FOR ALL THAT, BUT I MEAN, HOW ARE WE LOOKING TOWARDS TO MM-HMM
TO GET TO THAT, IF THAT'S WHAT'S MM-HMM
TRENDING TOWARDS? SO WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE HERE IN THE TRI VALLEY THAT WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE A WAIT LIST.
UM, JOSH REMEMBERS BACK IN, UH, 2018, WE HAD A WAIT LIST.
AND AT THE TIME, UM, THEN SUPERVISOR SCOTT HAGGERTY KIND OF CAME TO OUR RESCUE AND HE GAVE US $150,000, UM, OF MEASURE A FUNDS, WHICH AGAIN, OUR ALAMEDA COUNTY VOTERS VOTED TO TAX OURSELVES, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT RID OF THAT WAIT LIST.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, OTHER INDIVIDUALS GAVE DONATIONS AND STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE, RIGHT? SO WHAT I KNOW IS THAT OUR CURRENT GOVERNMENT AND OUR CURRENT GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE, UM, DOES NOT HAVE AN APPETITE TO SOLVE ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS. THAT I CAN'T RELY ONLY ON GOVERNMENT FUNDS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THIS IS A GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE CO, UH, COMPACT THAT WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR NEIGHBORS TOGETHER.
UM, AND WE NEED TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE.
AGAIN, WE'RE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE HERE IN
[00:55:01]
THE TRI-VALLEY THAT WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS WHO STEP UP.NOT EVERY COMMUNITY HAS VOLUNTEERS, AND NOT EVERY COMMUNITY KNOCKS ON DOORS OF THE SAME CLIENT FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
I USE MY, MY STEPDAD AS AN EXAMPLE.
MY STEPDAD LIVES IN A, AN ADJOINING COUNTY FROM US.
HE'S LEGALLY BLIND AND LIVES BY HIMSELF.
HE GETS A DELIVERY ON TUESDAYS ONCE A WEEK OF SEVEN FROZEN MEALS.
SO SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HIM ON WEDNESDAY, AND ME AND MY SISTER, OR NOBODY ELSE CHECKS IN ON HIM.
IT WILL BE ALL THE WAY TILL THE NEXT TUESDAY BEFORE SOMEBODY ELSE COMES AND KNOCKS ON HIS DOOR.
FROZEN MEALS AND ONE, ONE OR TWO DAYS OF WEEK OF, OF KNOCKS ON THE DOOR HERE IN THE TRI-VALLEY.
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY AND THE VOLUNTEER BASE THAT WE HAVE TO KNOCK ON OUR CLIENT'S DOORS FIVE DAYS A WEEK AND PROVIDE THEM WITH A HOT, NUTRITIOUS MEAL IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING AWAY.
AND I DON'T WANT IT TO GO AWAY.
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO KEEP IT, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FUNDERS WHO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS WHAT OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES TO HAVE.
THIS IS THE LEVEL AND THE STANDARDS THAT WE, WE THINK OUR NEIGHBORS DESERVE.
ON THAT NOTE, IF ANY OF YOU READ THE LIVERMORE VINE TODAY, YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD ALREADY.
UM, BUT SOMETHING SPECIAL IS HAPPENED ON JULY 1ST.
UM, AND THAT IS THAT SPECTRUM COMMUNITY SERVICES, MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM HAS A NEW PARTNER, UM, FOR ALMOST THREE DECADES.
VALLEY CARE HOSPITAL AND THEN STANFORD, UM, PRODUCED THE MEALS THAT WE DELIVERED, UM, TO ALL OF OUR MEALS ON WHEELS CLIENTS AND, UM, GIVEN CONSTRAINTS, UM, WITH STANFORD AND THEIR FACILITY, UM, AT 1111, UH, STANLEY BOULEVARD, UM, WHICH SEISMICALLY IS NOT SAFE ANYMORE.
UM, AND SO THEY NEED TO ABANDON THAT SITE.
THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT ANYMORE.
WHEN I HEARD THAT, I WAS LIKE, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? WELL, I KNOW A BUNCH OF FOLKS WHO CAN GIMME FROZEN MEALS AND MAYBE I NEED TO START DELIVERING FROZEN MEALS.
AND I THOUGHT, BUT I ALSO KNOW OF A REALLY GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNER WHO IS VERY MISSION ALIGNED WITH US, WHO HAS A COLLABORATIVE NATURE AND HAS THE SAME ETHICS AND THE SAME STANDARDS FOR GIVING TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT SPECTRUM DOES.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY THAT JOHN ANSWERED MY CALL, LITERALLY MY PHONE CALL
UM, AND HE SAID, I SAID, YOU KNOW, I THINK, JOHN, YOU HAVE A LITTLE EXTRA CAPACITY IN YOUR KITCHEN THERE AT VINEYARD WHEN YOU GUYS HAD THE FORESIGHT, WHEN YOU BUILT THAT PLACE TO MAKE IT A ABLE TO GROW.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN HE SAID, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK.
WE HAVE SPENT TIME DREAMING TOGETHER.
HE MENTIONED SEVEN DAYS A WEEK OF COOKING.
AND I TOLD HIM THAT WAS MY DREAM WAS TO KNOCK ON DOORS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, THEY DIDN'T DO MEDICALLY TAILORED MEALS, AND WE WERE, OUR POPULATION WAS VERY USED TO GETTING, BEING ABLE TO HAVE MEDICALLY TAILORED MEALS FROM THE HOSPITAL.
AND THE OPEN HEART KITCHEN TEAM GOT IN THERE, UM, MET WITH PEOPLE FROM STANFORD AND THEY LEARNED HOW TO DO IT.
UM, WE'VE NOW HAD NINE DAYS OF DELIVERIES TOGETHER,
UM, AND THIS IS A NEW PARTNERSHIP THAT I HOPE, UM, LASTS THROUGH DECADES IN THE FUTURE.
UH, PART OF THAT PASSION OF MINE, I WANTED MEALS TO BE PRODUCED HERE IN THE TRI-VALLEY FOR TRI-VALLEY CLIENTS.
I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO BE SHIPPED TRUCKED IN FROM FAR AWAY.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS A DISASTER, UM, PREPAREDNESS FUNCTION, RIGHT? IF, IF WE HAVE A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE OR MAJOR FIRE, SOME ROADS ARE DOWN,
[01:00:01]
UM, AND WE WERE RELYING ON GETTING MEALS FROM, FROM, FROM, EVEN, EVEN HERE IN THIS COUNTY, RIGHT? BUT IF FIVE 80 IS TAKEN DOWN AT THAT, THAT'S A HUGE BARRIER AND PROBLEM.AND, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES HERE.
UM, AND SO DOING THAT AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE HOT MEALS, UM, OPEN HEART KITCHEN, LEARNED A LOT IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO LEARN
OUR VOLUNTEERS, UM, ARE LEARNING AND CHANGING WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, AND I CAN'T BE MORE PROUD OF NEVER MISSING A DAY OF SERVICE.
AND THE FEEDBACK FROM THE SENIORS SO FAR, THEY ARE SO EXCITED THEY GET FRESH, UM, FRESHLY MADE SOUP NOW EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, THEY ARE NOTICING THAT THINGS ARE BEING COOKED DIFFERENTLY, AND IT HAS BEEN VERY, VERY POSITIVE.
IT'S BEEN A VERY POSITIVE, UM, SITUATION FOR EVERYBODY.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO PUSH EACH OTHER TO DO EVEN MORE FOR, FOR OUR CLIENTS.
SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AWESOME.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, LAURA.
LET YOURSELF, WE ARE NOT GOING TO OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT STAFF.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? WE ARE NOT GOING TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND NUMBER THREE, OPEN FORUM IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT.
NO HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION ACTION CAN OCCUR ON ITEMS PRESENTED DURING OPEN FORUM.
TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE SUBMIT A SPEAKER CARD WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, WALK TO THE, TO THE LECTERN TO ADDRESS THE HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION.
COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES PER PERSON, PER ITEM.
THE CHAIR MAY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK.
OPEN FORUM WILL CONCLUDE AFTER 30 MINUTES.
HOWEVER, IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS, OPEN FORUM WILL RECONVENE AFTER MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO OPEN, OPEN FORUM STAFF.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? UH, NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ARE CONSIDERED ROUTINE AND ARE ACTED UPON BY THE HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION WITH THE SINGLE ACTION MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE WISHING TO PROVIDE PUBLIC INPUT.
APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES FOR APRIL 14TH, 2026.
REGULAR MEETING STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION APPROVE THE APRIL 14TH, 2026.
COMMISSIONERS, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THE MINUTES.
COMMISSIONER, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? DO WE NOT GOING TO OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT? STAFF, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? UH, NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[4.CONSENT CALENDAR]
COMMENT? COMMISSIONERS, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 4.1, APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES FOR APRIL 14TH, 2026.HUMAN SERVICES REGULAR MEETING.
I SECOND STAFF ROLL CALL PLEASE.
SOUNDED LIKE, LIKE FROM OF THE EAST COAST RIGHT THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
I'M FROM THE EAST COAST, RIGHT? COMMISSIONER? ME.
UH, COMMISSIONER NAKAMURA, YOU WERE ABSENT IN
[01:05:01]
APRIL.UH, COMMISSIONER SUTTON WAS IAIN, UH, COMMISSIONER YU, UH, VICE CHAIR ON NELLI WAS ALSO ABSENT.
LEMME DO AGAIN ON A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER COX.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HORTER AND CARRIED ON A VOTE OF FIVE YESES, ZERO NOS, ONE ABSENT, AND THREE AB ABSEN ABSTENTIONS.
NEW SERVICES COMMISSION APPROVES 4.1 APPROVAL OF DRAFTED FOR APRIL 14TH, HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION.
[5.MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION]
CONSIDERATION.REPORT OF GRANTEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR JANUARY 1ST, 2026 THROUGH MARCH 31ST, 2026 FOR THE HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THE HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION RECEIVE A REPORT ON THE GRANTEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR JANUARY 1ST, 2026 THROUGH MARCH 31ST, 2026 FOR THE HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, PER OUR WORK PLAN, WE TALKED ABOUT COMING BACK TO YOU GUYS QUARTERLY FOR, UM, GRANTEE REPORTING THIS YEAR.
SO I AM HERE WITH QUARTER THREE, UM, WHICH WAS JANUARY THROUGH MARCH OF 2026.
UM, SO IT'S THE SAME SHEET THAT I PROVIDED YOU LAST TIME WITH THAT HAD THE FIRST TWO QUARTERS OF THE YEAR ON IT.
BUT BASICALLY IT'S BROKEN OUT BY CATEGORIES.
UM, SO THE FIRST, AND I KNOW IT'S TINY, I'M SORRY,
UM, AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, THIS IS A DIFFICULT TAILORED PROGRAM.
UM, ABODE HAS CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN THEIR TWO CLIENTS IN, UM, HOUSING THROUGH QUARTER THREE.
UM, AND WE HAVE CONTINUED TO MEET WITH THEM TO FIND WAYS TO, UH, INCREASE THEIR CLIENT REFERRALS FOR THIS PROGRAM AND FIND BETTER MATCHES FOR IT.
UM, AND THEN TRI VALLEY HAVEN, THEY ARE ON TARGET TO MEET THEIR GOALS, UM, FOR THIS PROGRAM FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THEN NEXT WE HAVE THE TWO CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE FUNDED.
UM, THERE ISN'T MUCH TO REPORT LAST TIME I REPORTED OUT.
THE CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED FOR THE YEAR.
UM, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO REPORT ON HOW MANY CLIENTS THEY'RE SERVING PER THEIR CONTRACT.
WE HAVE THEM DO IT FOR THE YEAR THAT WE PROVIDED FUNDING FOR.
WE WON'T HAVE THEM DO IT FOR THE TWO YEARS, BUT JUST THIS ONE YEAR THAT THEY GOT FUNDING.
UM, SO NO, NO REAL CHANGE ON THAT.
UM, BUT THOSE PROJECTS ARE BOTH FINISHED AND SUCCESSFULLY BEING USED BY THE CLIENTELES.
UM, THE THIRD CATEGORY ON THERE IS PUBLIC SERVICES.
SO THIS IS WHERE YOU'LL SEE THE BIGGEST CHANGE FROM THE LAST REPORT I DID.
UM, BETWEEN QUARTER TWO AND QUARTER THREE, WE GRANTED AN ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF GENERAL FUND, WHICH ALLOWED US TO FUND SIX ADDITIONAL PROJECTS, IF YOU REMEMBER.
UM, AND SO ON QUARTER TWO, THOSE PROJECTS WERE NOT LISTED ON THE SHEET.
UM, AND NOW STARTING IN QUARTER THREE, THEY ARE LISTED, UM, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT MOST OF THEM DID NOT GET INTO CONTRACT UNTIL MARCH OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND SO YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF NAS BECAUSE THEY JUST WEREN'T IN CONTRACT WITH US TO BE ABLE TO REPORT.
UM, THOSE OF THEM THAT ARE REPORTING, THEY CAN GO ALL THE WAY BACK THROUGH JULY AND REPORT THE ENTIRE YEAR FOR US.
AND I EXPECT IN QUARTER FOUR WE'RE GONNA KIND OF GET ONE YEARLY REPORT FROM A LOT OF THESE, UM, ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, BUT THE SIX THAT WE ADDED WERE, UM, CALICO SHABO LAS PITA, WHICH DOES A PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT AND VITA SERVICES PROGRAM.
UM, CREOLE AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR SENIORS AND TRI-VALLEY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
UM, THOSE WERE THE SIX THAT WERE AWARDED THE ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, IT WAS NOT IDEAL TO AWARD THEM IN MARCH, I WILL BE HONEST.
BUT HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO WORK WITH THEM TO GET THEIR THIS YEAR'S MONEY SPENT.
UM, AND THEN NEXT YEAR THEY'LL BE ON TRACK TO BE ON A NORMAL SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR.
UM, ME AND JOSH ARE HOPEFUL THAT MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WE WON'T HAVE, WE'LL TRY TO GET THEM FUNDED WITH EVERYONE ELSE IS OUR GOAL, BUT WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES.
UM, YEAH, OTHER THAN THAT, FOR PUBLIC SERVICES, UM,
[01:10:01]
IT'S ALWAYS A CATEGORY THAT MOST PEOPLE MEET THEIR GOALS AND THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY.UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF IT'S FOR STAFFING.
AND SO THEY BILL US KIND OF IN A QUARTERLY FASHION EQUAL AMOUNTS EACH QUARTER.
UM, IN THE FINAL CATEGORY ON HERE IS HOUSING AND HOMELESS SERVICES.
SO THIS WILL BE OUR, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HOMELESS SHELTER THAT WE FUND.
AND IT WILL BE FOR CITY SERVE FOR THEIR SERVICES IN ABOS AC IMPACT PROGRAM.
UM, ABODE WENT, STARTED OFF KIND OF SLOW ON THEIR AC IMPACT PROGRAM, BUT WE'VE MET, MET WITH THEM QUARTERLY.
OUR, UM, HOMELESS MANAGEMENT ANALYST, NATALIA HAS BEEN MEETING WITH THEM.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE SEEN SOME INCREASES IN THEIR CLIENTELE, UM, WHICH IS GOOD.
AND THEN, UM, THE HOMELESS SHELTERS AND CITY SERVER STABLE.
SO AS ALWAYS, I USUALLY TRY TO PICK A FEW THINGS FROM THE QUARTERLY REPORTS, UM, TO SHARE WITH YOU.
SOMETIMES GOOD, SOMETIMES BAD, JUST KIND OF, OR NOT BAD, BUT, YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO KIND OF DO A MIXTURE OF
UM, SO FOR ABOS AC IMPACT, SOMETHING THEY WROTE IN THEIR QUARTERLY REPORT WAS, IN GENERAL WE FIND THAT LIVERMORE PARTICIPANTS HAVE A STRONG PREFERENCE TO REMAIN IN LIVERMORE WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY KNOW.
UM, WE RECEIVED THREE NEW PARTICIPANTS IN THIS QUARTER.
UM, BUT THE CHALLENGE IS FINDING UNITS THAT HAVE HUD'S FAIR MARKET RENT RANGE.
UM, SO THIS PROGRAM, AC IMPACT, BASICALLY ABODE IS DOING HOUSING SEARCH SERVICES, WHICH IS WHAT WE PAY FOR, AND THEN THEY GET FEDERAL MONEY TO HOUSE TO ACTUALLY PAY THE RENT FOR THE PEOPLE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN LIKE A TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO, UM, THEY DO HAVE STANDARDS WITHIN FAIR MARKET RANGE THAT THEY HAVE TO ABIDE BY.
UM, AND THEN THE LANDLORDS THAT ARE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE, IT'S SIMILAR TO ANY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UM, CITY SERVE OF THE TRI-VALLEY.
THEY SAID DURING QUARTER THREE THEY SAW A RECORD NUMBER OF LIVERMORE RESIDENTS REACH OUT FOR HELP.
243 RESIDENTS AND 53% OF THEM WERE ON THE BRINK OF HOMELESSNESS IN 47% WERE UNSHELTERED.
UM, WHILE RECEIVING CARE, 11 UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS BECAME PERMANENTLY HOUSED, AND 19 HOUSEHOLDS WERE OFFERED OVERNIGHT SHELTER, UM, ON COLD NIGHTS FOR THIS REPORTING PERIOD.
SO ONE OF OUR RECENTLY FUNDED PROGRAMS, WHICH IS LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR SENIORS.
UM, SO THEY WENT BACK AND REPORTED THROUGH JULY FOR US FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.
SO, UM, QUARTERS ONE THROUGH THREE, THEY SERVED 34 SENIORS FOR LEAD, UH, THROUGH THE LEGAL, THROUGH THE LEGAL PROGRAM.
THEY PROVIDED MEDICAL, UH, MEDICAID COUNSELING FOR 71 INDIVIDUALS AND GAVE NINE COMMUNITY EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS AND ATTENDED ONE OUTREACH EVENT IN THE CITY OF LIVERMORE.
UM, LET'S SEE, PICK MAYBE JUST ONE OTHER ONE.
UH, SO TRI-VALLEY FOOD PANTRY, SINCE WE'RE ON KIND OF THE FOOD TOPIC TONIGHT, UH, DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD, THE FOOD PANTRY CONTINUED TO SERVE A VITAL SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LOW INCOME UNHOUSED AND AT-RISK RESIDENTS.
THEY OPERATE MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AND PROVIDED GROCERIES AND ESSENTIAL ITEMS TO APPROXIMATELY, UH, 60 HOUSEHOLDS ON WEEKDAYS AND 40 HOUSEHOLDS ON SATURDAYS.
SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME JUST BEFORE WE GET TO QUESTIONS? JUST SO SINCE WE HAVE THE TWO AGENCIES HERE IN THE HOUSE, I DID NOT PUT REPORTING STUFF.
SO, OPEN HEART KITCHEN, UH, THAT PROVIDES, UH, SENIOR MEALS AT ROBERT LIVERMORE COMMUNITY CENTER IS 110% OF THEIR GOAL PROGRESS THROUGH QUARTER THREE.
AND SPECTRUM COMMUNITY SERVICES MEALS ON WHEELS IS 148% OF THEIR GOAL PROGRESS THROUGH QUARTER THREE.
SO, UH, IT'S JUST A TESTAMENT OF TO THE, THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, UH, BY A LOT OF OUR PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I FIGURED I'D POINT THAT OUT SINCE, SINCE THEY'RE HERE AND, UM, IT'S WELL DESERVED.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? ALRIGHT.
AND THEN QUARTER FOURS ARE DUE TOMORROW, SO BE GETTING, I'VE BEEN GETTING LOTS OF EMAILS ALL COMING IN, SO WE WILL NEXT, UM, COMMISSION MEETING.
I'LL HAVE THE FINAL YEARS WRAP UP FOR YOU GUYS.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT
[01:15:01]
STAFF.DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? PUBLIC COMMENT? WE'RE NOT GOING TO CLOSE.
AGENDA ITEM 5.2, ALAMEDA COUNTY HOMELESS, POINT IN TIME COUNT RESULTS.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION RECEIVE A REPORT FROM STAFF ON THE 2026 ALAMEDA COUNTY HOMELESS POINT IN TIME COUNT RESULTS.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, VICE CHAIR ELLI.
UM, YOU HAVE, UM, A TWO PAGE, UM, DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF YOU THAT OUTLINES THE ALAMEDA COUNTY'S, UM, INITIAL RESULTS FROM THE, UH, 2026 POINT IN TIME COUNT.
AND AM I GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS? UM, BUT I WILL KIND OF GO THROUGH SOME OF THE LOCAL STUFF AND WE, UM, THIS IS JUST AN INITIAL RESULTS.
UM, WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH A LOT OF THESE SURVEYS THAT WERE TAKEN, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY ON THE DAY OF THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, WHICH THE GOAL OF THOSE SURVEYS IS TO PROVIDE US WITH A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION, UM, NOT ONLY JUST DEMOGRAPHICS, BUT KIND OF HOW PEOPLE GOT TO WHERE THEY'RE AT AND, AND WHAT GAPS WE CAN IDENTIFY, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A MUCH LARGER LOCALIZED REPORT, UM, THAT I WILL BRING BACK TO YOU, UM, IN PROBABLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, ONCE WE GET IT, ONCE WE GET IT FINALIZED.
AND REALLY THAT REPORT IS TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEPER DIVE INTO THESE NUMBERS AND THEN GETTING MORE OF A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, MET WITH OUR, UH, KEY LOCAL NONPROFITS AROUND, UH, HOMELESSNESS AND KIND OF GOT THEIR, UH, INITIAL FEELINGS ABOUT THE, UH, RESULTS OF THE POINT IN TIME COUNT AND KIND OF SEE WHAT TRENDS, UH, THEY'RE SEEING IN THE COMMUNITY AND GAPS IN SERVICES.
AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO REALLY FIGURE THIS OUT, UM, IS, AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL KIND OF SEE WHY THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF SHOCK IN, IN THE, THE COMMUNITY.
WE, UM, OUR, OUR NUMBERS WENT UP, UM, AND, AND THEY WENT UP, UM, MORE THAN ANY OTHER, UM, PART OF ALAMEDA COUNTY.
UM, SO THE COUNTY LIKES TO TOUT THAT IT WENT DOWN 13%, BUT IN FACT IT, IT WENT UP, UH, FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY IN, IN THE TRI-VALLEY.
AND, UM, SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND AND, UM, SO THEY, THE COUNT IS, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S LITERALLY FOR ABOUT FIVE HOURS, ONE USUALLY REALLY COLD MORNING IN JANUARY.
AND, AND THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINE, UM, THIS DATA.
BUT IN FACT, I THINK WE GET MUCH BETTER DATA FROM OUR LOCAL NON, UM, PROVIDERS THROUGH, UM, VINEYARD, UM, AND ABODE AND CITY SERVE AND THE OTHERS OF REALLY GETTING A, A GOOD LOOK INTO WHAT THEIR CLIENTELE LOOKS LIKE.
AND SO THE FIRST THING WE ALL DID IN SHOCK OF, OH MY GOSH, THE NUMBERS WENT UP, IS KIND OF WENT TO THE, OUR PROVIDERS AND OUR PARTNERS AND, AND SAID, HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO IT REALLY WASN'T A SURPRISE, UH, TO MANY, UM, MANY OF OUR PARTNERS.
AND SO, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS INTERESTING.
UM, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT DAY.
SO WE, WE HAD 33 INDIVIDUALS, UH, INCLUDING CITY REPRESENTATIVES, NONPROFITS, COUNTY EMPLOYEES, AND RESIDENT VOLUNTEERS, UM, THAT WENT OUT THAT MORNING, UH, JANUARY 26TH, 22ND OF 2026.
UH, WE COVERED ALL 17 CENSUS TRACKS THROUGHOUT LIVERMORE AS WELL AS THE UNINCORPORATED ALAMEDA COUNTY AREAS, UM, TEAMS, SURVEYED STREETS, PARKS AND VEHICLES AND OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE INDIVIDUALS WERE EXPERIENCING, UM, HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND WE TRY TO DO, AS, YOU KNOW, AS AN EXTENSIVE OUTREACH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, ESPECIALLY I THINK THE, UH, THE VEHICLES PIECE.
I THINK WE TRY TO TRAIN PEOPLE THAT IF YOU SEE FOLKS IN THE VEHICLES AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE LIVING THERE, THEY PROBABLY ARE.
UM, WE DO GET A LOT OF FOLKS WHO, UM, WORK IN THIS AREA, GET HERE SUPER EARLY IN THE MORNING, GET AHEAD OF TRAFFIC, MAYBE SLEEP IN THEIR CAR AT THE, YOU KNOW, UH, HOME DEPOT PARKING LOT OR SOMETHING.
AND SO THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO, I GUESS PERFECT WAY TO DO THIS COUNT IS I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
AND SO, UH, IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING TO, UH, MAKE THAT CALL.
UM, WE ALSO, THE FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE FIELD COUNT, UM, WE DIDN'T NOTE THAT, UM, WE HAD A 23.8 INCREASE FROM 2024 TO 2026.
THE COUNT, UM, TOTAL WAS A POPULATION OF 277 INDIVIDUALS, AND THAT'S 169 UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS IN 108 SHELTERED INDIVIDUALS.
AND WE JUST, AS PART OF THE COUNT AS WELL,
[01:20:01]
UM, WE ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR SHELTERS ARE COUNTED.UM, AND SO, UH, IT'S EVERY, EVERYBODY FROM TRI-VALLEY HAVEN TO SHEPHERD'S GATE TO, UM, VINEYARD, UM, AND WE TRY TO CAPTURE ALL OF THE, THAT DATA, UM, THAT WE CAN.
UM, SO THIS YEAR IN 2026, UH, THE POINT IN TIME COUNT SAID THAT THERE ARE 343 INDIVIDUALS CONSISTING OF 240 UNSHELTERED AND 103 SHELTERED RESIDENTS.
UH, WHILE THE SHELTERED POPULATION DECLINED SLIGHTLY, THE RISE IN SHELTERED HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS CONTRIBUTED TO OVER OVERALL 23.8% INCREASE.
UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF THE TREND.
IF YOU SEE THIS DOCUMENT THAT WAS THE TREND ACROSS THE TRI-VALLEY, UH, WHICH WAS A 28.8, UH, PERCENT INCREASE, UH, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, DATA FROM, UM, DUBLIN IN PLEASANTON AS WELL.
UM, SO I, I GUESS THE QUESTION EVERYBODY ASK IS, WELL, WHY? AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS AND, AND JOHN COULD SPEAK MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I COULD ON THIS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST, THE FIRST INSTINCT THAT I RECEIVED FROM FOLKS WAS, WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE AREA MOVED HERE WITH HIS ENCAMPMENT SWEEPS, YOU KNOW, IN OAKLAND AND SAN JOSE AND SAN FRANCISCO, AND SURE, WE HAVE SEEN SOME FOLKS SHOW UP.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S, THAT'S IT.
UM, I, I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF FACTORS, UM, INCLUDING, UH, THE HOUSING AND RENTAL COSTS IN THE AREA, UM, LIMITED AFFORDABLE HOUSING AVAILABILITY.
AND, UM, I THINK WHAT WE HEARD EARLIER FROM BOTH OF OUR, OUR PROVIDER PARTNERS WAS, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC INSTABILITY OF FOLKS.
UM, ESPECIALLY SOME OF OUR OLDER INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME, THEIR INCOME STAYS THIS WAY AND EVERYTHING'S GOING THIS WAY, AND AT SOME POINT IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T WORK FOR THEM.
AND SO WE'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF A AGING HOMELESS POPULATION, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS SEE, UH, WE ALSO SEE MENTAL HEALTH AND, UM, SUBSTANCE USE, UM, DISORDER ISSUES AS WELL.
AND THERE'S IN INSUFFICIENT SHELTER, I MEAN, WE HAVE ONE, WE HAVE ONE SHELTER WITH 30, 30 BEDS IN.
UM, WHILE IT'S, IT'S MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
IT'S, IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT ENOUGH, UM, IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE, THE CAPACITY COUNTY WIDE TOO.
I THINK THERE WAS A, A LACK OF SHELTER AND THEN THERE STARTED TO BE AN INCREASE, AND IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH.
AND THERE SEEMS TO BE, UM, THE SHELTER BEDS ARE GOING UP THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, BUT THEN THE KIND OF MORE OF THAT INTERIM HOUSING IS NOT QUITE THERE.
AND THEN WE WANT FOLKS TO GO FROM HERE TO PERMANENT HOUSING, AND SOMETIMES THAT'S VERY CHALLENGING FOR FOLKS.
UM, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S OUR JOB TO REALLY PROVIDE THAT WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO THE, UH, INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, MAKING THAT JUMP.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT TO BE DONE.
UM, WE, WE ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE INCREASE IN THE ACCOUNT, THE COUNT WAS BECAUSE, UM, OUR PROVIDERS ARE DOING A LOT BETTER OUTREACH AND THEY'RE CONNECTING MORE WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHERE THEY'RE AT.
AND SO PEOPLE ARE, WE'RE MORE LIKELY TO TALK TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND WENT OUT THAT MORNING.
UM, AND SO I, I THINK WE'RE SEEING A, A POPULATION SURFACE THAT MAYBE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE, BUT IS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE TALKING WITH US.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE'S NO, UH, HOMELESSNESS IS SO, UH, SO DIFFICULT THAT I, YOU KNOW, LIKE I GET FROM LEADERSHIP SOMETIMES, WHY CAN'T WE JUST DO THIS? WE DO THAT.
AND THERE'S JUST, THERE'S NO SILVER BULLET.
EVERYBODY GOT THERE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
AND SO THERE'S NOT ANY ONE THING WE CAN DO, BUT WE DO KNOW THINGS THAT WORK.
WE, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED MORE HOUSING.
AND WE NEED, UH, NOT ONLY LIVERMORE TO DO THAT, WE NEED OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES TO HELP US OUT WITH THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, I'M GONNA START GETTING MYSELF IN TROUBLE HERE, SO I'M GONNA JUST GONNA STOP.
BUT, UH, WE, WE WOULD LIKE SOME HELP FROM OUR SURROUNDING PARTNERS.
WE HAVE ALL FIVE SHELTERS IN LIVERMORE.
ALL THE HOMELESS SERVICES EXCEPT FOR A POPUP ONCE A WEEK, I BELIEVE ARE IN PLEASANTON.
UM, AND, UH, THE NUMBERS INDICATE THAT THERE ARE, UH, HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE TRI-VALLEY.
AND SO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE'LL KEEP DOING WHAT WE CAN HERE IN LIVERMORE.
I CAN'T CONTROL WHAT THOSE OTHER, UH, ENTITIES DO.
SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, WE'LL HAVE A MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UM, REPORT AND PLAN, UM, THAT WE'LL HAVE IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT WE'VE, WE'RE SO FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET A LOT OF INPUT FROM OUR EXPERTS ON THE, ON THE GROUND.
AND SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, I'LL BRING THAT BACK TO YOU, BUT THE QUESTION WILL BE, UM, WHERE, WHERE ARE WE GONNA GET THE MONEY FROM? 'CAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS THE QUESTION.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, UH, BRINGING THAT BACK TO YOU AND
[01:25:01]
HOPEFULLY YOU ALL HAVE SOME IDEAS ON WHERE, WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET SCRAP, SCRAP, SCRAPE TOGETHER SOME PENNIES.SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, OR COMMENTS.
UM, JUST GOING BACK TO TALKING ABOUT HOW THESE PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE BEEN HERE, IT DID SEEM TO ME, AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS, IT DID SEEM LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT AND ABOUT WHO ARE, UM, DOING THE SHOW OR THE MORE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE THAN WE HAVE THE PAST AND A LOT MORE FROM OTHERS.
SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU
YEAH, I, I WOULD SAY THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S TRUE.
WE RELIED HEAVILY ON, UM, OUR NONPROFIT PROVIDERS THAT ARE USED TO DOING THIS WORK.
UM, IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING AS A, AS A VOLUNTEER WHO, YOU KNOW, SHOWS UP HERE AT 5:00 AM AND WE SAY, HEY, GO, GO OUT TO THIS PRECINCT AND WALK AROUND, AND IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT LOOK HOMELESS OR IS HOMELESS, THERE'S A TENT, YOU KNOW, WALK UP AND TALK TO 'EM.
AND THEN, OH, AND THEN BY THE WAY, CAN YOU ASK 'EM THESE 30 QUESTIONS AND THEN GIVE 'EM A $5 GIFT CARD? THAT'S NOT REALLY A GOOD POSITION FOR ANYBODY TO BE IN, INCLUDING THE PERSON, UH, THAT WE'RE QUESTIONING.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT TO WORK, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE, UM, ON HOW WE DO THE COUNT.
BUT I THINK, I THINK, UM, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE FOLKS THAT WERE OUT DOING THE COUNT, AND SO THAT, UH, PROBABLY WAS MORE LIKELY THAT THEY WOULD TALK TO THEM.
IS THIS HOW IT'S DONE EVERYWHERE, THIS POINT IN TIME COUNT? LIKE THROUGHOUT THE STATE, THROUGH THE COUNTY? YEAH, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE, THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT HUD REQUIRES EACH COUNTY IN THE COUNTY OR IN THE UNITED STATES TO DO EVERY TWO YEARS.
UM, HOW YOU DO IT IS, UH, MORE SO UP TO YOUR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS.
WE GENERALLY, THE COUNTY GENERALLY, UH, PROVIDES THE LEADERSHIP.
UM, 'CAUSE ALAMEDA COUNTY IS, IS A, A BIG COUNTY.
UM, AND SO IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, OVER A THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS TO DO THIS COUNTYWIDE.
AND SO THEY USUALLY HAVE EACH CITY KIND OF TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR OWN COUNT.
AND WE PREFER DOING THAT BECAUSE I THINK AT ONE POINT YOU WOULD JUST VOLUNTEER TO BE ON THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, AND YOU COULD, YOU COULD BE FROM LIVERMORE, BUT END UP IN FREMONT IN AN AREA YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO AND TRYING TO DO A COUNT.
AND I THINK WE FELT SOME OF THE FRUSTRATIONS AND SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITY FELT SOME OF THE SAME FRUSTRATIONS.
AND SO THEY REALLY RELY ON US TO, UH, PROVIDE OUR OWN VOLUNTEERS AND, UM, COME UP WITH OUR OWN PLAN.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY GIVE US SOME FLEXIBILITY ON WHEN WE WANT TO WANNA START IN THE MORNING, UM, AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT, UM, THEY USUALLY PROVIDE LIKE THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR US AND THE DATA, UM, PIECE AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? JOSH, WE ARE NOT GONNA OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? UH, NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
[6.COMMISSION REPORTS AND MATTERS INITIATED BY STAFF AND COMMISSION MEMBERS ]
REPORTS AND MATTERS INITIATED BY STAFF AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, COMMISSIONERS, ANYTHING TO REPORT? OKAY, WE WILL ADJOIN TO A REGULAR HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 11TH, 2026 AT 7:00 PM THE WILLIAM M MENDEN HALL, COMMUNITY ROOM CIVIC CENTER, MEETING HALL 10 16 SOUTH LIVERMORE AVENUE.TIME OF ADJOURNMENT IS 8:30 PM.