City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: NOVEMBER 6, 2024
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: KATE GARVEY, DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES
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Consideration of Grant Award Acceptance from the National Council on Aging's (NCOA) Center for Economic Well-Being (CEW) to the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) to increase older adults' participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
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ISSUE: Consideration of grant acceptance of the Department of Community and Human Services grant award for the Center for Economic Support (CES) to conduct outreach, assist older adults with completion of applications, and increase overall participation of older adults in the SNAP program.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Authorize the retroactive acceptance of a $100,000 grant to DCHS for NCOA's Senior SNAP Initiative. This 18-month grant, which requires no matching funds, will support outreach, application assistance, and enrollment of 1,500 older adults (age 60+) in the SNAP program.
2. Authorize the employment of temporary staff, supervised by the Food Security Coordinator to implement the grant; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: The National Council on Aging (NCOA) Center for Economic Well-Being (CEW), with funding from the Walmart Foundation, announced a funding opportunity for the 2024-2026 Senior SNAP Enrollment Initiative. This initiative aims to increase food security among older adults (age 60+) by establishing a network of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Enrollment Centers (SECs) across 20 states. Each selected organization receives a grant ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, along with technical assistance, to help a combined nationwide t...
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