Basic Needs Minutes 3/14/19

AGENDA:

  1. Review of Events:
    • CalFresh Outreach Day, Feb. 27
    • CalFresh Outreach CHC Subcontractor Summit, March 5 (Sacramento)
    • CalFresh Forum: Calif. Food Policy Advocates, March 6, (Sacramento)
  2. Plan Future Events

 

MINUTES:

Members Present:

Toni Borrachia

Erik Dickson

Jesus Garcia Valdez

Allison Goodwin (via ZOOM)

Sue Hardisty

Stacy Heldman-Holguin

Nancy Keller

Talena Sanders

Karen Vielma-Cortez

 

Members Absent

Karen Herrera Cruz

Gabriella Morin

Stacey Murray

  1. Review of Events:
    • CalFresh Outreach Day, Feb. 27

Had 147 prescreens. Interns are following up with applicants. Viridiana was in yesterday and the Food Bank was here during their regularly scheduled times.

On our website, we learned that we cannot use the back button or refresh because it kicks us out of our portal. We input 50 into the dashboard, but still have the ½ sheets to use to log prescreens.

We will have a more monitored process so students will be taken in order through each step of the process.

We might try to get more computers at the next event. More help at the computers would be good. We’ll prepare staffing better next time.

The other thing we learned is that we need to track staff hours at outreach events for the grant reporting.

Emails helped to get students to the event. They were targeted to groups who had high eligibility rate. (EOP, Grant A & B students) Some students were on meal plans so we’ll follow up with them in the Fall when they may not be on the meal plan. Other students shared that their families paid their tuition but they weren’t on meal plans and did not have food support, so we directed them to the pantry.

  • CalFresh Outreach CHC Subcontractor Summit, March 5 (Sacramento)

Sue and Stacy attended. 44 campuses throughout the state were represented. Good info and we aren’t that far behind. Key message: Developing partnerships – our community partnerships are very strong.

  • CalFresh Forum: Calif. Food Policy Advocates, March 6, (Sacramento)

Jesus took 3 students. A lot of new information on legislation. Hollywood Squares was a fun way to get information out. Networking part was good. Connected with someone on how to use the EBT card – two programs (restaurant and store). Found out more about application process. Talked a lot about recipes at Lobo Pantry. Irwin and Dawn could take 7 things commonly found in the Pantry and create something to eat. Epicurious site does this sort of thing. Afternoon session was awkward, and site had little parking. Hummus sandwich was messy – Nancy will look at our vegetarian sandwiches. Strange location. Gave lots of data and it was hard to understand. New folks were a little lost. The Forum was more of an update on legislation. Set-up last year was better and felt they learned more.

  1. Plan Future Events

Are there events already planned where we could do CalFresh Outreach?

Anything we c/should do over the summer?

Fall event

Transfer Orientation – you have to be living in the county to sign up. We can prescreen at orientation and put out of county students on follow-up list. If they already live here, we could complete the application at orientation. There’s usually 200-400 students. We are working with SRJC and Napa Valley CC to help their CalFresh students transition to SSU.

Put out flyer at Cruising into Finals about CalFresh. Flyers at Beaujolais before Finals Week. Research Symposium might be a good place to table (in April). Career Fair to capture students in last semester. Could Housing run a list of students currently in housing but haven’t applied for housing next year?

EOP can identify students who are moving off campus. If they are staying in the county over the summer we could qualify them now.

Summer Bridge training. June 23 – July 3. Could do it during the cooking class. Bridge leaders go into training May 21 until 3 days before bridge starts.

We could provide training to the bridge leaders to help with prescreening and our interns could help apply through our portal.