City of Lomita Reuse Assistance Grant Project (Part 3: May 1, 2002 to November 1, 2002)

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California Integrated Waste Management Board

Project Description

The City of Lomita, in partnership with the cities of Rancho Palos Verdes, Torrance, Lakewood, and Redondo Beach, expanded an existing program to provide services to the South Bay area of Los Angeles County. This diverted edible food not sold at restaurants, food courts, hotels, hospitals, and other establishments, and provided it to the nonprofit Food Finders, who allocated the food to organizations that help meet the nutritional needs of displaced, indigent, or impoverished persons. Food Finders collected and distributed food along with other essential items to missions, shelters, treatment centers, senior centers, children's homes, etc. in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties at no cost to recipients.

As indicated in the Work Statement, there are a total of 20 tasks to be completed in order to fulfill this grant project. The following progress has been made on each of these tasks.

The steps required to accomplish their project are as follows:

Task 1.1: Secure a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Food Finders. (4/15/01 to 5/16/01)
The MOU between the five partnering cities and Food Finders has been adopted by all parties. However, the signature page was individualize by each entity. As individual signature pages were not mentioned in the MOU, the attorneys said it was not valid. They prepared a group signature page that meets with the attorneys' approval, and the final signatures are now completed. Copies have been distributed to all parties. Task 1.2 is 100 percent complete.

Task 1.2: City Staff Time as Related to Preparation of Reports for the State, Attendance at Group Planning Meetings and Implementation of Grant Tasks.
All five participating cities meet with Food Finders once a month to discuss the progress of the team and to work out the necessary details to implement the various grant tasks. Close contact is also maintained through periodic phone calls, e-mail, and/or faxed messages. Once every six months, City staff and Food Finders assist in preparing a Progress Report for the CIWMB as to the whereabouts of the project. This report is the third Progress Report, out of four, to be submitted. Task 1.2 is 75 percent complete.

Task 2.1: Preparation of Brochure and Materials Such as Business Cards, Business Decals, and Mini-Brochure.
Redondo Beach provided the preparation of 250 business cards for four Food Finders staff members, the graphic design for 15,000 brochures for Food Finders, the graphic design and the final artwork for the Food Finders decal and regional flyer, and then gave the artwork to the City of Torrance for printing. Task 2.1 is 100 percent complete.

Task 2.2: Printing—Brochure and Other Materials.
Redondo Beach provided printing for 250 business cards for four Food Finders staff members and 15,000 Food Finders brochures. This is 100 percent complete.

Torrance handled the printing of the Food Finders decal (150 total) and the printing/placement of the Food Finders regional flyer. (The decal has not been printed yet. The printer has just received the art on disc and Torrance is waiting for a proof.) The flyer has been used as a one-time ad in the Daily Breeze "Our Environment" insert (September 21, 2002 issue). In November 2002, the flyer will be inserted into the paper itself. This is 75 percent complete.

Task 3.2: Promotion — Individual City Efforts.
Lakewood—A short informational video was shot and run on cable for Lakewood residents (June 2002), honored Food Finders at Lakewood Celebrates (October 2002) and distributed the Food Finders brochures to various public areas for information/reference. This is 100 percent complete.

Lomita—Running a continuous ad in their seasonal Newsletter and distributed the Food Finders brochures to various public areas for information/reference. This is 75 percent complete.

Rancho Palos Verdes—Placed (reader board) press releases on government access channel, sent press release to local newspaper (PV News). Published an article in the Peninsula Business Journal (June 2002—the PV Chamber of Commerce Monthly Newsletter). This is 100 percent complete.

Redondo Beach—Promotes the Food Finders program via the City Newsletter from Recreation & Community Services and on every City-wide mailer from the Solid-Waste/Recycling Division. Brochures are also distributed at City sponsored events, such as Earth Day and Compost Workshops. This is 75 percent complete.

Torrance—Working on adding the Food Finders program to the City Web site, the Torrance cable provider filmed a segment on the Food Finders program for its weekly new show "This Week in Torrance" (the segment ran three times a day for one week) and KCAL-9 has expressed interest in running a news story for the program (Food Finders press release information has been supplied to them for an outline). This is 75 percent complete.

Task 4.1: Food Finders Employee Staff Time and Mileage.
Food Finders submits monthly employee staff time and mileage reports at each monthly meeting. Task 4.1 is 75 percent complete.

Task 4.2: Food Finders Reporting and Documentation.
Food Finders submits monthly pounds of food diverted, new donors and/or new developments, and activity reports at each monthly meeting. Task 4.2 is 75 percent complete.

Task 4.3: Food Finders Presentations.
Food Finders was recognized/honored by the Board of Supervisors (Knabe) on August 20, 2002, attended a Health Information Fair sponsored by Torrance Memorial Hospital on October 1, 2002 to increase awareness about the program, and attended the California Waste Management Summit on October 22-23, 2002, in Sacramento. Task 4.3 is 100 percent complete.

Task 4.4: Food Finders Equipment (Food Containers) and Office Materials, Such as Phone and Printer.
Various office supplies, (e.g., typewriter ribbons, staples, etc.) have been purchased during this reporting period. Also, a computer, printer, and accessories have been purchased. Task 4.4 is 100 percent complete.

*Permission was obtained from grant recipient to publish project profile.