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Sacramento Hunger Commission: May 2004 Minutes

1. Meeting called to order by Richard Schroeder, Chair.
2. No quorum present at the beginning of the meeting to approve minutes – April minutes approved at the end of the meeting.
3. Brief reports and announcements
   • Steve Caruso, Elk Grove Food Bank Services:
     • Postal Carriers food drive in Elk Grove collected 19,000 lbs. of food – more than a 100% increase from last year!
     • Elk Grove Community Garden now a part of Elk Grove Food Bank
     • Harvest of Hope dinner set for Saturday, Sept. 25th.
   • Juan Valdez, DHA/Food Stamp Program:
     • No Food Stamp Program cuts at the state level for this budget year.
       • Transitional Food Stamps will continue (part of Governor’s May budget proposal
       • Payment accuracy has improved, resulting in decreased financial penalties
       • DHA applying for certain zip codes in Sacramento County with high unemployment to be exempted from work requirement and 3 month Food Stamp limit for able bodied single individuals without dependents (“ABAWDs”)
     • New Food Stamp flyer with updated information from Hunger Commission – 300 copies made thanks to DHA; hope to reach more eligible clients
   • Danielle Blacet:
     • Secretary of Food and Ag. to hold meeting regarding integration of health, obesity, and hunger programs with the government.
   • Hunger Commission
     • A dozen young citrus trees stolen from Edible Landscaping project, brief Sac Bee coverage
     • Saturday May 22nd Steinberg Youth Health Fair at Meadowview; need morning help
     • Southside Garden (5th & W) grand opening June 6th, 11-4pm; HC to have table with WIC; Mayor and important City people will be there.
     • More info about Hunger Commission’s 2004-05 funding at next meeting
4. Public Policy Update: Hunger Action Day, legislation
   Legislative visits -- HC participants for visits with Ortiz and Steinberg staff: Juan Yniguez, David Quackenbush, Franklin Anderson, Jake Salcone, Peggy Roark
• Senator Ortiz definitely interested in supporting ‘hunger legislation’.
• Assemblymember Steinberg as always very supportive, using Hunger Hits Home already, signed on to School Breakfast, and FS for Drug Offenders bills.
• Both gave positive responses to helping the Hunger Commission with the Oct. Food Summit
• Both willing to give letter of support for food charter to be carried to other municipalities
• Ken Carter visited Republican offices; did not receive much positive feedback

Event attracted about 2000 people – Mather Community Campus gourmet bag lunches fed over half of them; thanks to Cal Neva and to Richard and Mather residents, with some help from Hunger Commissioners and friends

Update on Bills supported by CHAC and the Hunger Commission.

• School Breakfast bill (AB 2200) watered down to include only schools with 40% or more students receiving free/reduced price meals.
• Food Stamp benefits for Drug Felons (AB 1796) shelved for now, may go through budget process
• End Finger Imaging for Food Stamp applicants (AB 2013) seeing resistance from Republicans
  
5. Plans for Food Charter and Food Summit
• Food Charter
  • At County Board of Supervisors level now; waiting to be agendized
    • Likely to be passed by county, then can go to smaller municipalities; need contacts!
• Food Summit
  • Danielle Blacet described fundraising plan/budget
    • Costs: $9,000 - $10,000; all costs included except keynote speaker
    • Income: $40/person, potential exhibitor fees, sponsorships available at different levels
  • Could gross $20,000
    • Dividend monies to be used for Action Plan
  • Radisson Hotel would be a good location
  • Mention of possibly combining Summit fundraising with fundraising for Hope Awards; Hope Awards committee to discuss
  • Mention of possibly combining Hope Awards event with Food Summit; Hope Awards committee to discuss
6. Summer Food outreach and Hope Awards update
• Free Summer Lunch
  • 101 sites already signed up; program begins June 14th
  • Information has been distributed to City Council members
  • Media Day proposed for early in Summer Lunch season
• Hope Awards – Oct. 21st, Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church
  • Evening Event; up to 300 attendees possible this year.
  • River Cats Aug. 1 can drive: cans to Elk Grove food bank, but money raised from baseball card sales will go to Hope Awards
7. Three Hunger Challenges
   If our experiences are going to be helpful for media publicity, need greater Hunger Commission participation ASAP
   • Will follow up on Laurie Green’s suggestion that recipes are needed with food boxes handed out at food closets
8. Cathedral Building and current priorities
   • Cathedral Building Task Force expects to come to June HC meeting with a proposed new mission statement

    

Hunger Commission major current activities– Education and Advocacy

• Food Charter – suggestion made that we need to start looking at implementation; e.g. define ‘local agricultural lands”
• Food Summit Oct. 7
• Hope Awards Oct. 21
• Three Challenges
• Hunger 101 – has been facilitated twice in the last few weeks
• Summer Lunch outreach
• Neighborhood Based Outreach (20 different flyers being distributed)
• Electronic Newsletter (replacing old paper newsletter)—coordinated and mostly written by Ken Carter, 1st issue will be ready shortly

Also:

• State Legislation advocacy
• Edible Landscaping Project
• Avondale/Glen Elder Community Food Assessment
  

Suggestions by Commissioners for additional possible actions

• Could identify specific material needs of emergency food providers and attempt to fulfill those needs
• HC could sponsor replacement of stolen Edible Landscaping trees

Next meeting to be held at SETA Head Start if meeting room is available, June 15th, 11:30-1:00

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