Letter from the Director
“Transitions are a time for reflection, and a time for looking forward” – Roy Cooper
Just as the leaves are turning and the air is getting cooler, transition remains the one constant throughout our beings. ALL IN Alameda County (ALL IN) has experienced its significant share of transitions over the last year. Effective July 1st, ALL IN joined the Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA), Department of Government and Community Relations. Under SSA, the ALL IN staff will continue strategic and collaborative work to advance its mission of eradicating poverty in alignment with SSA’s mission to promote the economic and social well-being of individuals, families, neighborhoods and communities. The integration of initiatives launched by ALL IN into the County system exemplifies the late-Supervisor Wilma Chan’s founding vision for ALL IN to incubate and transform community-based ideas into sustainable programs and policies. In addition, two of ALL IN’s signature strategies, Recipe4Health and the Youth Action Board, transitioned to the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency.
Over the last several months we have reflected on our past work, revamped the ALL IN Steering Committee with new and continuing members, and explored priority strategies to advance over the next three years. ALL IN is accepting applications for several vacant seats on our Steering Committee. For more information on vacancies or how to apply, please email allincommunity@acgov.org.
We are excited for our next chapter under SSA and continuing to center community in the development and implementation of strategies to address the challenges experienced by low-income communities in Alameda County. Featured in this issue is an overview of ALL IN’s transition, as well as media featuring the work of ALL IN, including Recipe4Health’s participation at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
This will be ALL IN’s last newsletter under the ALL IN Alameda County GovDelivery distribution list. Moving forward, you can receive updates on our work via the SSA Newsletter. To sign up, please fill out SSA’s Newsletter Signup Form.
As we move into the next few months, I encourage continued reflection on the actions we each can take to “End Poverty”. In what ways can you or your organization work with ALL IN to advance our vision for “a County without poverty where everyone thrives in healthy, vibrant, and resilient communities”? How do we collectively challenge the structures and practices that perpetuate poverty and inequity? How can we in convene, connect, and innovate to end poverty and build resilient communities?
Larissa Estes White, DrPH
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Celebrating Supervisor Wilma Chan and Her Legacy
Nearly a decade ago, on the 50th anniversary of President Johnson’s “War on Poverty,” the late-Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan launched the “New War on Poverty,” creating ALL IN Alameda County (ALL IN) to lead this effort. Since January 2014, ALL IN has worked tirelessly to build relationships with community organizations and individuals throughout the county to implement innovative anti-poverty strategies and advance significant systems-changes in our three areas of focus: Basic Needs, Economic Development, and Quality Education.
ALL IN’s successes over the years would not have been possible without the community’s tireless partnerships and Supervisor Chan’s steadfast leadership.
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Thank you to everyone who attended our Steering Committee yesterday afternoon and joined us in celebrating our achievements over the past nine years and honoring Supervisor Chan’s leadership and legacy. At this Steering Committee meeting, we honored and recognized Supervisor Chan’s visionary leadership in founding ALL IN, her stewardship in driving ALL IN’s work forward, and her passion for uplifting the community’s voices and collective power to fight for justice and equity. The testimonies from Steering Committee members and the public reflecting on working with Supervisor Chan and ALL IN were a powerful affirmation of our community’s hard work and dedication to ending poverty in Alameda County.
ALL IN’s Milestones and Achievements (partial list):
January 2014: Supervisor Wilma Chan declares a “New War on Poverty” and founds ALL IN Alameda County.
January 2015: Supervisor Wilma Chan launches the ALL IN to End Hunger by 2020 campaign.
Fall 2015: ALL IN conducts their first round of Community Listening Sessions, awarding 17 organizations grants to host over 50 Community Listening Sessions that reached over 1,000 residents.
February 2016: ALL IN hosts the “Social Innovation Fair” to identify action plans for policy and program changes, including an early action plan for Food as Medicine (now Recipe4Health).
Spring 2016: ALL IN Action Teams on Food as Medicine, Food Recovery, CalFresh, Affordable Housing, Entrepreneurship, and Youth Career Pathways begin their work.
Fall 2016: ALL IN conducts 2nd Round of Community Listening Sessions awarding 74 organizations grants to host over 100 listening sessions that reached over 1,700 residents.
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June 2017: ALL IN Steering Committee becomes an official committee of the Board of Supervisors with Supervisor Chan as Chair and Supervisor Miley as the second member.
October 2017: The inaugural ALL IN Steering Committee members are sworn in as official County commissioners.
Winter 2018: ALL IN conducts 3rd Round of Community Listening Sessions.
Spring 2018:
ALL IN welcomes the Interagency Children’s Policy Council (ICPC) under its umbrella.
August 2019: The San Antonio Family Resource Center, a partnership between Lotus Bloom, Trybe, EBAYC, First 5 Alameda County, and ALL IN, opens at Garfield Elementary School.
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January 2020: The Dig Deep Farms Food Hub opens in Castro Valley. One of the Food Hub’s many services includes providing produce to fill food prescriptions for Recipe4Health participants.
July 2020: Supervisor Chan, ALL IN, and DSAL publish the ALL IN Eats: Alameda County Circular Food Economy report.
October 2020: Supervisor Chan and ALL IN convene the ad-hoc ALL IN Eats Work Group.
November 2020: The Alameda County Youth Action Board is officially formed.
July 2021: Recipe4Health wins the National Association of Counties’ Achievement Award in Health.
December 2021: State of California Waiver approved, allowing Recipe4Health services to be covered under Medicaid.
July 2022: ALL IN staff transitions to the Alameda County Social Services Agency, and Recipe4Health and Youth Action Board staff transition to the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency.
September 2022: Recipe4Health launches as a CalAIM Community Supports provider.
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Update on ALL IN’s Transition
On June 21, 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved the transfer of ALL IN Alameda County staff to the Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA), and Recipe4Health and Youth Action Board to the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (HCSA).
Under HCSA, Recipe4Health will now be part of Alameda County’s network of Community Support Providers. As of September 1st, Recipe4Health is now a covered benefit for Medi-Cal recipients in our County!
The Youth Action Board (YAB) transitioned to HCSA’s Office of Homeless Care and Coordination (OHCC). Under OHCC, the YAB will continue to uplift the voices of and empower youth, a constituency that is often excluded from decision-making on policies, programs, and services that shape their lives.
The ALL IN Eats programs outlined in the ALL IN Eats Business Plan were formalized under the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League (DSAL) to be operated in coordination with other community partners. As part of the award-winning ALL IN Eats initiative, the ad hoc ALL IN Eats Work Group convenes and connects the County’s food system partners and aims to inform innovative and equitable strategies that support and strengthen the County’s efforts to create a just and sustainable circular food economy. ALL IN is exploring ways to support the ad hoc ALL IN Eats Work Group in the coming year.
For more information on ALL IN’s transitions, click here to read the joint statement from Alameda County Supervisor Dave Brown (Chair, ALL IN Steering Committee), Andrea Ford (Interim Director, Alameda County Social Services Agency), and Colleen Chawla (Director, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency).
Stay Informed on ALL IN’s Work
As part of these transitions, ALL IN will no longer maintain separate social media accounts, and all updates will go through either the Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA) or the Alameda County Health Care Services (HCSA) social media accounts. ALL IN’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will no longer be available after December 1, 2022.
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For information and updates on ALL IN Eats, follow the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League (DSAL) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
ALL IN Highlighted in National
Initiatives and News
Over the past few months, ALL IN has been featured in national initiatives, newsletters, and podcasts! We are excited to have had these opportunities to highlight ALL IN’s unique nature and successful partnerships between the government and the community to advance equity in Alameda County.
White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
On September 27, 2022, Recipe4Health’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Steven Chen, represented Alameda County during a panel discussion at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Chen highlighted the launch of Alameda County’s award-winning Recipe4Health initiative, the collaborative efforts to expand Recipe4Health throughout the county, and the importance of healthy food access, physical activity, enhanced nutrition, and food security.
No Kid Hungry Best Practices Newsletter
ALL IN was recently featured in No Kid Hungry’s Best Practices Newsletter! This article highlights ALL IN’s successful partnerships between government and the community to reduce food insecurity and advance equitable systems changes in Alameda County.
No Kid Hungry is a national campaign run by Share Our Strength, a nonprofit working to solve problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world.
Unmuted with Elham Ali
Dr. Larissa Estes-White appeared as the guest for the August 31st episode of Unmuted with Elham Ali!
In this episode, titled “How racism shapes farming and land access in the U.S.”, Dr. Estes White discusses her own experiences and connections to food and land access, and the work that ALL IN, ALL IN Eats, and Recipe4Health programs are doing to address racial food and health access disparities. Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Unmuted with Elham Ali is a podcast that explores deep and intimate conversations, stories, and moments that matter with inspirational people on equity, justice, and belonging in their everyday lives and work, hosted by Elham Ali.
JOB OPPORTUNITY: BACS Care Coordinator for the NET Growth Movement
The NET Growth Movement program provides 90 TAY participants (pre-selected based on Social Services Administration data) in Alameda County financial assistance up to $1,000 per month for up to 24 months and wraparound support services. Care Coordinators will provide recipients with peer-to-peer counseling, financial coaching, navigation services, and other supports for program participants.
BACS strongly encourages individuals with lived experience in the TAY or foster care systems to apply.
Applications are open until the positions are filled. APPLY ONLINE today.
Upcoming Events
Annual District 3 Holiday Celebration
Alameda County Supervisor Dave Brown invites you to come celebrate the Alameda County community and welcome the holiday season at the Annual District 3 Community Holiday Celebration on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 from 5:00 – 6:30 PM at the Alameda County Information & Technology Department Headquarters Rooftop (393 13th Street Oakland, CA). RSVP on Eventbrite.
Contact Heather Cartwright, Office Manager, at heather.cartwright@acgov.org or 510-272-6693 for more information.
City of Oakland's 31st Annual Community Day of Thanks
The City of Oakland's annual holiday turkey meal distribution for seniors, low-income families, and community members experiencing homelessness will take place on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 from 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM. For more information about how to donate, volunteer, or for a list of distribution site locations, please call 510-986-2721.
Steering Committee Meetings
ALL IN Steering Committee meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ALL IN Steering Committee meetings will be held over Zoom. Please check the Alameda County Board of Supervisors' Committee Calendar for the most up-to-date agendas and Zoom conference links.
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