Life Enrichment Committee
July 11, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Scott Means
City Administrator Interim Director, Human
Services
SUBJECT: Senior Companion Program/Foster
Grandparent Program (SCP/FGP)
Renewal Grant Applications FY 23-24
DATE: June 22, 2023
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1. Accepting, Appropriating, And Authorizing Agreements For Receipt Of Grant Funds From The Corporation For National And Community Services (CNCS-Americorps Seniors) For Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 In Amounts Not To Exceed $177,742 For The Senior Companion Program And $38,823 For The Foster Grandparent Program; And
2. Authorizing Contributions From The General Purpose Fund In The Estimated Amount Of $31,933 For Central Services Overhead Charges And In the Estimated Amount Of $43,688 For The Minimum 10% Local Match Requirement For FY 2023-24; And
3. Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Additional Grant Funds From CNCS That Become Available For The Same Purposes Within FY 2023-
24. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The adoption of the proposed resolution will provide low-income seniors, ages 55 and above, with stipend volunteer opportunities to support other seniors and adults with disabilities who are frail, monolingual and socially isolated with companionship, transportation and access to community resources as the COVID-pandemic continues to impact vulnerable Oakland residents. The grant funding will also provide senior volunteer opportunities to support lower income children and youth with mentoring and reading assistance.
The renewal grants are estimated at: $177,742 for Senior Companions and $38,823 for Foster Grandparents for a total of $216,565. Fifty-one (51) Senior Companion (SC) volunteers will provide over 50,000 hours of service. Six (6) Foster Grandparent volunteers will provide over 6,000 hours of service. Both grants are funded by the AmeriCorps. The Senior Companions Program (SCP) and Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) provide needed support to both seniors Jestin Johnson (Jun 30, 2023 10:13 PDT) Jun 30, 2023
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SCP/FGP Renewal Grant Applications FY23-24
Date: June 22, 2023
Life Enrichment Committee
July 11, 2023
and youth in the community and offers an opportunity for elders to be involved and engaged in these fulfilling volunteer activities.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Fiscal year (FY) 2023-24 will be the forty-seventh year that the City has sponsored the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs. The program is authorized under the Domestic Volunteer Act of 1973 and federal funding comes from the AmeriCorps Seniors Program.
Since 1965, the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) has provided one-on- one mentoring, nurturing, and support to children with special or exceptional needs, or who are in circumstances that limit their academic, social, or emotional development.
Since 1974, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in Senior Companion Programs (SCP) have made a difference by providing assistance and friendship to adults who have difficulty with daily living tasks, such as shopping or paying bills. Their assistance helps these adults retain their dignity and remain independent in their homes rather than having to move to more costly institutional care. AmeriCorps Seniors requires that all volunteers and employees working with the SCP and the FGP undergo a criminal history background check and prohibits the City from hiring employees and training volunteers before they have been approved for service. City Council Resolution No. 85366 C.M.S., also authorized the City Administrator to conduct and document a National Service Criminal History Check for program participants; a review that includes Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history checks for volunteers and staff who work with vulnerable populations, including participants under the age of 17, persons aged 60 and older, and individuals with disabilities.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Aging Services provides holistic community safety through interventions that prevent the institutionalization and isolation of older adults. AmeriCorps participants experience cultural security from services and activities that result in empowerment, independence, and the ability to live self-directed lives.
Senior Companion volunteers support independent living by assisting frail, monolingual and socially isolated elders to access doctor appointments and grocery shopping, while also providing social companionship. Foster Grandparents provide mentoring and academic tutoring to Pre-K and K-12 children and youth who benefit from added support and connection to an additional caring adult.
Both programs serve a dual function in that the elderly clients and youth benefit from the assistance and the volunteers gain a sense of accomplishment, civic responsibility and community connectivity. The City’sTaxi Up & Go program effectively extends the reach of SCP through a partnership with Rides for Seniors & Persons with Disabilities, which gives paratransit vouchers to SCP clients and their caregivers. Alameda County Measure B/BB supports two (2) additional volunteers in the Taxi-Up & GO project.
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SCP/FGP Renewal Grant Applications FY23-24
Date: June 22, 2023
Life Enrichment Committee
July 11, 2023
During the 2023/24 SCP and FGP volunteers will resume standard operations as defined by the grant agreement. The direct support activities for Senior Companions includes: accompanying older adults to appointments, assisting with shopping and entering residences as necessary.
The City of Oakland’s SCP and FGP must meet the following guidelines and performance objectives as required by all grantees funded by the AmeriCorps Seniors:
• Be at least 55 years old;
• Obtain and retain liability and accident coverage;
• Undergo Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation background checks; • Complete forty hours of pre-service training;
• Qualify as low-income.
Once certified, SCP and FGP participants must volunteer 15 to 20 hours weekly and may serve up to 1,044 hours annually. All volunteers are required to be certified annually to start or maintain their participation. The City of Oakland General Purpose Fund supports staff, volunteers, and community recognition activities.
FISCAL IMPACT
The grant monies provide for the volunteer support expenditures including fingerprinting, stipends, liability insurance, appreciation and recognition of volunteers, uniform identification badges and other allowable expenses. There are no income requirements for the clients served by the volunteers. According to AmeriCorps Seniors program requirements, 80 percent of the grant funds go directly to support low-income eligible volunteers. Grant funds are contingent upon the number of volunteer placements and annual hours of service.
These funds will be delineated in the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent project cost centers for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024 as follows:
• Grant funds from the AmeriCorps in the amount of $177,742 in the Federal Action Agency Fund (2120), Senior Companion Program Organization (75241), SCP FY23-24 FED Project (1006718), and Empowering Seniors with Disability Program (YS14).
• Grant funds from the AmeriCorps in the amount of $38,823 in the Federal Action Agency Fund (2120), Senior Companion Program Organization (75241), FGP FY23-24 FED Project (1006720), and Empowering Seniors with Disability Program (YS14).
• The following funds will provide for Federal Match and for fundraising, administrative and other volunteer programs costs associated with the Senior Companion; $25,819 in the General Purpose Fund (1010), , Project (1006719), Senior Companion Program Organization (75241), and Empowering Seniors with Disability Program (YS14) ,$1,750 in the General Purpose Fund (1010) for the Federal Match Project (1006722) Senior Companion Program Organization (75241), and Empowering Seniors with Disability Program (YS14) and $16,119 in the General Purpose Fund (1010) for the DP780 Administrative Project (1000017) in Senior Companion Program Organization (75241), Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SCP/FGP Renewal Grant Applications FY23-24
Date: June 22, 2023
Life Enrichment Committee
July 11, 2023
and Empowering Seniors with Disability Program (YS14) , which is included in the Mayor’sProposed FY 2023-2025 Budget pending City Council adoption.
Based on the federal administrative cost caps and level of required program funding, the Human Services Department (HSD) will require, as it has in prior years, a contribution from the City of Oakland General Purpose Fund in the combined estimated amount of $43,688 to meet the minimum 10% match requirement, and a from the General Purpose Fund for Central Services Overhead Charges in the estimated amount of $31,933 for FY 2023-24. These amounts are included in the proposed 2023-2024 budget.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent volunteers are assigned and supervised in community-based programs. The programs include public and private organizations that work with Oakland residents and their families.
SCP/FGP is in the process of reestablishing community-based volunteer stations. Some of the partners we are currently working with include: East Oakland Health Center, Westlake Christian Terrace, Allen Temple Arms, Family Bridges, St. Mary’s Community Center, Posada De Colores, Multipurpose Senior Services Program, Sojourner Truth Manor, deFremery Parks & Recreation Centers, Centro Infantil De La Raza, Oakland Head Start, Oakland Unified School District, Libraries, Studio One Art Center and all four City of Oakland Senior Centers. The Foster Grandparent Program is also working with OUSD to provide mentorship for teens at Senior Centers to encourage intergenerational learning opportunities while supporting youth transitioning to young adults.
COORDINATION
The Office of the City Attorney and Budget Bureau were consulted in the preparation of this report and resolution.
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Volunteers service activities included companionship, mentorship and taxi-scrip assistance.
During this period, the grant funded fifty-one Senior Companions and six Foster Grandparent volunteers. Volunteers and clients served by the program come from all seven Council Districts.
In 2023-24 the goal of SCP/FGP is to fully restore in-person interactions for at least 300 assisted clients across both programs.
The program assessment process does not include demographic data for minors participating in the Foster Grandparents Program. In compliance with AmeriCorps confidentiality requirements the demographics of children and youth are not collected.
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SCP/FGP Renewal Grant Applications FY23-24
Date: June 22, 2023
Life Enrichment Committee
July 11, 2023
The SCP addresses access and equity disparities among mono-lingual seniors by matching them with bi-lingual companions. The program made significant progress by improving targeted cultural and language gaps by recruiting bi-lingual Vietnamese staff and securing translation assistance based on volunteer input.
Tables 1 and 2 reflect race demographics and SCP volunteer program participant stations.
Table 1: Program Volunteers by Ethnicity
Ethnicity Percent
African American 27.7 %
Chinese 31.9 %
Vietnamese 29.8 %
Filipino 8.5 %
Other 2.1 %
Total 100.0 %
Table 2: Historical Participant Stations
STN # NAME # OF CLIENTS % VOL (CLIENTS)
1 Posada Des Colores 31 9.2(11.2)
2 Family Bridges 48 20.0(17.3)
3 Linka ges/MSSP 11 4.6(4.0)
4 So journer Truth Manor 9 3.1(3.2)
5 St.Mar y's Community Ctr. 30 9.3 (10.8)
6 East Oakland Health Ctr. 6 1.5(2.2)
7 Allen Temple Center 17 7.7(6.1)
8 Westlake Christian Ctr. 37 12.3(13.4)
9 Merritt Crossin g Oak St. Terr. 5 1.5 (1.8)
10 V.A.C.C.E.B. (Vietnamese Ctr) 68 20.2(24.5)
11 St. Mar y's Gardens 1 3.1(0.4)
12 Davis St. Famil y Resource Ctr. 0 1.5 (0.0)
13 S. Berkele ySenior Ctr. 9 3.1(3.3)
14 SCP Direct 5 3.1 (1.8)
TOTAL 277 100.0 (100.0)
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SCP/FGP Renewal Grant Applications FY23-24
Date: June 22, 2023
Life Enrichment Committee
July 11, 2023
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: Fixed income senior volunteers receive non-taxable stipends. SCP clients receive no-cost assistance associated with aging, isolation, and limited supports that will help to prevent the high cost of institutionalization. In alignment with Oakland Promise, the Program improves socialization and reading skills among participating at-risk youth/children, and supports school attendance, which has an economic impact.
Environmental: This report has no environmental opportunities or impact.
Race & Equity: Through an extensive network of community-based programs, senior volunteers perform civic engagement interventions that make their neighborhoods stronger by helping frail and isolated elders, children and youth that are at-risk and have special needs with social, educational and health-related activities. We added the four City of Oakland Senior Centers as stations to directly address service disparities based on race or location.
Adjustments to staffing, translation, and food choices at volunteer events provides a greater level of inclusion for program participants.
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SCP/FGP Renewal Grant Applications FY23-24
Date: June 22, 2023
Life Enrichment Committee
July 11, 2023
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1. Accepting, Appropriating, And Authorizing Agreements For Receipt Of Grant Funds From The Corporation For National And Community Services (CNCS-Americorps Seniors) For Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 In Amounts Not To Exceed $177,742 For The Senior Companion Program And $38,823 For The Foster Grandparent Program; And
2. Authorizing Contributions From The General Purpose Fund In The Estimated Amount Of $31,933 For Central Services Overhead Charges And In the Estimated Amount Of $43,688 For The Minimum 10% Local Match Requirement For FY 2023-24; And
3. Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Additional Grant Funds From CNCS That Become Available For The Same Purposes Within FY 2023-24.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Hakeim McGee, Acting Aging and Adult Senior Services Manager, at (510) 238-2311.
Respectfully submitted,
Scott Means
Interim Director, Human Services Department
Prepared by:
Scott Means, Manager
Aging & Adult Services Division