CONTRA COSTA COUNTY - File #: 25-341

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally	Action Details	Meeting Details	Video
1/28/2025	1	BOARD OF SUPERVISORS				Not available	Meeting details	Not available

To: Board of Supervisors

From: Monica Nino, County Administrator

Report Title: 4th Quarter Status Report on Measure X Innovation Fund Projects

☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee

RECOMMENDATIONS:

RECEIVE report on the fourth quarter progress of the five grant projects from the first allocation of Innovation Funds.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Informational report. No fiscal impact.

Of the $2M allocated in the first round of the Innovation Fund, $30,000 was awarded and spent for five planning grants and $1,790,737 was awarded for five project grants, leaving an unallocated balance of $179,263. To date, $1,270,116 has been expended from the project grants, leaving an allocated balance of $520,621. Tech Exchange and White Pony have completed their projects and exhausted their grant awards. The County Administrator extended Lincoln’s grant period through February 28, 2025 and Support4Recovery’s and the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano’s grant periods through June 30, 2025 to enable those grantees to complete their projects.

BACKGROUND:

On October 17, 2023, at the conclusion of a year-long competitive bidding process, the Board of Supervisors awarded Measure X Innovation Fund grants totaling $1,790,737 to five promising projects. Contracts with each grantee were executed by the County Administrator effective December 1, 2023, since which time the projects have been underway.

What follows is a short description of each project, the Innovation Funds claimed per project through December 31, 2024, and a summary of progress made towards project goals. Also noted are any challenges or impediments reported by the grantees and any anticipated impacts those impediments may have on the project outcomes or timeline.

The County Administrator’s Office will continue to monitor progress, provide support and guidance to the grantees, and report to the Board quarterly.

4th QUARTER UPDATE

Smart Food Lockers Project, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

Contract Award: $717,500

Claimed thru December 31, 2024: $270,045 (38%)

Grant period extended by CAO through June 30, 2025

Program Summary: Purchase of food lockers to enable eligible individuals to retrieve food anonymously and at their convenience. Like the Amazon Hub Locker model, banks of 20 climate-controlled lockers can be placed either inside or outdoors at locations around the county. Food orders are placed electronically, and user codes are granted for food pick-up. Distributions will begin with a standard set of food staples, with a long-term goal of customizing selections for dietary preferences or restrictions. There is capacity for up to three locker fills daily, so each 20-locker bank can potentially serve 60 families/households daily.

4th Quarter Status Update

The project team reports that the branded lockers are installed and ready for operation at three out of four sites, with the fourth one to be installed shortly: Refuge Food Pantry in Concord (Central County); Los Medanos College in Brentwood (East County); and DVC San Ramon (South County). These lockers have just gone into operation. The fourth installation at Contra Costa College in San Pablo (West County) was postponed because the lockers could not fit through the external door of the host building. A contractor has been secured and the removal and replacement of the door is estimated to take place the last week of January. The lockers are set to begin operating soon afterward. At this early stage, six unique individuals have collected food from lockers in five days of operation for a total of 60 lbs. of food distributed. No pick-ups were missed.

(At Los Medanos College) (At DVC San Ramon)

The County Administrator authorized the installation of a fifth locker bank at DVC Pleasant Hill (Central County). This program expansion was determined to be feasible within the authorized grant allocation. DVC has not yet identified the specific site for the additional locker bank but negotiations are underway.

The following activities are planned through June 30:

• Site training planned for DVC San Ramon and LMC Brentwood on use and food safety. Training for Contra Costa College to be scheduled after installation.

• The lockers are set to operate on the first day of class 1/21/25 at DVC San Ramon and LMC Brentwood.

• Site work at Contra Costa College in San Pablo estimated to take place the last week of January. The lockers are set to begin operating soon after.

• The Food Bank will continue to support the sites’ outreach efforts to ensure the community is aware of this new service.

• Sites will be issued the budgeted stipends to ensure they have the financial support they need to operate the program.

• Once the remaining sites are up and running, the Food Bank will work with each partner to assess bottlenecks that might prevent the program from running optimally or at maximum capacity.

• A decision will be made regarding the fifth site at DVC Pleasant Hill. If both parties decide to move forward, the Food Bank will sign an MOU, order the lockers, and begin conducting site prep work.

• As the project progresses, the Food Bank will develop a process to collect client and partner feedback on the menu to better meet the dietary needs and preferences of those being served.

Impediments. Following the initial project delays that occurred due to sourcing, the project team has made significant progress and project activities have advanced smoothly. Nevertheless, with the delayed start to locker operation, the project team was unable to fully expend the contract award within the approved grant period. Consequently, the County Administrator extended the grant period for this project through June 30, 2025 to enable the Food Bank to complete the project.

The fourth quarter was not without additional challenges. The Contra Costa College locker bank installation was delayed due to the unanticipated need to remove the exterior building door to accommodate the installation. There was also a minor information network issue that temporarily interfered with the locker functionality, but this has since been remedied. Lastly, a software configuration setting inadvertently allowed unlimited food ordering by users. This was quickly discovered and corrected to prevent over-ordering.

Pittsburg Mobile Family Resources Program, Lincoln Families

Contract Award: $330,000

Claimed thru December 31, 2024: $278,205 (84%)

Program Summary: The Pittsburg Mobile Family Resources (PMFR) brings resource coordination and direct services together with community engagement. Through a network of service providers, the PMFR promises to provide youth and families with coordinated intake, direct services, resource navigation, and strengthened informal support/community engagement. For the project to succeed, the PMFR requires a strong community champion to lead the project.

4^th Quarter Status Update

In Quarter 4, the project team continued engagement and service coordination with members of the Community Advisory Council. Critical to the direction of the PMFR project is the convening of a network of providers who center mental health and wellness as a core of their work to directly support youth and families is. Further, wellness services and coordination efforts were held for resident/community members. The following three-hour sessions were conducted:

• Thurs, Sept 12, 2024 - Introductory Meeting

• Thurs, Oct 10, 2024 - Navigating the Emotional Landscape

• Thurs, Oct 17, 2024 - Ancestral Care and Memory

• Thurs, Nov 7, 2024 - Pittsburg Mobile Family Resource Center Next Steps: Supporting Community Emotional, Spiritual, and Mental Health

• Thurs, Nov 14, 2024 - Pittsburg Mobile Family Resource Center Next Steps: Supporting Community Emotional, Spiritual, and Mental Health

• Thurs, Dec 12, 2024 - Community Celebration and Giveaway

Lincoln’s HOPE Contra Costa clinicians have been providing school-based family case management services to 30 families. The youth and families selected have high exposure to risk factors and childhood trauma. Families received coordinated intake, resource navigation, and support with basic needs.

Impediments. While the Bilingual Case Manager unexpectedly left Lincoln for other employment, Lincoln reports that it has successfully pivoted to having its Pittsburg-serving clinicians provide comprehensive case management services. Nevertheless, the project team was unable to fully expend the contract award within the approved grant period. Consequently, the County Administrator extended the grant period for this project through February 28, 2025 to enable Lincon to complete the project.

Hispanic Outreach Manager Project, Support4Recovery (S4R)

Contract Award: $143,237

Claimed thru December 31, 2024: $122,045 (85%)

Program Summary: The program will facilitate addiction treatment in the Hispanic community. It is modeled off BiBett's Pueblo del Sol program, which offers a residential detoxification program to Spanish speakers. The program goals are to increase awareness that recovery services are available in Spanish and to help individuals overcome barriers to getting substance abuse treatment, such as obtaining U.S. identification.

4^th Quarter Status Update

In the 12 months elapsed through December 31, S4R recorded 169 placements of individuals in housing, detox services, workshops, treatment programs, and support groups. S4R reports that most temporary housing placements resulted in clients returning to their families. Detox, residential treatment, counseling and support groups, and workshops and training placements have also experienced high rates of success with many placements still in progress.

Impediments. The limited availability of beds for detox and treatment for Hispanics in Contra Costa County continues to be a significant challenge for the project. With only eight beds allocated for detox and 12 beds for treatment, the project team has faced constraints in meeting the growing demand for services within the Hispanic community. Despite ongoing efforts to raise awareness and extend support, the shortage of available beds remains a pressing issue.

Digital Inclusion Program, Tech Exchange

Contract Award: $500,000

Paid thru December 31, 2024: $500,000 (100%)

Program Summary: The program promised to source used computer devices from environmentally responsible businesses and individuals and refurbish and distribute devices to persons who receive public benefits and complete 8 hours of free digital skills training, and to nonprofit organizations that serve disadvantaged groups. Training was to be offered in multiple languages. The program planned to employ STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) interns.

4^th Quarter Status Update

In Q4, Tech Exchange maintained its strong partnerships and developed new ones. In addition to returning to the Richmond Public Library, Richmond Multicultural Center, and DeJean Middle School, Tech Exchange also began offering adult digital skills courses at Pittsburg High School (pictured below), which hosted two cohorts and trained 46 learners, bringing the total for the quarter to 86 adults receiving essential computer skills training and a free laptop.

Tech Exchange also continued its free device distributions to Contra Costa County nonprofits and schools. The project team distributed devices through programs at Richmond Public Library and DeJean Middle School, as well as through new partnerships with Ford Elementary School (Richmond) and Los Medanos College (Pittsburg). Throughout Q4, 84 of Tech Exchange’s high-quality refurbished laptops were gifted to Contra Costa nonprofits for redistribution to their clients.

In Q4, along with outreach through digital skills classes, Tech Exchange also presented three digital inclusion community events and tech resource fairs, at Richmond Multicultural Institute and Ford Elementary School. Both sites were also recipients of Tech Exchange’s refurbished devices, with distributions incorporated into the events. Internet enrollment events at these sites led to 22 enrollments, with another two Contra Costa residents contacting Tech Exchange directly for enrollment support, leading to 24 enrollments in Q4 and 26 overall.

The Tech Fair at DeJean Middle School on Dec. 19 was particularly lively. Tech Exchange offered a one-hour workshop tailored for parents and guardians to equip them with the knowledge and tools needed to help keep their children safe online (pictured above). Topics included internet safety tips, recognizing online threats, and how to foster a secure digital environment at home. For DeJean students, Tech Exchange also offered a “Refurbathon,” (pictured below), a fun, interactive opportunity for youth to learn how to take apart a computer and get familiar with its basic components. The students worked together to refurbish old devices while learning valuable skills in electronics and teamwork among peers. To fuel the refurbishment effort and contribute to environmental sustainability, Tech Exchange’s Q4 efforts to divert e-waste in Contra Costa County were greatly advanced by donations from Pittsburg Unified School District and Las Lomas High School, who donated over 900 devices to be refurbished and redistributed, bringing the total to 1,559 for the year. Detailed data tables are attached to this report.

Throughout the grant period, Tech Exchange listened to partners and participants, all of whom confirmed the ongoing need for digital inclusion services in Contra Costa County. The vast geographic size of the county made it challenging to reach all areas. The project team connected with partner organizations, which were eager to assist in bringing services to their clients.

Tech Exchange thanked the Board for the Innovation Fund's support in 2024. The County’s grant of $500,000 empowered Tech Exchange to significantly expand its services in the County, including digital skills classes, device distribution, and more. Altogether, this grant directly impacted over 800 unique individuals in need, who received training and devices.

Impediments. No impediments reported this quarter.

Food Rescue Hero (FRH) Program, White Pony Express (WPE)

Contract Award: $100,000

Claimed through December 31, 2024: $100,000 (100%)

Program Summary: The FRH application (app) is a pioneering technology solution that connects food producers’ surplus with available volunteer food-runners. It works like Uber, only for free food distribution. FRH provides real-time food delivery, connecting volunteers with smaller food donors like restaurants, caterers, schools, and cafeterias. The app allows food donors to signal when they have excess food. Available volunteers are then pinged via the app and can claim the run, electing to pick up and deliver the food immediately to a matching recipient organization registered in the program. This ground-breaking technology facilitates the dual goals of feeding hungry people and reducing food waste.

4^th Quarter Status Update

A major factor driving this project is the newly implemented California legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016), which requires restaurants and smaller food providers to divert 20% of their edible organics from landfills to food recovery organizations like WPE. As a result, WPE has experienced an influx of smaller donations. The FRH app mobilizes volunteers to do the pick-ups and deliveries. California has a 2025 goal to redirect to people in need 20% of edible food currently thrown away.

WPE is addressing the challenge of engaging new food donors by creating targeted outreach and providing education about the rewards of food donations. Innovation funding allowed WPE to focus on securing more food donors to redirect surplus food to those in need and help with SB 1383 compliance. WPE reports that it has significantly increased their food donor partner numbers, as the data shows.

During the fourth quarter and over the course of the project, WPE:

1. Secured a FRH Volunteer Coordinator to manage the schedule and logistics of deliveries and track results.

2. Created and distributed fliers with QR codes for easy access to sign up to donate food.

3. Provided education and training for food providers that explain the benefits of repurposing excess food to feed hungry neighbors.

4. Designed a magnet for restaurant coolers and refrigerators to remind kitchen staff to call WPE for fast, on-demand pick-ups when they have extra food.

5. Created a window sticker that lets patrons know they are part of the movement to end hunger and food waste.

6. Created and circulated fliers to recruit new FRH volunteers to be on-demand food-runners.

7. Educated the community, public officials, and decision makers by raising awareness about food waste, food insecurity, the new law, and how to act.

8. Promoted food donor partners on website and social media.

With support from the Measure X Innovation Grant, WPE was able to engage hundreds of community members in the movement to end hunger and protect the planet. To measure output, WPE utilizes software to track the number of food donations and deliveries, and the pounds of food recovered. They also track the number of volunteers who have been trained and participate in their food recovery program, and the number of food donor and recipient agencies that are part of their network.

WPE data shows that WPE exceeded all of its project milestones:

1. Engaged 83 food donation suppliers (goal was 25)

2. Registered 397 volunteer food runners on the app (goal was 200)

3. Made 6,388 rescues and deliveries via the app (goal was 500)

4. Delivered a total of 1,312,918 pounds of recovered food, the equivalent of 1,094,098 meals (goal was 600,000 lbs.)

5. Eliminated an estimated 2,111 metric tons of Co2e (greenhouse gas emissions) from the atmosphere

6. Partnered with 72 nonprofit agencies to serve the county’s most vulnerable neighbors suffering from food insecurity.

Impediments. A knowledge gap persists as food producers and restaurants are unclear about reporting, accountability, and compliance with SB 1383. The Innovation Fund Grant was used, in part, to create materials for distribution that educate and train these providers about the benefits of repurposing edible food waste to feed hungry people in our community.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

N/A. This is an informational report.