May 14

May 14 Great Plates program marks a year of delivering restaurant meals to Sacramento seniors as it nears end

Giving back to the community, Supporting Sacramento's health, Helping all people thrive

Sacramento (May 14, 2021) — A year ago, Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s Office spearheaded the launch of an emergency program in Sacramento to deliver three restaurant-prepared meals a day to seniors shut in due to the pandemic.

A year later, the Great Plates Delivered program has served nearly 800,000 meals to seniors, helped keep scores of restaurants afloat during the pandemic shutdowns and also provided income for local farmers. The daily visits served as a wellness check for seniors, many of whom were having little contact with people during the pandemic.

The program also provided much needed work for drivers and aides at Paratransit and subcontractor United Cerebral Palsy, Lyft drivers for Phase 1 of the program and to WCP, a local company that supplied food containers.

Employees of the Mayor's Office, Sacramento Public Library and 211 answered thousands of calls during the past year to care for seniors enrolled in the program.

The federally funded program initially required a City financial contribution, but under new rules issued by the Biden Administration it is 100 percent reimbursable by FEMA back to the beginning, meaning it will cost the City nothing but the time and dedication of many volunteers.

Now that pandemic restrictions are being lifted and vaccinations are widely available, Great Plates is expected to end on June 11. Mayor Steinberg’s office has surveyed the 1,100 seniors enrolled and is connecting those who who still need help with other services.

Sacramento’s Great Plates program was part of a statewide feeding effort announced by Gov. Newsom in April 2020 and carried out by cities individually.

Great Plates Delivered by the numbers:

May 14, 2020-May 14, 2021

Meals Delivered: 793,320 (800,000th meal will be Tues, May 18)

Economic Impact: $18,486,703 (vendors and City admin reimbursement)

Funding: 100% reimbursed by FEMA following Biden Executive Order on Jan 21, 2021. Retroactive to program beginning. City is advancing funds through CARES Act and General Fund money and requesting reimbursement from FEMA.