HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/2/2023 Item 6e, Olson
May 1, 2023
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Transmitted via email to: emailcouncil@slocity.org
RE: Consent Agenda Item 6.e. Consideration of the 2022-2023 Human Services Grant
Funding Recommendations from the Human Relations Commission
Dear Mayor Stewart and Councilmembers,
I am writing to you on behalf of the SLO Food Bank to express our appreciation and
support for Consent Agenda Item 6.e as well as to provide you with additional
information regarding the value of the No-Cook Bag Program in the City of San Luis
Obispo (City).
As described in our application for Human Services Grant Funding to the Human
Resources Commission, No-Cook Bags are comprised of healthy, portable foods designed
for the diverse homeless population in the City. Each bag is carefully curated to contain
meet the unique nutritional and dental challenges
experienced by homeless residents. No-Cook Bags are designed to meet nutritional
requirements necessary to sustain an individual for at least one day.
Partnerships are the crux of the No-Cook Bags program model. These bags are
distributed by community partners throughout the City who work directly with the
homeless, including nonprofits and faith-based organizations, as well as
Police Department Community Action Team (CAT) and Fire Department Mobile Crisis
Unit (MCU). We are grateful for each of these relationships and have heard directly from
your teams about the vital role No-Cook Bags play in initiating and building a trusting
relationship with unhoused residents.
These bags are also extraordinarily valuable to other agencies and nonprofits that are
based in the City and serve our unhoused neighbors. As a point of reference, in 2022 the
Consent Item: 6.e SLO Food Bank No-Cook Bag program update May 2023
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SLO Food Bank provided slightly greater than $84,000 in No-Cook Bags to SLO City-based
agencies, including CAT and MCU teams.
In just the first quarter of 2023, demand for No-Cook Bags has risen nearly 5% in the
City, and we do not expect that increase to plateau. Significantly, on March
26, CalFresh recipients received their last Emergency Allotment, which had provided a
critical boost to their benefits throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Many individuals, including
unhoused residents who are likely to receive these benefits, are now beginning to face
the unbelievable challenge of surviving with a decrease in food purchase assistance from
$281 per month to just $23 per month, the now-current minimum benefit allotment.
Based on this trend of increased need, we anticipate that the City itself, not including the
other agencies located in the City that also serve residents, will distribute nearly 43%
more bags in 2023 than in 2022.
Combined with the increasing cost of food, including the specialty items included in No-
Cook Bags, surging need challenges continue to deliver
this valuable program. With genuine compassion, we are honored to serve all who are in
need. While unhoused clients represent a very small percentage of over 31,500 SLO
County residents we serve every month, the food items in No-Cook Bags are among the
most expensive items to source. As you can probably appreciate, it is challenging to buy
open-and-eat food that is also highly nutritious.
We are grateful to the Human Relations Commission for their recommendation of funding
support for No-Cook Bags, and we recognize the difficult tradeoffs and decisions that are
required in assessing applications for the Human Services Grant Funding. Our hope is that
you approve the recommendation as presented in your May 2, 2023, meeting, and also
that we may work together to identify an opportunity for additional support for this
program as No-Cook Bags have evolved to become a unique tool for our Police and Fire
Departments to begin a trusting relationship in oftentimes difficult circumstances.
We are honored to be your partner in this effort to enhance health, afford dignity, and
provide a caring gesture to initiate meaningful relationship building.
Consent Item: 6.e SLO Food Bank No-Cook Bag program update May 2023
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Thank you for your commitment to public service and for your ongoing support of critical
human services in our City.
Sincerely,
Garret Olson
CEO
Consent Item: 6.e SLO Food Bank No-Cook Bag program update May 2023
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