AGENDA REPORT
TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: Jestin D. Johnson City Administrator
SUBJECT: 2025 Summer Food Service Program DATE: June 16, 2025
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That the City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To:
1. Accept And Appropriate A Summer Food Service Program ( SFSP) Grant From The California Department Of Education ( CDE) And The United States Department Of Agriculture (USDA) In An Amount Not To Exceed $426,870; And
2. Authorizing The City Administrator To Negotiate And Enter Into Professional Services Agreements (PSAs) With Uptons, Inc. (Dba School Foodies) And Flo's Friendly School Lunches, Inc. For Food Services To Support The 2025 SFSP; And
3. Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Additional SFSP Funding From Any Source That Becomes Available And To Amend The Above P SAs To Increase Amounts Within The 2025 SFSP Term; And
4. Authorizing The City Administrator To Amend And Execute The 2023 SFSP Contract With Flo’s Friendly Foods LLC To Increase The Contract Value For A Total Contract Amount Not To Exceed $350,000; And To Change The Contracting Party To Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc.; And
5. Authorize The City Administrator To Amend The 2024 SFSP Contract With Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc. To Increase The Contract Value For A Total Contract Not To Exceed Amount Of $444,000.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2025 Summer Food Service Program
Date: June 16, 2025 Page 2
City Council
July 1, 2025
REASON FOR URGENCY
Given the urgent need to finalize both the prior and current contractual and fiscal matters to ensure uninterrupted food service to Oakland youth and to protect the City from operating out of compliance with grant and procurement requirements, staff respectfully request that this item be scheduled directly for City Council consideration at the earliest available meeting.
Failure to act swiftly may result in a disruption of meal services to youth during this year’s summer programming, a loss of community trust, delayed reimbursement of federal funds, and significant reputational risk for the City of Oakland.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Oakland has operated the USDA-funded Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for over three decades to provide free meals to children and youth during the summer months when school is not in session. For the 2025 program year, the City has been awarded grant funds from the USDA through the California Department of Education in the amount of $426,870.
This report seeks City Council authorization to accept and appropriate these funds and enter into contracts with two vendors —Upton’s, Inc. (dba School Foodies) and Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc.—who were selected through a competitive solicitation process. Each vendor is proposed to receive an initial contract amount of up to $213,435 for food preparation and delivery services during the 2025 SFSP term, which runs from May 27, 2025, through August 8, 2025.
In addition, this report seeks authority to modify and execute the unprocessed 2023 SFSP contract with Flo’s Friendly Foods LLC to reflect both the business name change to Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc., and the final compensation due to the vendor following a reconciliation of services rendered.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The City of Oakland has operated the SFSP for thirty-eight years using USDA Title 7 CFR Part 225 funds, administered by the CDE. On January 10, 2025, the City issued a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) for qualified food vendors to support the 2025 program, and School Foodies and Flo’s Friendly School Lunches , Inc. were selected based on responsiveness, past performance, and pricing.
The 2025 SFSP is expected to serve up to 135,000 lunches at more than 45 locations citywide, including libraries, recreation centers, and community partner sites. Attachment A below shows the 48 Distribution sites that were initially signed up to receive lunches.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2025 Summer Food Service Program
Date: June 16, 2025 Page 3
City Council
July 1, 2025
Table 1: Summer Food Service Program Distribution Sites 2025 Organization
Program Name Service Site Address Phone Number Start Date End Date Oakland Public Library Sites
81st Ave. Library 1021 81st Ave. 510-615-5813 6/2/2025 8/1/2025 Main Library 125 14th Street 510-238-3616 6/2/2025 8/1/2025 Cesar Chavez Library 3301 E12st Suite 271 510-535-5621 6/2/2025 8/1/2025 Elmhurst Library 1427 88th Ave. 510-615-5869 6/2/2025 8/1/2025 Melrose Library 4805 Foothill Blvd. 510-535-5641 6/2/2025 8/1/2025 MLK Jr Library 6833 international Blvd. 510-615-5739 6/2/2025 8/1/2025 Eastmont Library 7200 Bancroft Ave. 510-615-5970 6/2/2025 8/1/2025
Oakland Park & Recreation Sites
Allendale 3711 Suter Street 510-535-5635 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Arroyo Viejo 7701 Krause Ave. 510-615-5755 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Brookdale 2535 High Street 510-535-5632 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Bushrod 560 59th Street 510-597-5031 6/9/2025 8/1/2025
Carmen Flores 1637 Fruitvale Ave. 510-535-5631 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Dimond 3860 Hanly Road 510-482-7831 6/16/2025 8/1/2025
DeFremery 1651 Adeline Street 510-238-7739 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 FM Smith 1969 Park Blvd. 510-238-7742 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Franklin 1010 E15th Street 510-238-7741 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Golden Gate 1075 62nd Street 510-597-5032 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Ira Jinkins Center 9175 Edes Ave. 510-615-5959 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Lincoln Square 250 10th Street 510-238-7738 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Manzanita 2701 22nd Ave. 510-535-5625 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Montclair 6300 Moraga Ave. 510-482-7812 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Mosswood 3612 Webster Street 510-597-5038 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Rainbow 5800 International Blvd. 510-615-5751 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Redwood Heights 3883 Aliso Ave. 510-482-7827 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Tassafronga 975 85th Ave. 510-615-5764 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Studio One 365 45th Street 510-597-5027 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Willie Keyes 3131 Union Street 510-597-5042 6/9/2025 8/1/2025
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2025 Summer Food Service Program
Date: June 16, 2025 Page 4
City Council
July 1, 2025
Oakland Community & School Sites
Acorn Apartment 1143 10th Street 510-292-6976 6/2/2025 8/1/2025 Cathedral Gardens EAH
Housing 638 21st Street 510-230-2803 6/17/2025 8/1/2025 Chinese Presbyterian
Church 265 8th Street 510-915-6261 6/16/2025 7/31/2025
City Towers 1050 7th Street 415-724-0076 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Cornerstone Christian
Academy 3535 38th Ave. 510-967-3019 6/9/2025 8/1/2025
East Oakland Boxing
Association 816 98th Ave. 669-282-2170 6/2/2025 7/31/2025 East Oakland Collective 7800 MacArthur Blvd. 510-850-9486 6/3/2025 8/7/2025 Estrella Vista 3706 San Pablo Ave. 510-918-9121 6/17/2025 8/1/2025 Family Support Services 1188 12th Street 510-289-1139 6/17/2025 7/24/2025 Girls Inc 3000 62nd Ave. 510-357-5515 6/23/2025 7/18/2025 Girls Inc (downtown) 510 16th Street 510-357-5515 6/23/2025 7/18/2025 Hidden Genius Project 1441 Franklin Street 415-757-8819 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Parks Chapel AME 476 34th Street 510-304-7931 6/9/2025 8/8/2025 Peralta Hacienda 2488 Coolidge Ave. 510-584-6233 6/9/2025 8/1/2025 Shoong Family Chinese
Cultural Center 316 9th Street 510-816-5039 6/9/2025 7/25/2025 Trybe (Clinton Park) 655 International Blvd. 510-684-2639 6/10/2025 7/31/2025 Trybe (San Antonio Park) 1701 E 19th Street 510-388-9253 6/10/2025 7/31/2025 Vite Studios 730 29th Street #201 415-571-1295 6/2/2025 8/1/2025 Yonus Davis 960 10th Street 404-825-1569 6/2/2025 8/8/2025 Youth Uprising 8711 MacArthur Blvd. 510-759-8003 6/2/2025 8/1/2025 Kittie Lam Tutoring 386 12th Street 510-459-887 6/3/2025 8/1/2025
The grant award of $426,870 will be used to fund all program components, including vendor contracts, compliance monitoring, reporting, and logistics.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The City of Oakland has a long-standing history of operating the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) to address food insecurity among children and youth during the summer months. The proposed action continues this essential service by authorizing the acceptance of federal and state funds and contracting with two qualified food vendors to provide meals for the 2025 program.
Following the release of a competitive RFP on January 10, 2025, staff recommends contracting with both School Foodies and Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc. Utilizing two vendors allows for
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2025 Summer Food Service Program
Date: June 16, 2025 Page 5
City Council
July 1, 2025
more efficient logistics, reduced risk of service disruption, and better responsiveness to site- specific needs. Limiting the program to a single vendor, while administratively simpler, would concentrate operational risk and reduce capacity to pivot in response to delivery or supply chain challenges.
Declining to accept the grant funds or forgoing vendor contracts entirely would result in the elimination of the SFSP for 2025, leaving thousands of Oakland children without reliable access to nutritious meals during the summer. This would undermine the City’s equity goals and negatively impact public health outcomes for vulnerable youth populations.
Flo’s Friendly Foods 2023 and 2024 Contract Adjustments
In 2023, Flo’s Friendly Foods LLC was awarded a contract under Resolution No. 89914 C.M.S. for a not-to- exceed amount of $229,600 to provide meals for the SFSP. However, the 2023 contract was never completed. Following the program’s completion, staff conducted a reconciliation of meal counts, invoices, and delivery records. It was determined that the vendor provided significantly more meals than originally anticipated due to a combination of high program demand and expansion of service sites.
As a result, the vendor’s total deliverables and associated costs reached nearly $350,000. Thus, the current contract amount is insufficient to fully compensate the vendor for services rendered.
Modifying and executing the 2023 contract authority to a not-to-exceed amount of $350,000 will allow the City to fulfill its financial obligation, remain compliant with procurement standards, and maintain vendor relationships essential to the success of future programs.
In 2024, Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc. was one of 3 vendors selected through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process to provide meals for the Summer Food Program and was awarded a contract under Resolution No. 90130 C.M.S. for a not-to-exceed amount of $253,750.
Multiple challenges occurred with one of the vendors not being able to fulfill the meal deliveries to sites assigned to them. Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc. stepped in and provided the meal deliveries to those city locations, including libraries, recreation centers, and community sites.
Following the program’s completion, staff conducted a reconciliation of meal counts, invoices, and delivery records. It was determined that the vendor provided significantly more meals than originally anticipated due to one vendor’s fulfillment difficulties , the positive program response from the community demand, and the increased service sites.
As a result, the vendor’s total deliverables and associated costs reached nearly $444,000. Thus, the current contract amount is insufficient to fully compensate the vendor for the invaluable services rendered to the community. Amending the 2024 contract to a not-to-exceed amount of $440,000 will allow the City to fulfill its financial obligation, remain compliant with procurement standards, and maintain vendor relationships essential to the success of this year’s program.
Failure to authorize the amendments may expose the City to reputational and legal risks and jeopardize vendor willingness to participate in this year’s and future SFSP efforts. This action aligns with the City’s values of equity, fiscal responsibility, and honoring service contracts in good faith.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2025 Summer Food Service Program
Date: June 16, 2025 Page 6
City Council
July 1, 2025
In the future, program staff will explore alternative strategies such as vendor backup agreements, pre-season capacity testing, and stricter compliance monitoring to prevent over -reliance on a single provider. However, without Flo’s responsiveness and flex ibility in both 2023 and 2024, a substantial number of youth and families would have gone without consistent summer meal access.
The following Citywide priorities are supported by this work:
1. Holistic community safety
2. Housing, economic, and cultural security
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of this proposed resolution will authorize the City Administrator to negotiate and execute a professional services agreement with Flo’s Friendly School Lunches , Inc. and, Upton’s Inc. (DBA School Foodies) to provide meal services to support the 2025 Summer Food Service Program in an amount not to exceed $2 13,435, respectively. Funding for the 2025 SFSP will be provided by the USDA through the California Department of Education in an amount not to exceed $426,870. Table 2 below shows the vendors and funding sources for the 2025 Food Service program. Table 3 and Table 4 shows the vendor and funding source that need to be amended for both the 2023 Summer Food Service Program and 2024 Summer Food Service Program respectively.
Funding for the proposed and amended contracts is available in the following funding sources:
THIS SPACE INTENTIONALL LEFT BLANK
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2025 Summer Food Service Program
Date: June 16, 2025 Page 7
City Council
July 1, 2025
Table 2: 2025 Summer Food Service Program Funding Sources Vendor Fund Org Project Account Program Amount
Upton’s Inc.
(DBA
School
Foodies)
2102 –
Department
of
Agriculture
78241 –
Year
Round
Lunch
Program
1006933 –
HSD
Summer
Food FY25
54912 –
Third Party
Grant
Contracts
YS13 -
Strengthening
Children,
Youth &
Families
$213,435
Flo’s
Friendly
School
Lunches,
Inc.
2102 –
Department
of
Agriculture
78241 –
Year
Round
Lunch
Program
1006933 –
HSD
Summer
Food FY25
54912 –
Third Party
Grant
Contracts
YS13 -
Strengthening
Children,
Youth &
Families
$213,435
2025 Summer Food Service Program Total $426,870
The proposed resolution amends the FY 2022-23 professional services agreement with Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc . from $229,600 to $350,000, which results in a $120,400 contract increase. At the time of contract execution, the full contract amount will be fully encumbered.
Table 3: Amended 2023 Summer Food Service Program Funding Sources Vendor Fund Org Project Account Program Amount
Flo’s
Friendly
School
Lunches,
Inc.
(Formerly
Flo’s
Friendly
Foods LLC)
1030 –
Measure
HH
(SSBDT)
02111 –
City
Administrati
on
1007373 –
Summer
Food
Service
Programs
54930 –
Services:
Professional
SC22 –
Fostering
Safe and
Healthy
Communities
$350,000
2023 Amended Summer Food Service Program Total $350,000
The proposed resolution amends the FY 2023 -24 professional services agreement with Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc. from $253,750 to $444,000, which results in a $190,250 contract increase. Staff have currently encumbered $253,750 in funding for this contract and will fully encumber the additional $190,250 needed to satisfy this contract.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2025 Summer Food Service Program
Date: June 16, 2025 Page 8
City Council
July 1, 2025
Table 4: Amended 2024 Summer Food Service Program Funding Sources Vendor Fund Org Project Account Program Amount
Flo’s
Friendly
School
Lunches,
Inc.
(Formerly
Flo’s
Friendly
Foods LLC)
1030 –
Measure
HH
(SSBDT)
02111 –
City
Administrati
on
1007373 –
Summer
Food
Service
Programs
54930 –
Services:
Professional
SC22 –
Fostering
Safe and
Healthy
Communities
$444,000
2024 Amended Summer Food Service Program Total $444,000
There is no impact or request to use General Purpose Funding.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No additional public outreach was required beyond the competitive solicitation process for vendor selection. The 2025 SFSP will be promoted via the City of Oakland platforms, libraries, recreation centers, and partner organizations.
COORDINATION
This report and resolution were prepared in coordination with the Human Services Department, and the City Attorney’s Office.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: This program provides short-term seasonal employment opportunities and supports local food vendors and small businesses.
Environmental: Food vendors are encouraged to use recyclable or compostable packaging materials.
Race & Equity: The SFSP program requires chosen food vendors to provide a summer menu with food that has variety, food appeal, and good taste to ensure that meals are well received and consumed by children under the age of 18 residing in the Oakland community. The meals provided must also be culturally diverse and unitized so everyone receives the same portion size and meal quality. This ensures equitable access to nutritious meals for children in lower income neighborhoods during summer months when school meals are unavailable.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2025 Summer Food Service Program
Date: June 16, 2025 Page 9
City Council
July 1, 2025
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That the City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To:
1. Accept And Appropriate A Summer Food Service Program ( SFSP) Grant From The California Department Of Education ( CDE) And The United States Department Of Agriculture (USDA) In An Amount Not To Exceed $426,870; And
2. Authorizing The City Administrator To Negotiate And Enter Into Professional Services Agreements ( PSAs) With Uptons, Inc. (Dba School Foodies) And Flo's Friendly School Lunches, Inc. For Food Services To Support The 2025 SFSP; And
3. Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Additional SFSP Funding From Any Source That Becomes Available And To Amend The Above PSAs To Increase Amounts Within The 2025 SFSP Term; And
4. Authorizing The City Administrator To Amend And Execute The 2023 SFSP Contract With Flo’s Friendly Foods LLC To Increase The Contract Value For A Total Contract Amount Not To Exceed $350,000; And To Change The Contracting Party To Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc.; And
5. Authorize The City Administrator To Amend The 2024 SFSP Contract With Flo’s Friendly School Lunches, Inc. To Increase The Contract Value For A Total Contract Not To Exceed Amount Of $444,000.
For questions regarding this report, please contact DWIGHT WILLIAMS, AC-OCAP HUMAN SERVICES MANAGER at (510) 238-6131.
Respectfully submitted,
Jestin D. Johnson
City Administrator
Prepared by: Dwight Williams
Human Services Manager
Alameda County – Oakland Community Action
Partnership
Jestin Johnson (Jun 18, 2025 10:28 PDT)
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 2025 Summer Food Service Program
Date: June 16, 2025 Page 10
City Council
July 1, 2025
Attachments (1):
Attachment A – SFSP Distribution Sites 2025