2021 DPSS Annual Report_FINAL

Annual Report 2020/2021

Administrative Services

Helping Low-Income Seniors Stay Nourished During the Pandemic

Blackburn’s Catering in Corona, one of many restaurants who participated in the Great Plates Delivered program, plates meals of salmon, potatoes, and asparagus for low-income seniors.

During the pandemic, our Internal Services Unit and Adult Services teams collaborated with the Office on Aging to deliver food to low-income seniors. The program also helped to support local restaurants and their employees during a time of heightened uncertainty, when many restaurants were shutting down, leaving restaurant workers unemployed. Internal Services secured 55 contracts with restaurants countywide. “This program was a lifeline to hundreds of vulnerable seniors whose food security had been interrupted by this unprecedented event,” said Marianna Sarmiento, assistant director of Administrative Services. To support efficient collaboration with multiple agencies including the Office on Aging, Richard Sandoval, an administrative services officer with DPSS, developed a SharePoint site. Kisha Jenkins, the administrative services manager who leads Internal Services, said the mission of Great Plates perfectly aligned with the mission of DPSS. “Our role is

vital in connecting services to people in need, especially when so many families are hurting at this time.”

GREAT PLATES BY THE NUMBERS:

■ Meals delivered: 1,853,522 ■ Restaurants participating: 55 ■ Service Industry Jobs: 971

24