1. Approve agreement with the Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC) using American Rescue Plan funds in the amount of $10,000 for the period of January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, to reduce food insecurity in Yolo County by providing food that meets basic nutritional needs to low-income food-insecure Yolo County residents, with an emphasis on seniors, through their food delivery program, and 
    
2. Delegate authority to the Manager of Procurement to sign the agreement. 

American Rescue Plan Background
On September 28, 2021, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the initial American Rescue Plan (ARP) Expenditure Plan, which included $3,000,000 for projects under the Food Security priority category. At the October 25, 2022, Board meeting, Staff presented funding recommendations to allocate the remaining $1.3 million in the Food Security category. The Board expressed support for funding the Short Term Emergency Aid Committee. Staff has worked with Short Term Emergency Aid Committee to develop the final contract, which is recommended for approval with this staff report. Additional information on the scope of the contract with the Short Term Emergency Aid Committee and performance measures are described below. 

Short Term Emergency Aid Committee- Feeding the Hungry Program-Food Delivery
Funding this contract with the Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC) will help serve roughly 368 families who participate in the multiple subprograms within the Feeding the Hungry Program. The 368 families are comprised of roughly 536 individuals, the equivalent of 8,077 meals. STEAC expanded its Food Delivery Program (a subprogram of the Feeding the Hungry Program) with a particular emphasis on reaching out to seniors who suddenly found themselves vulnerable when coming in person to STEAC's Food Pantry. In response to the pandemic, STEAC completely reconfigured its procedures and protocols to be COVID-safe and ensure safe food distribution.

The Feeding the Hungry Program consists of three subprograms in which families may participate in more than one subprogram – the Rural Innovations in Social Economics Food Distribution Program, the Senior Delivery Program, and The Empower Yolo Delivery Program. STEAC also operates three other programs in support of food-insecure residents. These programs are the Food Pantry which provides a week's worth of food for each individual in a family as often as twice a month; Food Packs for Kids provide a weekly bag of nutritious snack to low-income students at three local school sites; and Homeless Packs that provides a weekly bag of appropriate food to homeless individuals.

The performance measures and outcomes associated with this project include tracking the number of individuals and families served and tracking the number of equivalent meals, examining how dependable the service is and the quality of the product, and evaluating the quality of life and feelings of food insecurity after using the program. More information about this contract, including a statement of work, budget, and performance measures, may be found in Attachment A. 

No competitive bid is required. The countywide ARP funds were allocated as part of the Board's FY2021-22 budget hearing on September 28, 2021. The Board provided direction on the remaining ARP fund allocation at the May 24, 2022, Board meeting.