SR-302-001 (12)
,
Santa Moni~california, December 2, 1980
'302--~O/
City Staff
JI-j)
DEe 9 \980
TO:
FROM:
Mayor and City Council
SUBJECT: Senior Citizen's Produce Program
Introduction
ThlS report requests approval from the City Council to allow the Recreation and
Parks Department to continue to provide public building space to the Food Advisory
Service while working in cooperation with the Senior Nutrition and Recreation Program,
for the purpose of selling fresh produce to senior citizens at lower than market prlce.
Background
The Food Advisory Service is a non-prof1t, CETA funded service, which currently delivers
produce to sites throughout Los Angeles County. Vehicles are provided by the Food
Advisory Service which bring fresh produce to the site each Wednesday morn1ng. There
is no charge for this service, All produce sold at the site is sold at wholesale
cost, with no benefits realized by the agency.
The City Council initially gave approval to this program in March, 1980. Up until
this time, the program has been coordinated by the Food Advisory Service work1ng
together with the Ret1red Senior Volunteer Program (R.S.V.P.). The program lS held
ln the craft room at M1les Playhouse. The on-site operation has been supervised by
a CETA employee of the RSVP program. After the month of December, the RSVP program
will lose thelr CETA employee and will no longer have the means for supervising the
produce program. It is for this reason that the RSVP orogram would like to turn the
produce program over to the Sen10r Nutrition and Recreation Program.
Staff has discussed this matter with the Chalrman of the Senior Nutrltion Advisory
Council. The overall consensus is that the program is well received by the seniors
and all efforts should be made to continue the program. After reviewing the operation
.".... J 't-b.," ~
"'-'.,.., <- .
, -- '1 $-1) ,)
c.-
II-D
DEe 9 198C
~TO:
Mayor and City~nCil
Santa Mon~ California, December 2, 1980
-2-
of the produce program, it appears that the Senior Nutrition Project Director could
administer and supervise the program with continued help from the RSVP volunteers.
This would mean no additional cost to the City, The Senior Citizen's Nutrition
Advisory Committee could provide the review and citizen input into the operation
that is essential, This program is run by other Senior Nutrition and Recreation
Programs in the area,
The program would continue to operate for a two hour period each Wednesday morning,
Approximately 70-85 senior citizens will continue to be served by the program. The
produce would be transported free of charge to the site by the Food Advisory Service.
The Food Advisory Service will advise on costs of each produce item. Senior participants
will purchase as they choose, leftovers are sold rather than returned to Food Advisory
Service. Payment for the produce will be handled by depositing the cash and then
issuing a warrant to the Food Advisory Service within seven days, Scales and
necessary equipment will be donated by RSVP to the Senior Nutrition Program.
Alternatives
1. The City Council may disapprove the program.
2. The City Council can authorize the Recreat10n and Parks Department to continue to
provide buildlng space to the Food Advlsory Service and Senior Nutrition and Recreation
Program for the purpose of selling fresh produce to senior citizens at a lower than
market price. Author1zation includes the involvement of the Senior Nutrltion and
Recreation Program in admlnister1ng the program 1n conjunction with the Food Advisory
Service Progam.
Recommendation
Staff recommends alternative number 2, that the City Council approve both the involvement
'TO:
Mayor and Cit~nc1l
Santa Monica,~lforn1a, December 2. lQ80
-3-
of the Senior Nutrition and Recreation Program in the Food Advisory Service Program
and continuation of the Food Advisory Service Program as it currently exists.
Prepared by: Donald T. Arnett, Director
Recreation and Parks
DT A : dc
RETIRED\ENIOR VOLUNTEE~ROGRAM
Santa Monica-Westside Volunteer Bureau/V AC
609 Arizona Avenue, Post Office BOl< 1940, Santa Monica, California 90406
Telepho"e -394~025 J
November 21, 1980
Mr. Don Arnett
Department of Parks & Recreation
1685 Ma1n Street
Santa Mon1ca. CA
Dear Mr. Arnett:
This letter 1S to bring you up to date on the Produce
Min1-Market currently being held on Wednesdays at Lincoln Park.
As you know, RSVP inltiated the M1ni-Mart, with City
Council approval, last Apnl. It has been managed by
John Mattingly, who lS assigned to RSVP by the CETA program,
wlth the help of RSVP volunteers. About 80 senior cit1zens
buy produce from the mart each week. They are very enthus1-
ast1c about the prOject and look forward to bUY1ng there on
Wednesdays.
John Mattingly's term with CETA will be over in mid-
December. We have not been able to find a qualified volunteer
to take responsibillty for managing the market. Although lt
requlres less than four hours work a week, it does require a
strong commltment from the person in charge.
Since the primary purpose of RSVP is to place volunteer
help in non-profit agenc1es, rather than to provide a direct
service, I feel that we are not in a position to sponsor a
produce market. I am concerned, however, about the effect the
closure of the mart would have on sen10rs who have been using
it. I would like to suggest that 1t might be appropriate for
the Senior Nutrit10n Program to assume responsibility for the
market since they are already on slte wlth staff, volunteers
and partic1pants. It is not a d1ff1cult project to run. glven
these components. It has been successfully admin1stered by
nutrit10n programs in other areas.
I hope that you will consider this as a solutlon for
keeping the mart operat1ng. Please let me know, as soon as
possible, if you th1nk th1S suggest10n is feasible. RSVP hopes
to phase out of this project by the end of December.
AH.st
cc: Colln Petrie
a:RSVP~
51 ncerely ~
Abb~;tart~
Director