The sharp rise in the need for food assistance in San Mateo County has now made national news. A recent New York Times article highlighted that, in the last year, the county has seen a 41% jump in the number of people relying on CalFresh, Samaritan House has delivered 80% more meals, and Second Harvest has doubled its meal delivery. The need for food is a good indicator of how the most vulnerable among us are doing. While our local food assistance programs are rising to the challenge, we have to remain aware of the impact that the current crisis is having on many in our community. The end of the eviction moratorium will bring further hardship. Our community will rise to the challenge, and we are grateful for our partners and the hard work that all of you do.
What we are watching:
Recall
Voter interest in the recall election is low, but the stakes are high. If Governor Newsom is recalled, the candidate who gets the plurality of the votes, no matter how low that number is, will become governor for the remainder of the term. Encourage your communities to vote anytime from now until September 14. See below for quick references to send to your communities and come to one of our 15 minute-trainings.
Census and Redistricting
Census numbers are out! Redistricting conversations will start heating up now. Visit our redistricting webpage for more details and read this article for an overview of some of the demographic changes in California, including the decrease in the White population by 5% to 35%.
COVID and Vaccine Mandates
COVID cases are up here and around the country. Vaccinations are critical during this time - more than 95% of COVID-related hospitalizations are unvaccinated people. In San Mateo as a whole, over 90% of the eligible population (over 12 years old) is vaccinated, but vaccination rates are below 80% in our Black, Hispanic and Pacific Islander communities. Please continue to help get our county vaccinated! Note: as a nonprofit employer, you are allowed to mandate vaccinations for your employees. Please see details and resources below.
As always, please reach out to us with your concerns and campaigns.
In partnership,
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