STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Human and Social Needs
AGENDA DATE: February 26, 2020
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): All
DEPARTMENT: Office of Community Care
EXECUTIVE: Nadia Chandler-Hardy
______________________________________________________________________
SUBJECT
title
Authorize the (1) acceptance of a cost-share grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to provide four AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) members to perform volunteer services to strengthen and supplement efforts to eliminate poverty and poverty-related human, social and environmental problems in support of the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children Program for the period February 2, 2020 through April 24, 2021, with a one-year renewal option; and (2) execution of the cost-share agreement with CNCS and all terms, conditions, and documents required by the agreement - Financing: No cost consideration to the City
body
BACKGROUND
The CNCS's AmeriCorps VISTA is a program focused on bringing low-income individuals and communities out of poverty. Since 2014, multiple City of Dallas departments have participated in the AmeriCorps VISTA Program, with the first being the Mayor's 2016 GrowSouth Initiative. Dallas County has one of the highest child poverty rates with 73% of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch, which is an indicator of children living in households 130% below the Federal poverty level. This is an area of unmet poverty-related community need in Dallas County because only 39% of the eligible population participates in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program.
The Office of Community Care (OCC) administers the Supplemental Nutrition Program for WIC, which provides nutritious food, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health and social services. In Texas, populations that are eligible for WIC include pregnant or breastfeeding women, infants, families with children younger than five y...
Click here for full text