Reuse Assistance Grant Progress Report

City of Lomita Reuse Assistance Grant Project
(Part 4: November 1, 2002 to May 15, 2003)

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 1.1 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 fourth and last Progress Report, out of four, to be submitted. Task 1.2 is 100 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 flyer has been used as ad inserts in the Daily Breeze publications of "Our Environment" (September 21, 2002 issue), general information (November 2003), and Earth Day (April 2003). Also, a full page ad was run in the Daily Breeze (April 2002). This is 100 percent complete.

Task 3.1: Promotion—Newspaper (Regional).
Food Finders ran an ad in the Daily Breeze on July 16, 2002 for volunteers. This is 100 percent complete.

Torrance—Informational press release sent to LA Times (September 2002), placed the Food Finders regional flyer in the "Our Environment" section of the Daily Breeze (September 21, 2002), and inserted the regional flyer into the November 2002 issue of the Daily Breeze. Also, ads have been run in the Daily Breeze for Earth Day (April 2003). This is 100 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. Placed a quarter page ad in the Press Telegram (May 2003). 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 100 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). Made the Food Finders brochure available at the "Whale of a Day" celebration (March 2003). 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 100 percent complete.

Torrance—Added the Food Finders program to the City Web site and 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). This is 100 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 100 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 100 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. Other activities include being honored by the City of Lakewood (October 22, 2002), speaking with the Lion's club of Lomita/Harbor City (November 13, 2002), met with Vision Team at Harbor Hills Housing (January 29, 2003), attended the WRAP Awards (February 12, 2003) and participated in the 2003 Earth Day Celebration in Redondo Beach (April 26, 2003).

Torrance placed various ads/inserts in the Daily Breeze, took care of graphic artist services, and produced more decals. Task 4.3 is 100 percent complete.

Task 4.4: Food Finders Equipment (Food Containers) and Office Materials, Such as Phone and Printer.
Various materials have been purchased during this grant program including a computer, printer, accessories, food containers, booth equipment, street banner, generic video and a combination TV/VCR/DVD. Task 4.4 is 100 percent complete.

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

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Last updated: June 25, 2008