|
Leon County
Board of County Commissioners Agenda Item#2 June 21, 2022 |
| To: | Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board |
| From: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
| Title: | Recommended Actions to Address Findings from the Food Insecurity Neighborhood Meetings |
| Review and Approval: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
|
Department/Division Review and Approval: |
Alan Rosenzweig, Deputy County Administrator Wanda Hunter, Assistant County Administrator Scott Ross, Director, Office of Financial Stewardship |
|
Lead Staff/ Project Team: |
Shington Lamy, Director, Office of Human Services & Community Partnerships Abigail Sanders, Human Services Analyst |
Statement of Issue:
This item provides a comprehensive report on the neighborhood meetings conducted in coordination and collaboration with America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend Inc., the Children’s Services Council of Leon County and City of Tallahassee to determine the barriers that exacerbate food insecurity in the neighborhood block groups with the highest food insecurity rates in Leon County. Following nine highly attended and successful neighborhood meetings, this item presents recommendations that implement solutions identified by the residents and builds on the County’s ongoing efforts to reduce food insecurity with local partners.
Fiscal Impact:
This item has a fiscal impact totaling $156,159 to support the recommendations addressing food insecurity which are included in the Preliminary Budget. Associated costs include one-time funding ($60,000) for America’s Second Harvest to purchase a vehicle for the Mobile Pop-up Pantry Program and recurring annual expenses for a new Neighborhood Engagement and Community Partnerships Manager ($91,159) and to continue regular engagement with the neighborhood groups identified as the most food insecure ($5,000); the City, Children’s Service Council (CSC) and United Way of the Big Bend (UWBB) have also committed $5,000 each for neighborhood engagement.
Staff Recommendation:
Option #1: Approve $60,000 to America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend for the purchase of a truck for the Mobile Pop-up Pantry Program.
Option #2: Direct staff to bring back an agenda item on the establishment of the Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee in partnership with the City of Tallahassee and Children Services Council of Leon County as a focus group comprised of leaders and stakeholders of the neighborhood with the highest food insecurity rates to connect human service providers and resources with residents of the neighborhoods for greater awareness and access.
Option #3 Approve $5,000 annually to conduct programming and events in partnership with the City of Tallahassee, Children Services Council of Leon County, and the United Way of the Big Bend that directly engage neighborhood leaders and stakeholders to raise awareness of available resources in the community for basic needs, enhanced quality of life, and economic prosperity.
Option #4: Direct staff to participate in the Florida Department of Health in Leon County’s “Grow Leon” Initiative to support the collaboration and coordination of the local food system to address food insecurity in the community.
Option #5: Establish the Neighborhood Engagement and Community Partnerships Manager position within the Office of Human Services and Community Partnerships to fully realize and implement the recommendations and solutions identified during the neighborhood meetings on food insecurity.
Report and Discussion
Executive Summary:
As approved by the Board, community meetings were conducted in the neighborhoods with the highest food insecurity rate in collaboration with America’s Second Harvest (Second Harvest), the City of Tallahassee (City), and Children Services Council of Leon County (CSC) entitled, Breaking Bread Together: Neighborhood Dinner and Conservation on Tackling Food Insecurity. Nearly 300 Leon County residents participated in the nine meetings held in the neighborhoods in May and early June. Participants included neighborhood residents, neighborhood business owners, faith-based leaders, not-for-profit organization representatives, County Commissioners, City Commissioners, CSC Council members, and the United Way of the Big Bend (UWBB).
As shared at the meetings, led by partners such as Second Harvest and Elder Care Services, there are extensive existing resources focused on addressing food insecurity in the community. These organizations support numerous programs throughout the County to distribute food, operate pantries, and deliver meals to the most vulnerable populations. Leon County provides support to these programs through Community Human Services Partnership (CHSP). The County provides annual funding to support Second Harvest’s School Backpack Program and neighborhood food pantries, as well as Elder Care Services’ Meals on Wheels Program.
Second Harvest is the local food bank for the Big Bend Region which is comprised of 11 counties. The agency partners with 135 local organizations including not-for-profits and faith-based organizations to operate soup kitchens, food pantries, and residential feeding programs within neighborhoods throughout the community for convenient access. Over the past two years, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted communal health and the economy, the County invested more than $5 million to address food insecurity distributing nearly 4 million meals to low-income households in partnership with Second Harvest. Subsequent to this unparalleled investment, the Board adopted strategic initiatives in 2021 and 2022 to conduct meetings in partnership with Second Harvest and the City in the neighborhoods with the greatest food insecurity to address the barriers and develop solutions.
A recurring theme emerged during each and every meeting that residents of the neighborhoods are unaware of the significant level of resources available in the community to address food insecurity as well as overall basic needs such as childcare, healthcare, and employment services. Frequently and consistently, the lack of transportation and lack of knowledge of resources were identified as barriers to food security during each meeting. However, as was shared during the meetings there are significant existing resources in the community including neighborhood food pantries, food distribution events hosted by Second Harvest, non-profit organizations that provide transportation for basic and essential services (i.e. grocery store, food/meal pick up, doctor appointments, etc.), and free Lyft services to grocery stores and food pantries offered by 2-1-1 Big Bend. In addition, there is an abundance of childcare tuition assistance available through the Early Learning Coalition, weekly mental health counseling offered for free at several of the City’s community centers in partnership with Apalachee Center, and job training through CareerSource Capital Region all highlighted as services currently available that residents indicated that they were not familiar with. As a result, participants determined that greater direct engagement with the residents of the neighborhoods on available resources and increased and enhanced education on healthy foods were the top solutions to reduce food insecurity.
The meetings led to an unprecedented level of engagement and commitment from community partners including the City, CSC, UWBB, the Florida Department of Health in Leon County, the Second Harvest and other local human service providers that were in attendance to listen to the issues, concerns, and solutions of residents of the neighborhood. Partners, including the City, CSC, and UWBB, realized that implementing solutions identified by the participants during the neighborhood meetings would require a collective and coordinated response of enhanced, long-term commitment and investment to engage and empower the neighborhoods to reduce food insecurity. New opportunities were identified to reduce food insecurity in partnership with the residents of the neighborhoods, Second Harvest, City, CSC, UWBB, and other local partners. As detailed in the item, these recommendations include:
By implementing these recommendations, the County would significantly increase its commitment to reduce food insecurity through greater coordination and collaboration with community partners and the residents of the neighborhoods. These recommendations are anticipated to increase the utilization of existing community resources that residents may not be aware of, improve access to healthy foods through greater coordination with partners in seeking additional federal funding, and strengthen relationships with the neighborhoods which will reduce the food insecurity rates in the targeted neighborhoods. As part of the annual CHSP item presented each fall, the Board will be provided updates on food insecurity rates as well as specific actions accomplished to engage and connect the neighborhoods with available food and human services resources.
Background:
This item provides a comprehensive report on the neighborhood meetings conducted in coordination and collaboration with Second Harvest, the CSC and City to determine the barriers that exacerbate food insecurity in the neighborhood block groups with the highest food insecurity rates in Leon County. Following nine highly attended and successful dinner meetings, the report presents recommendations that would implement solutions identified by the residents of the neighborhoods and build on the County’s efforts to reduce food insecurity collectively with local partners through greater engagement and education.
This item advances the following FY2022-FY2026 Strategic Initiative:
This particular Strategic Initiative aligns with the Board’s Strategic Priority:
According to Feeding America, one in three children in Leon County struggle to find their next meal. Additionally, about 68,000 people in Leon County are food insecure, including 16,000 children. Leon County has been committed to addressing food insecurity in the community that has been exacerbated since the beginning of pandemic. Significant actions have included:
At its January 25, 2021, Annual Retreat, the Board approved a series of new strategic initiatives, including working with community partners to develop possible options for those struggling with food insecurity by utilizing the results of Feeding Florida’s study on food insecurity that provides granular data down to the neighborhood block group level. On February 16, 2021, the Board ratified the actions taken at the Board Retreat.
On November 9, 2021, an agenda was presented to the Board with an analysis of the Feeding Florida study on food insecurity, known as the Meal Deficit Metric Study. Based on the results of the Study which identified the Southwood neighborhood as one of the highest food insecurity rates in Leon County, Second Harvest determined, and Feeding Florida supported that the study did not reflect the socioeconomic condition of the community. Instead, Second Harvest chose to utilize the Map the Meal Gap data developed by Feeding America to identify and prioritize resources in neighborhoods with the highest levels of food insecurity. As a result, Table #1 reflects the ten block groups with the highest food insecurity rates in Leon County which was presented in the November 9th Board meeting. It is important to note that all the neighborhoods identified with the highest food insecurity are entirely or partially within the City limits. Additionally, several are part of the City’s Neighborhood First Program to address poverty and community redevelopment. As directed by the Board on November 9, 2021, the County is a partner in the implementation of the Neighborhood First Program and individual neighborhood first plans.
Table 1: Top Ten Highest Food Insecurity Rate Block Groups
|
Block Group |
Food Insecurity Rate |
Neighborhood Description |
|
4-2 |
66.1% |
FAMU Area |
|
11.01-2 |
60.1% |
Bond |
|
22.07-1 |
58.7% |
N HWY 27 Outside I-10 |
|
14.02-3 |
54.1% |
Outer Griffin Heights |
|
11.02-1 |
54.1% |
Nims Middle |
|
6-3 |
50.6% |
Frenchtown |
|
22.01-1 |
50.1% |
Inside Capital Circle NW |
|
20.03-1 |
49.4% |
TCC/Jail |
|
10.01-1 |
48.8% |
South City |
|
19.01-2 |
47.8% |
FAMU-FSU Engineering |
Based on the information and analysis provided in the November 9, 2021 item, the Board directed staff to coordinate with Second Harvest to conduct community meetings in collaboration with the City to determine barriers that exacerbate food insecurity in the neighborhood block groups presented in Table #1. Recognizing the opportunity to engage the households and families impacted by food insecurity, the CSC reached out and requested to collaborate and participate in the community meetings. Since approximately 67% of human services programs funded through CHSP provide services to children and families, CSC’s request to collaborate on the community meetings was accepted.
Analysis:
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life due to a lack of available financial resources for food at the household level. According to USDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), food insecurity significantly impacts the social determinants of health. The Analysis section of this item provides information on the significant level of existing programs and services that address food insecurity in the community, it then provides a summary of the County’s successful implementation of the neighborhood meetings including the most common barriers and solutions expressed by participants. The Analysis concludes with recommendations for the Board’s consideration that would build on the County’s commitment to address food insecurity and effectuate the solutions in partnership with community and neighborhood stakeholders.
Programs and Services to Address Food Insecurity
Led by Second Harvest, there are several organizations and programs in Leon County focused on addressing food insecurity in the community. Second Harvest is the local food bank for the Big Bend Region which is comprised of 11 counties. The Agency partners with 135 local organizations including not-for-profits and faith-based organizations to operate soup kitchens, food pantries, and residential feeding programs within neighborhoods throughout the community for convenient access. Second Harvest operates a Senior Grocery Program that helps to feed approximately 1,200 low-income seniors per month. The Agency’s extensive Child Nutrition Program includes the Backpack Program that provides children with a bag of food each Friday to ensure that nutritional needs are met over the weekend; Kid’s Café Program that feeds Leon County children after school at community centers and churches during the school months (August – May) bridging the gap for children who receive most of their meals from school and may not have a nutritious dinner when they go home; and the Summer BreakSpot Program that provides kids a free, nutritious meal and snack at sponsored sites during the summer months which include County branch libraries, ensuring children have a stable source of food for their nourishment and growth when school is out.
In addition to Second Harvest’s Senior Grocery Program, Elder Care Services’ Meals on Wheels program delivers meals weekly to homebound seniors and congregate meal sites. In 2021, Elder Care delivered approximately 148,000 meals to seniors in Leon County. An additional 1,700 bags of food were distributed to seniors through Elder Care’s food pantry. As mentioned earlier, the County and City through CHSP provide annual funding to Second Harvest and Elder Care.
Furthermore, over the past two years, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted communal health and the economy, the County invested more than $5 million to address food insecurity distributing nearly 4 million meals to low-income households in partnership with Second Harvest. This investment includes efforts to expand food accessibility through the purchase of four temperature-controlled grocery lockers purchased by Second Harvest with County and City ARPA funds. The first food locker will be installed at Sabal Palm Elementary School and the remaining three lockers will be located strategically throughout the community based in part on feedback received by neighborhood residents during the community dinners.
There are several additional programs in the community that focus on reducing the barriers to food security for residents in the community. 2-1-1 Big Bend partners with United Way to provide free Lyft rides to grocery stores, doctor’s appointments, and other essential activities. 2-1-1, United Way, and Second Harvest also partner with DoorDash to deliver food goods monthly to low-income residents. Several Medicare insurance plans also provide free transportation to grocery stores for low-income seniors. Recently, the City expanded the Dial-A-Ride program through StarMetro to partner with local cab companies to provide low-cost fare for low-income citizens.
As discussed in the following section, residents that participated in the meetings were not aware of many of these programs and services available to address food insecurity.
Overview and Summary of Community Meetings
As approved by the Board, community meetings were conducted in the ten neighborhoods with the highest food insecurity rate in collaboration with Second Harvest, the CSC, and the City entitled, Breaking Bread Together: Neighborhood Dinner and Conservation on Tackling Food Insecurity. A detailed summary of the neighborhood meetings is provided in Attachment #1. Nine meetings were held in May and early June targeting residents and stakeholders of the ten neighborhoods with the highest food insecurity rates. As reflected in Table #2, community conversations took place in churches, community centers, college and university campuses, and in a food pantry warehouse. Nearly 300 Leon County residents participated including neighborhood residents, business owners, faith-based leaders, not-for-profit organization representatives, UWBB, County Commissioners, City Commissioners, and CSC Council members.
Table 2: Food Insecurity Community Meeting
|
Date |
Location |
Block Group |
Neighborhood Description |
|
May 3, 2022 |
New Mt. Zion AME Church |
14.02-3 |
Outer Griffin Heights |
|
May 4, 2022 |
Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church |
11.02-1 |
Nims Middle |
|
May 11, 2022 |
TCC Workforce Development Building #38 |
20.03-1 & 22.01-1 |
Inside Capital Circle NW & TCC/Jail |
|
May 12, 2022 |
Delta Kappa Omega Community Center |
19.01-2 |
FAMU-FSU Engineering |
|
May 16, 2022 |
FAMU Grand Ballroom |
4-2 |
FAMU Area |
|
May 23, 2022 |
Bond Community Health Center |
10.01-1 |
South City |
|
May 24, 2022 |
Walker Ford Community Center |
11.01-2 |
Bond |
|
June 1, 2022 |
Lincoln Center |
6-3 |
Frenchtown |
|
June 2, 2022 |
Tallahassee Spanish Seventh Day Adventist Church |
22.07-1 |
N HWY 27 Outside I-10 |
The main theme that emerged during the meetings was that residents of the neighborhoods were unaware of the significant level of resources available in the community to address food insecurity as well as overall basic needs such as childcare, healthcare, and employment services. While each community conversation involved different stakeholders, the lack of transportation and knowledge of available resources were consistently identified as root causes or systemic barriers to accessing food in the neighborhoods. At each meeting participants cited the lack of transportation to grocery stores and available food pantries as significant barriers to access healthy food and meal. Additionally, the lack of knowledge of available resources was frequently shared at every meeting. This included knowledge of community resources for transportation, mental health services, employment/job training that could reduce food insecurity and overall poverty in the neighborhood. Related to the lack of knowledge was considerable discussion on the lack of education on healthy foods that are critical to improving the quality of life in the neighborhoods that often are susceptible to chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
At each meeting several available resources that address food insecurity, transportation needs, education on healthy foods, and access to basic services such as mental health services and employment job training were provided; residents generally were not aware these resources existed in their community. This included neighborhood food pantries and food distribution events hosted by Second Harvest tailored for each specific neighborhood (Attachment #2). Additionally, participants were unaware of resources such as free transportation for basic and essential services (i.e. grocery store, food/meal pick up, doctor appointments, etc.) provided by 2-1-1 Big Bend through free Lyft rides. Local farmers, Cooperative Extension, and small not-for-profits all shared resources they provide to educate the community on healthy foods and eating at no charge. The high level of information shared on available resources organically led to ideas and solutions that deliberately and constantly educate and engage the residents of neighborhoods to tackle the barriers to food security.
The conversation on solutions centered on opportunities in which collective and coordinated strategies and actions could be realized to address the root causes to food insecurity identified by the participants. Overwhelmingly and consistently, greater direct engagement with the residents of the neighborhoods was broadly identified as a common solution to food insecurity. Direct engagement by the County, City, CSC, Second Harvest, and other human services providers was seen as an opportunity to raise awareness of resources available in the community for basic needs, enhanced quality of life, and economic prosperity. Specific direct engagement actions identified included better tailoring of outreach efforts to the neighborhoods on available resources in the community; healthy food education, preparation, and cooking events targeted at residents of neighborhoods; enhanced partnerships with local farmers to educate and distribute locally grown food; and the continuation of meetings with the neighborhoods. These actions were identified as ways to strengthen relationships and build trust with residents of the neighborhoods which in turn would reduce food insecurity.
Throughout each neighborhood meeting, community partners including Second Harvest, the City, CSC, and UWBB were fully engaged in the conversations with the participants on the root causes to food insecurity and listened for shared solutions that could be implemented exclusively and collectively through current programs such as CHSP, ARPA, and the Neighborhood First Program. This led to subsequent commitments by the City, CSC, and UWBB to enhance their partnership with the County to collectively engage the identified neighborhoods and reduce food insecurity in those areas.
Proposed Recommendations for Board Action to Address Barriers and Implement Solutions
Recognizing that to realize the solutions identified during the neighborhood meetings on food insecurity requires collective and coordinated commitment, the following recommendations for the Board’s consideration build upon efforts to address food insecurity in partnership with the residents of the neighborhoods, Second Harvest, City, CSC, UWBB, and other local partners.
Purchase of Vehicle for the Establishment of Mobile Pop-up Pantry
To address the overarching concerns raised by participants regarding accessibility to nutritious food and meals, Second Harvest plans to establish a mobile pop-up pantry to double its Neighborhood Empowerment events to every month. Currently, the events are held one Friday every other month within neighborhoods to distribute prepackaged pantry boxes, fresh produce, and frozen protein-based items. Second Harvest partners with local human service providers to offer an array of service ranging from employment, healthcare, legal services, licensing, SNAP benefits sign up, hurricane preparedness supplies, as well as youth and family services. So far, the Neighborhood Empowerment events has been held in 15 neighborhoods and included nearly 25 partner agencies since 2021.
In collaboration with a private partner, Second Harvest will purchase a twenty-foot enclosed trailer to provide neighborhood residents “the power of choice” in selecting food as part of the Neighborhood Empowerment events. Rather than receiving prepackaged boxes of food, residents will have the ability to “shop” and select food items from the trailer similar to a fixed food pantry. Additionally, Second Harvest will offer food preparation and cooking demonstrations to educate residents on meals that can be made with the various items available on the mobile food pantry.
Second Harvest is collaborating with private partners to purchase the enclosed trailer and is requesting one-time funding in the amount of $60,000 to purchase a heavy-duty pickup truck to transport the trailer. The mobility of the pantry will allow Second Harvest to expand its Neighborhood Empowerment events program to every month doubling the outreach and accessibility of food to neighborhoods with the highest food insecurity rates.
Recommendation: Approve $60,000 to America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend for the purchase of a truck for the Mobile Pop-up Pantry Program.
Establishment of the Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee
In response to the unanimous and consistent requests from participants to provide greater direct engagement with the residents of the neighborhoods on available resources and to build relationships to improve trust, it is recommended that the County, City, and CSC jointly establish the Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee (Steering Committee) of leaders and stakeholders in the neighborhoods with the highest food insecurity rates in Leon County. The Steering Committee’s sole purpose would be to connect human service providers and residents of the neighborhoods for greater awareness and access to available resources.
As previously mentioned, participants of the neighborhood meetings expressed overwhelming support for the continuation of regular and sustainable neighborhood meetings with the County, City, CSC, and human service providers to increase knowledge and awareness of the needs of the neighborhoods, build trust, and stay informed on available resources in the community. The Steering Committee would be utilized as a vehicle to communicate the needs as shared by the participants. More importantly, it would build trust by fostering long term relationships with the neighborhoods with the goal of reducing systemic barriers to food security.
The Steering Committee would be comprised of 10-12 Leon County residents appointed at the staff level of the County, City, and CSC. The Steering Committee would also be staffed by the County, City and CSC. The individuals serving on the Committee would have the knowledge, experience, and capacity to engage children, families, and households within the neighborhoods that struggle or are reluctant to access nutritious food and meals as well as available human service resources in Leon County. The specific tasks of the Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee would include:
In accordance with Board Policy No. 03-15, the Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee would be established as a focus group to provide feedback and input to County, City, and CSC staff on strengthening engagement with neighborhoods experiencing the highest rates of food insecurity; and improve access to and knowledge on available resources to reduce barriers to healthy and nutritious food and overall economic prosperity.
Recommendation: Direct staff to bring back an agenda item on the establishment of the Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee in partnership with the City of Tallahassee and Children Services Council of Leon County as a focus group comprised of leaders and stakeholders of the neighborhood with the highest food insecurity rates to connect human service providers and resources with residents of the neighborhoods for greater awareness and access.
Conduct Programming and Events to Directly Engage Neighborhood Leaders and Stakeholders
Building on the proposed establishment of the Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee and its tasks to engage both neighborhood leaders and stakeholders as well as human services providers, it is recommended that programming and events be conducted in partnership with the City, CSC, UWBB to connect neighborhood leaders and stakeholders. The County, City, CSC, and UWBB are the primary funders of human services in Tallahassee-Leon County. As mentioned earlier, each organization participated in the neighborhood meetings and recognized the consistent solution identified by the participants was for greater direct engagement with the residents of the neighborhoods on available resources. As a result, collective investment in programming and events was identified by all partners as an opportunity to collaborate on engaging neighborhoods to inform them of the available resources and continue to build relationships to improve access to services.
The proposed programming and events would be held two to four times a year within the neighborhoods and focus on themes that serve to allow neighborhood leaders and stakeholders to address issues such as food insecurity, mental health, and childcare and present an opportunity for human service providers to share information on the resources available to meet the need in the neighborhood. Additionally, discussions would center on overcoming challenges and obstacles to accessing services which could include more education and assistance with required information and documents and/or adjustments to policies and requirements. The goal of the programs and events would be to foster and sustain relationships between the neighborhoods and human service providers.
The City, CSC, and UWBB have committed to be financial and strategic partners on the development and implementation of programming and events tailored to raise awareness of available resources in the community and build relationships with the neighborhoods. The City CSC, and UWBB intend to provide $5,000 annually. As a result, it is recommended that the Board approve an equal amount of $5,000 to conduct programming and events in partnership with the City, CSC, and UWBB that directly engage neighborhood leaders and stakeholders to raise awareness of available resources in the community for basic needs, enhanced quality of life, and improved economic prosperity. The total funding between all partners would total $20,000 annually beginning in FY 2023 for rental space, food, promotion, outreach, and supplies for two to four events each year. The Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee would assist in the development and implementation of all programming and events to engage neighborhood leaders and stakeholders.
Recommendation: Approve $5,000 annually to conduct programming and events in partnership with the City of Tallahassee, Children Services Council of Leon County, and the United Way of the Big Bend that directly engage neighborhood leaders and stakeholders to raise awareness of available resources in the community for basic needs, enhanced quality of life, and economic prosperity.
Participate in the Florida Health Department in Leon County’s “Grow Leon” Initiative
As mentioned earlier increased education on healthy food and cooking was also consistently identified as a solution to address food insecurity in focused neighborhoods. The Florida Health Department in Leon County (Health Department) which attended each food insecurity neighborhood meeting, has proposed that the County participate in its “Grow Leon” initiative which it is planning to launch within the next 60-90 days with the goal of creating a local food system in the community. During a recent tour sponsored by Invest Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Riverside, California, the Health Department had the opportunity to gather information on best practices that serve to improve overall health in the community by addressing high levels of food insecurity.
The Health Department intends to replicate the “Grow Riverside” initiative which formally brought together local stakeholders including government, higher education, not-for-profits, businesses, and farmers to map the local food system from production to consumption in order to better utilize resources to address “healthy” food insecurity and its impact of the health of people and neighborhoods. Through it “Grow Riverside” initiative, the Riverside community has secured federal and state grants to increase food access and reduce food waste.
Participation in the Health Department’s “Grow Leon” initiative would serve as an additional opportunity to incorporate the County’s commitment and investment in food insecurity through collaboration and potentially secure federal and state funding. The Health Department has indicated additional participants of the Grow Leon Initiative would include the City, Second Harvest, 2-1-1 Big Bend, Florida A&M University, and local farmers’ groups. Therefore, it is recommended that Leon County participate in the Health Department’s “Grow Leon” Initiative.
Recommendation: Direct staff to participate in the Florida Department of Health in Leon County’s “Grow Leon” Initiative to support the collaboration and coordination of the local food system to address food insecurity in the community.
Establish the Neighborhood Engagement and Community Partnership Manager Position
The Neighborhood Empowerment and Community Partnership Manager position would serve as lead staff to effectuate the approved recommended actions presented in this item for the Board’s consideration to alleviate common barriers and implement the solutions identified in the neighborhood meetings. Moreover, the position would align the County’s efforts to engage the neighborhoods. Successful implementation of the common solutions and associated recommendations presented in this item requires a significant level of dedication to build relationships and commitment and consistent communication with the identified neighborhoods, and health and human services providers.
The Neighborhood Engagement and Community Partnership Manager will serve as lead staff to the Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee for the County; coordinate the quarterly meetings of the Steering Committee with agencies and programs funded by the County, City, and CSC; coordinate quarterly meetings with other neighborhood stakeholders to gather information on neighborhood needs and share information on available resources in the community with various community agencies and representatives; oversee the development and implementation of programs and events that directly engage neighborhood leaders, stakeholders and residents to raise awareness of available resources in the community to meet basic human service needs to facilitate an enhanced quality of life, and improved economic prosperity; research and apply for grant opportunities to invest in Leon County programs, services, and initiatives that would enhance resources to neighborhoods with the highest food insecurity; participate in the Health Department’s “Grow Leon” Initiative; and coordinate with County Departments and Divisions on efforts to keep neighborhood residents informed on available County programs and services such as the Summer Youth Training Program and Junior Apprentice Program. The recruitment and hiring process for the position would commence immediately upon Board approval.
Recommendation: Establish the Neighborhood Engagement and Community Partnership Manager position within the Office of Human Services and Community Partnerships to fully realize and implement the recommendations and solutions identified during the neighborhood meetings on food insecurity.
Conclusion
The neighborhood meetings were highly successful in engaging neighborhoods and community partners in highlighting the significant level of existing resources available in the community to address food insecurity that residents were unaware exist. In addition, the meetings resulted in recommendations that build on efforts to reduce food insecurity in the community through greater coordination and collaboration. By implementing these recommendations, neighborhoods will have significantly improved access to the numerous existing food resources in the community. Through strengthened partnerships and relationships with neighborhoods, a long-term reduction in food insecurity rates is projected to occur in the identified areas.
Nearly 300 Leon County residents participated in the nine meetings held in the neighborhoods in the months of May and June. Frequently and consistently, the lack of transportation and lack of knowledge of resources were identified as barriers to food security during each meeting. However, as was shared during the meetings there are existing resources to address food insecurity that participants were unaware including available neighborhood food pantries and food distribution events as well as free transportation for basic and essential services (i.e. grocery store, food/meal pick up, doctor appointments, etc.). As a result, greater direct engagement with the residents of the neighborhoods on available resources and increased and enhanced education on healthy foods were the top approaches that participant stated would reduce food insecurity.
The neighborhood meetings have spurred an unprecedented level of collaboration and coordination with local partners including Second Harvest, City, CSC, UWBB, Health Department, and other human services providers to collectively implement solutions addressing food insecurity. Therefore, this item recommends approving the following:
As part of the annual CHSP item presented each fall, the Board will be provided updates on food insecurity rates as well as specific actions accomplished to engage and connect the neighborhoods with available food and human services resources.
Options:
1. Approve $60,000 to America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend for the purchase of a truck for the Mobile Pop-up Pantry Program.
2. Direct staff to bring back an agenda item on the establishment of the Trusted People Neighborhood Engagement Steering Committee in partnership with the City of Tallahassee and Children Services Council of Leon County as a focus group comprised of leaders and stakeholders of the neighborhood with the highest food insecurity rates to connect human service providers and resources with residents of the neighborhoods for greater awareness and access.
3. Approve $5,000 annually to conduct programming and events in partnership with the City of Tallahassee, Children Services Council of Leon County, and the United Way of the Big Bend that directly engage neighborhood leaders and stakeholders to raise awareness of available resources in the community for basic needs, enhanced quality of life, and economic prosperity.
4. Direct staff to participate in the Florida Department of Health in Leon County’s “Grow Leon” Initiative to support the collaboration and coordination of the local food system to address food insecurity in the community.
6. Board direction.
Recommendation:
Options #1 - #5
Attachments: