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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: September 2, 2010 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~- - h <br />SUBJECT: Food and Nutrition Services Outreach <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Yvette Smith, 245-2800 <br />PURPOSE: To approve the acceptance of funds from MANNA FoodBank and Inter-Faith <br />Shuttle to support a new time-limited income maintenance worker to provide outreach services <br />for the program in Orange County. <br />BACKGROUND: Orange County has historically had low participation rates in the Food and <br />Nutrition Services (FNS, formerly Food Stamp) program. The State has engaged the food <br />banks and the interfaith food shuttles to assist with outreach efforts in counties with low <br />participation rates including Orange County. <br />The nonprofit food distribution programs approached Orange County with a proposal to provide <br />an outreach worker at no cost to Orange County for the period October 201 Q through <br />September 2011. The worker would be an Orange County Department of Social Services <br />(DSS) employee which would allow the person to take applications rather than just providing <br />outreach services. DSS would then be reimbursed for the nonfederal share of the employee <br />costs. Computer equipment, phones and other support will also be provided to the County. <br />Historically DSS has researched this issue and concluded that much of the low participation <br />rate is related to the number of low-income college students who live in the County. These <br />students are included in census data which is used to estimate persons who are potentially <br />eligible for the program. However DSS staff supports outreach efforts to find any unserved <br />persons who are eligible and to address the issues raised by the participation rate. <br />DSS recommends creating one time-limited position for the period October 2010 through <br />September 2011 and entering into an agreement to accept these funds to provide outreach <br />services. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: There will be no additional County costs for this program since the <br />MANNA FoodBank will reimburse the County for any nonfederal costs. The additional costs for <br />one income maintenance worker (salary, benefits and overhead costs) is estimated to be <br />approximately $50,000. <br />