[October Newsletter] Food Security, Immigrant Rights, & Standing with Our Community

Alameda County, California sent this bulletin at 11/03/2025 10:22 PM PST

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Message from Supervisor Fortunato Bas

Dear Friend,

On Tuesday, November 4, please be sure to VOTE and make your voice heard! For election information, click here. Thanks to the many staff and volunteers who make our democracy work.

My Office and I continue to focus on protecting the most vulnerable residents in our community from harm, injustice, and the threats of the current Federal Administration.

Food Justice

We are convening a countywide roundtable of food justice organizations to support a network that will meet the food security needs of the community right now and over the next 3 years and beyond. Since the Measure W Essential County Services Fund was created in July, we have secured a total of $16.5 million from the County Board of Supervisors to mitigate federal budget cuts, and we just raised $1.5 million from private donors to help address the federal government shutdown and delay in CalFresh payments. Thanks to our many partners getting food to our communities!

Anyone in need of food assistance should call 510-635-3663 or visit the website: foodnow.net.

Check out our recent press conference and my live interview on KTVU2.

Immigrant & Refugee Justice

The Alameda County Together for All (ACT for All) Committee, which I chair, continues to fight for the dignity and safety of our residents. We secured an additional $3.5 million to expand the County’s rapid response hotline into the weekends, boost legal defense, and ramp up community education programs bringing our County’s total commitment to immigrant protection since March to $7.5 million.

victory for immigrant and refugee families

While the recent immigration enforcement surge in the Bay Area was called off, for now, we must remain vigilant and become even more prepared to protect and defend our immigrant communities. Please join our next ACT for All Committee meeting on Thursday, November 6 at 3:00pm (see agenda here). Learning from the experiences of cities that are contending with increased federal immigration enforcement, such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, I am bringing forward two Board action items:

Creation of a County Immigration Enforcement Response Plan to protect individual rights, ensure access to services, and promote public safety.
Adoption of a policy for “ICE Free Zones” restricting the use of all county-owned and county-controlled properties for immigration enforcement activity.

Protecting Our Children

Alameda County must protect our children, support families, and build public trust. A recent state audit of the County's Department of Children and Family Services revealed systemic problems that have failed our children and families. We must take responsibility and accountability, and expeditiously implement the recommendations in the audit as well as address concerns from the broader community including children and family advocates, elected leaders, and the general public. The Board of Supervisors will hear and discuss the Department’s action plan on November 25, and as a member of the Social Services Committee, I will engage with stakeholders to ensure the Board urgently addresses the audit’s findings and protects the safety of our children. For more information, see: State of California Audit and response from the Social Services Agency. To contact me and our Office, email: Dave.Brown2@acgov.org.

We are also continuing to implement Measure W’s Home Together Fund and Essential County Services Fund to support homelessness solutions and safety net services. And, our Office is working with our partners to protect healthcare access. Read all our updates below.

Over the past month, I have enjoyed coming together to celebrate the diversity and history of our communities through Latinx Heritage Month, Día de los Muertos, and Diwali.

And of course, as the first Filipina-American to serve on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, I was honored to celebrate Filipinx American Heritage Month with the Board of Supervisors where I honored Filipino Advocates for Justice. I also enjoyed celebrating our history of resistance and our rich culture with UC Berkeley’s Pilipinx American Alliance and at the Filipino Island Fest in Alameda.

As the daughter of immigrants from the Philippines, I’m humbled to fight for the rights of immigrants and refugees under this current cruel Federal Administration and to honor the migration histories of my parents who sought economic opportunity and my grandparents who fled a dictatorship that was overthrown by a People Power Movement. And, I pledge to continue pushing for people powered government that engages and lifts up our communities.

In solidarity,

Nikki Fortunato Bas 勵琪 (she/her)
Supervisor
Alameda County, District 5

In this newsletter:

Food is a Basic Human Right
ACT for All/Defending Our Immigrant Communities
Preserving Healthcare Access
Measure W Update - Home Together Fund
Measure W Update - Essential County Services Fund
East Bay Wildfire Coalition
Ethical Investment Policy Approved, Implementation TBD
Measure C Working for Our Kids
Arts Leadership Awards
Events & Announcements
Around the District

Food is a Basic Human Right

Anyone in need of food assistance should call 510-635-3663 or visit the website: foodnow.net.

At the October 28 Board meeting, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted to make an historic $10 million investment in food security amidst federal cuts to CalFresh and impacts of the federal shutdown. I championed this ask to the Board following a presentation at the ACT for All Committee by the Alameda County Community Food Bank and food justice organizations. $8.3 million of the $10 million will support the Alameda County Community Food Bank and its partner organizations. $1.7 million will support meals for seniors. Check out my live interview on KTVU2 after the Board vote.

The funds are from the Measure W Essential County Services Fund. With an earlier food security allocation of $6.5 million from Measure W, the Board has committed a total of $16.5 million in general fund dollars for food security. Huge thanks to the many organizations who advocated for these funds and who serve our community.

Food is a basic human right. Nobody should go hungry, especially our most vulnerable populations including children, seniors, the unhoused, immigrants, and families.

1 in 4 residents of the county are food insecure. In fact, the demand for food assistance is greater now than during the height of the pandemic yet the county no longer has access to pandemic relief funding. On top of that, CalFresh recipients face drastic cuts due to H.R. 1 and a delay in food assistance due to the government shutdown.

To address the ongoing need for food security, I have convened a countywide roundtable of food justice organizations working to create a network that will meet the food needs of the community over the next 3 years and beyond. We have a broad range of organizations that include local farms, the food bank, food recovery organizations, prepared meal providers, community-based food distributors, Market Match providers, county staff, and more. The last meeting of the roundtable was on October 31 where more than 100 participants discussed how to respond to the crisis in food security created by the federal government shutdown.

Also on October 31, elected officials in Alameda County along with the Executive Director of the Alameda County Community Food Bank and a CalFresh recipient gathered to denounce the federal cuts to CalFresh and announce plans for emergency food assistance due to the government shutdown, including additional funds, a hotline, and website. Watch the full press conference at KTVU or learn more from Oaklandside/Berkeleyside or NBC Bay Area.

Supervisor Fortunato Bas announced that we raised an additional $1.5 million in donations during the past 24 hours: $500,000 from Crankstart and $500,000 from Eat.Learn.Play to support the food bank. In addition, $500,000 was committed to support small to medium community-based organizations who distribute food, including $100,000 from the Office of Supervisor Fortunato Bas, $200,000 from the Alameda County Office of Education, and $200,000 from Oakland Thrives.

On Friday, October 31, two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must use the emergency SNAP (CalFresh in California) contingency funds to provide SNAP benefits during the month of November. On Monday, November 3, the Administration responded that it would provide partial funding of $4.65 billion and that it could take “a few weeks to up to several months.” The State of California is awaiting guidelines to understand how to implement the partial reinstatement of SNAP benefits. If this Federal Administration is serious about feeding people, it would make full benefits available now. Here in Alameda County, we will continue to focus on feeding our residents and are grateful to the many partners stepping up during this crisis.

ACT for All/Defending our Immigrant Communities

Creating “ICE Free Zones” and an Immigration Enforcement Response Plan

Together, Alameda County stands firm in advancing dignity, safety, and justice for all residents. While the recent immigration enforcement surge in the Bay Area was called off, for now, we must remain vigilant and become even more prepared to protect and defend our immigrant communities. Please join our next Alameda County Together for All (ACT for All) Committee meeting on Thursday, November 6 at 3:00pm. For more details, see the agenda here.

Building off the experiences of cities that are contending with increased federal enforcement, such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, Supervisor Fortunato Bas is bringing forward two Board letters:

Direction to the County Administrator to create an Immigration Enforcement Response Plan that will detail protocols for rapid coordination among County agencies/departments, community partners, and government agencies to protect individual rights, ensure access to services, and promote public safety; this would include training, communication, and creating safer spaces for County services, Courts, and hospitals/healthcare facilities.
Adoption of a policy for “ICE Free Zones” restricting the use of all county-owned and county-controlled properties for immigration enforcement activity, creating clear signage, ensuring physical barriers where appropriate, and developing procedures for implementation and enforcement.

The ACT for All Committee will also hear updates and recommendations on the impact of federal immigration enforcement on the County’s Asian communities.

Alameda County Allocates $3.57 Million in Emergency Support for Immigrant & Refugee Families

On October 14, through the leadership of our ACT for All Committee of Supervisor Fortunato Bas and Supervisor Márquez, our Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $3.57 million in emergency funding to strengthen support for immigrant and refugee families as ICE enforcement increases nationally and civil rights come under threat. This investment expands the County’s rapid response hotline into the weekends, boosts legal defense, and ramps up community education programs bringing our County’s total commitment to immigrant protection since March to $7.5 million.

This additional funding builds on our ongoing work to ensure all residents live with safety and dignity and continues the County’s effort to create a united, multilingual network to defend and empower immigrant communities, while also laying the groundwork for a future Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to provide long-term infrastructure and coordination across agencies.

Alameda County Is United in Defending our Immigrant Communities

The timing of this action could not have been more urgent. Just days after the Board’s vote, the Federal Administration announced plans for a large-scale enforcement operation targeting immigrant communities, with 60 to 100 more federal Customs and Border Patrol and ICE agents in our communities. This underscored the urgency of our work and how critical it is that we rapidly stand up the resources and relationships needed to protect our immigrant neighbors and ensure they know their rights, can exercise them, and remain in our communities.

Our elected and nonprofit partners swiftly mobilized and came together in a press conference at Oakland City Hall led by Mayor Barbara Lee to affirm our shared commitment to dignity, justice, and building a caring, safe, and organized community. (Watch my remarks here.) An organized community is a safe community, and Alameda County’s partners and residents have responded with courage and care. Across the Bay Area, people are meeting fear with power, sharing accurate information, challenging misinformation, and organizing to care for and protect one another. We are deeply grateful to every partner organization, community leader, and resident who is part of this collective work. Together, we keep each other safe and are proud of the shared vision and infrastructure we are building in real time. Over the past month, our Office has participated in Know Your Rights trainings with ACUDIR/AROC, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, and the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club. In addition, Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez re-affirmed the Sheriff’s policy and commitment of non-cooperation with ICE.

Commitment to Create a Future Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs

On October 28, the Board of Supervisors approved a $450,000 allocation to enhance coordination among County agencies and community partners supporting immigrants and refugees, as well as to support the important work toward developing a dedicated ‘Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs’.

Preserving Healthcare Access

Alameda County is facing serious threats to healthcare access from upcoming federal and state policy changes that will roll out over the next two years. These changes will especially harm immigrant residents and low-income families who rely on Medi-Cal, while also straining the financial sustainability of our hospitals and community clinics with reduced funding and uncompensated care.

I have created a Medi-Cal Working Group to address urgent issues of outreach, enrollment and renewals for those at-risk of losing health insurance due to federal cuts. My Office has convened county staff, Alameda Health System (our public hospitals), the Alameda Alliance for Health (the Medi-Cal managed care provider for our county), the Alameda Health Consortium, our community health clinics and our state and federal delegations to work though these issues.

We held our second meeting on October 15 and discussed the looming deadline that will affect all of those with Unsatisfactory Immigration Status (UIS) which includes the undocumented and those with Legal Permanent Status for less than 5 years. If those with UIS are not enrolled in Medi-Cal by December 31, they will lose Medi-Cal for the remainder of their lives. And if those with UIS ever drop-off of Medi-Cal after December 31, they also will permanently lose Medi-Cal. This draconian policy of the Trump Administration will mean that tens of thousands of immigrants in Alameda County are at-risk of losing health insurance forever.

At the October 21 Board work session, county staff presented a proposal for ensuring the Board members will have maximum visibility of the Medi-Cal response through every other month joint meetings of the Health and Social Services Committee. Also, staff of county agencies (SSA and AC Health) will provide backbone coordination services to support the various tables focused on this issue, including our Medi-Cal Working Group.

Measure W Update - Home Together Fund

Implementing Housing and Homelessness Solutions

The latest Measure W updates include:

Join Alameda County Supervisors and Alameda County Housing and Homelessness in a series of regional community meetings in November to learn about Measure W and implementation of the Home Together Plan. These community forums are open to all, and will include presentations from the County, constituents, and a panel discussion with room for questions and comments from participants. Find out more, including dates for each District’s meeting and register for the zoom-based Community Meetings here. For more information please email: OHCCinfo@acgov.org. The District 5 meeting will be Monday, November 17, 3:30-5:00 PM. Register here.
On October 27, staff released an RFP for a one-time, $40 million Capital Fund for the production of permanent housing for the homeless. The fund will be administered jointly by the Housing and Homelessness (H&H) Division of AC Health and the Housing & Community Development Department of the Community Development Agency. The first phase will be focused on supporting shovel-ready permanent supportive housing projects. The RFP can be found here: Measure W Capital RFP. The applications are due December 1 and there is a mandatory bidders conference on November 4: Measure W Capital RFP Bidder’s Conference Webinar (Session 2), Tuesday, November 4 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite.
Another RFP will be released in early 2026 for approximately $10 million for the acquisition and rehabilitation of permanent housing for the homeless.

During the September 30 Board Work Session, we heard a presentation on the Measure W implementation, including updates on the County’s implementation of the Home Together Fund as well as their proposal for the Essential Services Fund. The staff’s presentation can be found here.

County staff provided a detailed overview on the Home Together Plan implementation. Since the Board approved $1.4 billion on July 30, we are making progress on the following:

Launching the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool to streamline the administration and distribution of rental assistance for permanent supportive housing for people exiting homelessness.
Expanding interim housing by nearly 300 units by selecting three providers to create new units of non-congregate, interim shelter, including units set aside for people who are medically frail and have higher medical needs. These shelter units should come online in early 2026.
Creating the Affordable Housing Emergency Stabilization Fund following the Board’s approval of a $15 million fund for affordable housing providers that anchor the County’s affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, and homelessness prevention systems.
Increasing the shelter bed night rate to reflect the true cost of operating shelter beds and building a cohesive County shelter system.

Upcoming priorities include:

Convening a shelter standards working group, centering people with lived experience of homelessness, to update the County’s shelter standards;
Developing a homelessness prevention hub, to support people with the highest risk of falling into homelessness; and
Designing new programming to support the homeless workforce, including career pathways for partner organizations and social enterprise opportunities for people exiting homelessness.

To learn more about upcoming events and funding opportunities from the Home Together Fund, you can sign up to receive email updates from the Housing & Homelessness Services Department here.

Measure W Update - Essential County Services Fund

My priority is to dedicate the Essential County Services Fund of Measure W to critical safety net services impacted by state and federal budget cuts and policy changes. This includes preserving:

Healthcare access due to Medi-cal cuts
Mental health services due to California Prop 1 MHSA cuts
Food security due to CalFresh Cuts
Immigrant and refugee protections
LGBTQ rights and services
Reproductive justice
Other vulnerable populations, including seniors and children

On September 30, County staff proposed a framework for the Essential County Services Fund. Their recommendation included a one year spending plan for this fiscal year to address the known funding cuts to safety net services. This spending plan includes:

$39.35M in one-time capital investments, including investments in affordable housing on County-owned properties and in the unincorporated area.
$25M in one-time funding to programs facing federal and state funding reductions. This includes:

$2.5M for immigration support
$2.5M for Medi-Cal outreach and retention
$1.5M for LGBTQIA+ services
$3M to backfill the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingent on federal funding loss
$1M to backfill prepared meals, including to seniors
$1M for Recipe4Health & SNAP-Ed cuts to nutrition programs
$4M to address Prop 1 funding cuts to mental health prevention services, in particular to Underserved Ethnic and Language Programs (UELP) providers

On October 28, the Board approved three additional allocations from the Essential County Services Fund. They are:

$450,000 for interim staffing to coordinate immigrant and refugee services, an allocation that Supervisor Fortunato Bas and Supervisor Márquez advanced from the ACT for All Committee.
$500,000 for those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities advanced by President Haubert.
$10 million for food security advanced by Supervisor Fortunato Bas, including $1.7 million for senior meals advanced by Supervisor Miley. This food security request was first presented to the Alameda County Together for All Committee on September 9 and to the full Board on September 23; see the Board Letter here and the food security presentation starting on page 13.

Thank you to the many advocates and those who shared public comments to support these critical funding allocations for our safety net.

County staff will come back to the Board of Supervisors in early 2026 after analyzing the state and federal budget impacts. At that time, they will present a five-year strategic plan for the remainder of the Essential Services Fund. I will continue advocating for the Fund to preserve our safety net so that we can support our most vulnerable residents.

East Bay Wildfire Coalition

The East Bay Wildfire Coalition of Governments, which I represent our County on, recently submitted a letter of support to advocate for strong Zone Zero regulations to be set by the state Board of Forestry. The Board is continuing to deliberate given feedback from constituents across the state regarding building ember-resistant zones around homes. Meanwhile, our East Bay Wildfire Coalition met and discussed efforts to adjust insurance policies in high-risk areas of homes. We also got a report on new laws related to wildfires. Upcoming meetings will follow up on legislative and regulatory efforts as well as school safety plans.

Thank you to the Berkeley Firesafe Council for having me and other local leaders speak at its annual community potluck to highlight the importance of fire prevention and preparedness. I applaud you and all community leaders who are working to prevent the next catastrophic fire - by connecting neighbors so that everyone is informed and supported.

I also appreciate the Oakland Firesafe Council and Alameda County Fire Department for supporting the recent Emergency Preparedness Day in San Leandro with Sup. Lena Tam, which my staff attended. The OFSC presentation to the community was informative, engaging, and encouraged people to connect with their neighbors.

Ethical Investment Policy Approved, Implementation TBD

On October 3, our Board of Supervisors approved an Ethical Investment Policy that discourages investing in companies with poor human rights records or those deriving significant revenue from harmful industries such as fossil fuels, firearms, tobacco, defense, and correctional facilities. While I fully support this policy and its vision, I voted against the motion because of the condition that final implementation is contingent on additional financial and peer review processes – processes and delay that I do not believe is necessary. Read more in The Oaklandside.

I am deeply grateful to our Treasurer Hank Levy for his thoughtful and diligent work in developing this policy with experts and community engagement, and for his safeguarding of county assets. I also appreciate the community members and advocates who shared their expertise, passion, and persistence throughout this process. Their input made this policy stronger and more reflective of our shared principles.

As I stated at the Board meeting, our budget is a reflection of our values and our public investments should not perpetuate harm to our communities or the planet. In reviewing the Treasurer’s monthly investment report to the Board, I am glad we do not appear to be investing in major defense companies nor private prison and detention corporations, however we may be investing in companies involved in surveillance, which is a concern for communities of immigrants and those who have historically been over-incarcerated. This policy can help our County express our values while we continue to condemn all forms of hate and discrimination.

Although I am disappointed that the Board delayed implementation by sending the policy to the Ad Hoc Finance Committee and for additional peer review, I remain committed to ensuring this policy is swiftly and effectively enacted so that Alameda County’s financial practices truly reflect our values and commitments to justice, sustainability, human rights, and safety and dignity for all.

Measure C Working for Our Kids

My team and I were honored to join First 5 in presenting an Emergency Grant check from Measure C funds to St. Mary’s Center to support early childhood care and education. This is a pivotal moment for our community and child care providers, and Alameda County supports working families to build strong and community-based support systems. This funding will help St. Mary’s Center and other providers across the County pay staff, keep doors open, make site improvements, and continue serving families who depend on them. Learn more about First 5 here.

Arts Leadership Awards

It was an honor to present the Arts Leadership Awards to District Five honorees: Alex Jaga Sousa and Amara Tabor-Smith. Photos by Paul Kuroda.

Alex, who is known as Jaga, is a leader of the Afro-Brazilian artistic community in Oakland and the Bay Area. He has worked hard to bring healing to the Brazilian diaspora and the BIPOC and immigrant communities through the arts. Jaga was a coordinator and program manager for the Wellness in Action Fellowship administered by the Center of Empowering Refugees and Immigrants. He manages a grassroots percussion ensemble and, for over 17 years, Jaga has been an instructor at the International Capoeira Angola Foundation located in West Oakland which is dedicated to the practice, preservation and growth of Capoeira Angola, an African-Brazilian art form combining dancing, martial arts, acrobatics and live music.

Amara is a choreographer, performance maker, cultural worker and the artistic director of Deep Waters Dance Theater. Her interdisciplinary, site responsive and community-specific performance making practice utilizes Yorubá spiritual technologies to address issues of social and environmental justice, race, gender identity, homefulness and belonging. Amara creates performance experiences in collaboration with her Oakland communities with the intention of cultivating mutual understanding, building deeper relationships and inspiring collective healing. This process has included holding intergenerational dialogues, story circles, grief and rest rituals, and movement-based practices in spaces throughout Oakland such as BLove’s Guest House, West Oakland Mural Project, Eastside Arts Alliance in Oakland’s San Antonio District, and Bandaloop Studios in West Oakland.

Events & Announcements

11/4 Election Day!

All Vote Centers are open! Cast your ballot now and make your voice heard. acvote.alamedacountyca.gov

Alameda County Home Together Fund Community Meetings

Join Alameda County Supervisors and Alameda County Housing and Homelessness in a series of regional community meetings in November to learn about Measure W and implementation of the Home Together Plan. These community forums are open to all, and will include presentations from the County, constituents, and a panel discussion with room for questions and comments from participants. Find out more, including dates for each District’s meeting and register for the zoom-based Community Meetings here. For more information please email: OHCCinfo@acgov.org. The District 5 meeting will be Monday, November 17, 3:30-5:00 PM. Register here.

11/15 Reparations Listening Session

Help Emerson Elementary Build a New Play Space!

Emerson Elementary School is getting a new playground in November, thanks to the support of the Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation. Come help put it together and experience community and connection! Work is available for volunteers of all levels of skill and ability.

Sample activities include: assembling play equipment, mixing concrete, painting murals, and moving mulch. Lunch is provided. Sign up for one or more build days November 12-14. Sign up to volunteer here. Reach out to president@emersonoaklandpta.org if you have questions.

Invitation to Support Recruitment – Study with African American/Black Fathers

This qualitative interview study explores how African American/Black fathers show interest and curiosity in their child’s emotions and behaviors. Participation includes one 2-hour virtual interview and one 1-hour virtual follow-up, both conducted via Zoom. All responses are confidential, and participants receive a total $100 in gift cards for their time. If you qualify, you can fill out the interest form here.