REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of February 11, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
SUBMITTED BY: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBJECT: Community Volunteer Program for Housebound Residents RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report, discuss the information contained, and provide direction.
BACKGROUND:
In late 2024, Councilmember Grimsley requested that an item be placed on a future City Council agenda to discuss potential opportunities for coordinating volunteers to support housebound Hercules residents with essential quality-of-life tasks. This staff report provides the City Council with some initial ideas for discussion.
ANALYSIS
Volunteerism to help housebound residents is not new for the City of Hercules. A non-profit organization called Hercules Cares was established in July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was founded by a group of residents and local high school alumni who wanted to support seniors and at-risk individuals in the Hercules community by providing essential services like grocery shopping and prescription pickups. Hercules Cares successfully connected numerous volunteers with housebound residents, providing much-needed support and companionship. According to reports, the program made a positive impact on the lives of many residents. However, the program faced challenges related to funding, volunteer recruitment, and the long-term sustainability of the program. The program ceased operations in 2021 due to resource limitations and volunteer recruitment challenges. The program was heavily reliant on volunteers, and maintaining a steady stream of committed volunteers became increasingly difficult over time. Additionally, funding constraints made it challenging to sustain the program's activities and administrative costs.
While establishing a volunteer program to assist housebound residents in Hercules is commendable, several factors and potential challenges should be carefully considered before moving forward.
Resource Constraints:
Funding: Establishing and maintaining a volunteer program requires significant financial resources. Given the current budget status, allocating funds for program management, volunteer training, and service delivery may not be feasible.
Staffing: Designating a dedicated program coordinator and additional staff to manage the program would further strain the city's limited staff resources.
Volunteer Recruitment and Retention:
Challenges: Recruiting and retaining a sufficient number of committed volunteers can be challenging. The program's success heavily relies on volunteers' availability and dedication, which may fluctuate over time.
Training: Comprehensive training is essential to ensure volunteers are equipped to support housebound residents. Organizing regular training sessions can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
Liability and Safety Concerns:
Liability: The city could face liability issues related to volunteer activities. Ensuring that all volunteers are properly vetted, trained, and insured would require additional administrative efforts and costs.
Safety: The safety of both volunteers and housebound residents must be a top priority. Implementing safety protocols and conducting background checks can add complexity and delays to the program's launch.
Program Sustainability:
Long-Term Viability: Ensuring the long-term sustainability of the program should be considered. As mentioned above, fluctuations in funding, volunteer availability, and community engagement could impact the program's effectiveness and continuity.
Coordination: Coordinating volunteer activities and matching them with the needs of housebound residents would require ongoing administrative efforts and oversight.
Alternatively, the City could explore working with existing organizations and programs, such as Meals on Wheels and the Hercules Senior Citizens Club, that already support housebound residents instead of establishing a new program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with receiving this report. If the City Council directs staff to pursue any initiative contained in this report, staff will return with refined programmatic details and financial impact information for the City Council to consider.