Life Enrichment Committee January 13, 2026
AGENDA REPORT TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Dr. Jason Lester City Administrator Human Services Department Director SUBJECT: HSD-2026 Summer Food Service Program DATE: December 15, 2025 City Administrator Approval Date: RECOMMENDATION Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution: 1. Accepting And Appropriating A Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Grant From California Department Of Education And The United States Department Of Agriculture In An Amount Up To $426,870; 2. Authorizing The City Administrator To Negotiate And Enter Into Professional Services Agreements (PSA) With Uptons, Inc. (DBA School Foodies) And Flo's Friendly School Lunches, Inc. For Food Services To Support The 2026 SFSP; 3. Accepting And Appropriating Additional SFSP Funding From Any Source That Becomes Available And Authorizing The City Administrator To Amend The Above PSAFSP Term; And 4. Waiving The Competitive RFP/Q Process Local/Small Local Business Enterprise Program Requirements EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City of Oakland has operated the USDA-funded Summer Food Service Program for almost four decades to provide free meals to children and youth during the summer months when school is not in session. For the 2026 program year, the City has been awarded grant funds from the USDA through the California Department of Education in the amount of $426,870.
Jestin Johnson (Dec 24, 2025 10:06:59 PST)
12/24/2025
Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: HSD-2026 Summer Food Service Program Date: December 15, 2025 Page 2 Life Enrichment Committee January 13, 2026
This report seeks City Council authorization to accept and appropriate these funds and enter into contracts with School Foodies and , Inc. Both vendors were selected through the competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process released on January 10, 2025, and pursuant to 7 CFR § 225.7(b)(7), their contracts are eligible for annual renewal for up to four years without a new solicitation. Each vendor is proposed to receive an initial contract amount of up to $213,435 for food preparation and delivery services during the 2026 SFSP term, which runs from May 26, 2026, through August 7, 2026. BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY The City has operated the SFSP for thirty-nine years using USDA Title 7 CFR Part 225 funds, administered by the California Department of Education (CDE)Friendly School Lunches, Inc. were selected for the 2025 program based on responsiveness, past performance, and pricing. Under federal regulations, vendor contracts may be renewed annually up to four times after an initial competitive procurement. Staff recommends exercising this renewal authority to continue working with the two existing vendors for 2026. The 2025 SFSP provided 66,570 lunches to children and youth across almost 50 locations. For 2026, staff is budgeting for approximately 70,000 lunches, reflecting program demand, site capacity, and anticipated service levels consistent with prior-year participation. If a second daily meal period (midday snack) is activated, the program would be equipped to provide a similar volume of snacks in addition to lunch service. ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES The City of Oakland has operated the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for decades as a core component of its strategy to reduce food insecurity among children and youth when schools are closed for the summer. The program serves as a critical nutritional bridge for families who rely on school-year meal programs. Federal regulations prohibit the collection of participant-level demographic data; however, the profiles of the communities served are well established through eligibility criteria and local school-based data. All SFSP meal sites must be located in census tracts or school zones where at least half of the children qualify for free or reduced-price meals under CDE and USDA rules. As a result, the children who access SFSP meals reflect the demographic composition of the neighborhoods in which the program is situated. According to the most recent data from the Oakland Unified School District, roughly seventy-two percent of students are classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged, with the student Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: HSD-2026 Summer Food Service Program Date: December 15, 2025 Page 3 Life Enrichment Committee January 13, 2026
population identifying as approximately forty-three percent Latinx, twenty-three percent Black/African American, fourteen percent Asian, eleven percent White or other backgrounds, and twenty-nine percent English learners. Twelve percent of students receive special education services. Because the program operates exclusively in areas where child poverty and food insecurity are concentrated, the SFSP primarily reaches low-income Black, Brown, immigrant, multilingual, and working-class families who are disproportionately affected by summer hunger. The proposed action authorizes the City to accept federal and state reimbursement funds and to contract with two qualified food vendors for the 2026 program year. Renewing the existing an uninterrupted continuation of meal service and preserves institutional knowledge from vendors already familiar with federal and local compliance standards. Continuing with current vendors also avoids the need for a new RFP process, which would delay planning by several months and divert limited staff capacity from work that must be completed before the 2026 season, including the development of formal Standard Operating Procedures, updates to training protocols, deployment of the SFSP mobile compliance app, onboarding of additional site monitors, and improvements to the contract execution timeline, which has historically delayed the release of vendor payments. Staff acknowledge that the SFSP has historically served as an entry point for smaller local food However, the scale of this program, combined with insurance, delivery, documentation, and federal audit requirements, has made participation challenging for small operators lacking established administrative capacity. To uphold this equity commitment while maintaining program stability, staff will propose to convene a vendor readiness workshop in advance of the 2027 procurement cycle to help prepare smaller providers for future participation. For 2026, retaining established vendors allows staff to sustain program quality and concentrate resources on strengthening internal systems. Declining to renew the current vendor contracts would necessitate issuing a new RFP, delaying planning, and increasing the risk of service disruptions. Opting not to contract with vendors at all would effectively eliminate the program for 2026, leaving thousands of Oakland children without access to free summer meals and resulting in a loss of federal reimbursement dollars that currently circulate through the local economy. The following citywide priorities are supported by this work: 1. Holistic Community Safety Reliable access to nutritious meals helps reduce food insecurity, which is closely linked to public health, youth development, and community well-being. 2. Housing, Economic, and Cultural Security The program supports local vendors, provides seasonal employment, and strengthens community institutions such as libraries and recreation centers, reinforcing neighborhood stability. FISCAL IMPACT Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: HSD-2026 Summer Food Service Program Date: December 15, 2025 Page 4 Life Enrichment Committee January 13, 2026
Funding for the 2026 SFSP is provided by a reimbursable grant amount of up to $426,870 from the USDA via the CDE. The reimbursable grant amount is determined by the number of valid meals served for the duration of the 2026 SFSP Program. The vendors are paid out per meal served based on SFSP reimbursement rates, which is currently $5.31 per meal. No General-Purpose Fund dollars are required. Each vendor is proposed to receive an initial contract amount of up to $213,435 for food preparation and delivery services during the 2026 SFSP term, which runs from May 26, 2026, through August 7, 2026. All expenditures, including vendor contracts and any future amendments, will be charged to: Department of Agriculture Fund (2102), Youth Services Program Organization (78251), HSD Summer Food FY25 Project (1006933), and Strengthening Children, Youth & Families Program (YS13). PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST No new RFP is being issued for 2026. Both vendors were selected competitively in 2025, and their agreements are renewed under federal regulations. Outreach to families will occur through 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 SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES Economic: Strengthens the local economy by contracting with regionally based food vendors and supporting seasonal employment opportunities for drivers, food service workers, site monitors, and youth interns. Environmental: Vendors are encouraged to utilize compostable or recyclable meal packaging, and staff continue to collaborate with the Public Works Department and community partners to identify feasible waste-reduction strategies that do not impose additional administrative burdens on meal sites.
Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: HSD-2026 Summer Food Service Program Date: December 15, 2025 Page 5 Life Enrichment Committee January 13, 2026
Race & Equity: Advances equitable access to nutritious meals for children in lower-income neighborhoods, particularly those most affected by food insecurity and related disparities during the summer months. ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution: 1. Accepting And Appropriating A Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Grant From California Department Of Education And The United States Department Of Agriculture In An Amount Up To $426,870; 2. Authorizing The City Administrator To Negotiate And Enter Into Professional Services Agreements (PSA) With Uptons, Inc. (dba School Foodies) And Flo's Friendly School Lunches, Inc. For Food Services To Support The 2026 SFSP; 3. Accepting And Appropriating Additional SFSP Funding From Any Source That Becomes Available And Authorizing The City Administrator To Amend The Above PSAFSP Term; And 4. Waiving The Competitive RFP/Q Process Local/Small Local Business Enterprise Program Requirements For questions regarding this report, please contact MICHAEL AKANJI, CITY ADMINISTRATOR ANALYST at (510) 238-6454. Respectfully submitted, DR. JASON LESTER Human Services Department Director Prepared by: Michael Akanji, City Administrator Analyst Human Services Department Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: HSD-2026 Summer Food Service Program Date: December 15, 2025 Page 6 Life Enrichment Committee January 13, 2026
Attachments (1): A: SFSP Distribution Sites 2025