Sonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors heard an update on Tuesday about the operations of the food bank overseen by the Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency (ATCAA).
The Food Bank is located in Jamestown and also provides food to several area pantries. We reported earlier that there were rumors floating around social media that the food bank could be on the verge of closing, but those were debunked by ATCAA officials.
At Tuesday’s supervisors meeting, Executive Director Joe Bors provided an overview of both the short and long-term funding challenges facing the operation.
ATCAA did not receive federal Community Development Block Grant funding this year to help keep the food bank operational due to a lapse in some required audits overseen by the Tuolumne County Clerk and Auditor-Controller’s Office (which made the county ineligible for CDBG funds).
Thanks to community donations spearheaded through the Sonora Area Foundation, and utilizing ATCAA’s reserves, the food bank is in a position to continue operations throughout this year, despite the loss. There is also optimism that the audits will be completed soon, and the CDBG funding will still arrive, albeit late.
Bors indicated that additional fundraisers may be needed if no additional money comes through. In response to short-term challenges, they have also reduced some of the operations, and six staff members have cut their hours from 40-32, effective February 1st.
CAO Roger Root indicated that the issues related to the delayed audits are being resolved, and county staff are hopeful that the CDBG funding they earlier missed out on, will eventually be back-paid to the county, which would further alleviate any additional short-term concerns.
Root, however, along with ATCAA board members, supervisors Ryan Campbell and Jaron Brandon, indicated there are significant long-term funding challenges.
Campbell stated, “We’ve heard from the federal government, the White House, that they no longer want to provide funding for those types of efforts anymore (CDBG grants).
He continued, “Short term, the health of the food bank is struggling, which it has always struggled, but it is still going to function. Long term is the issue because there are funds down the road that are going away and are not going to be replaced, or that’s at least what we are being told right now.”
Brandon said he takes issue White House saying it is doing away with “woke” programs, when the impacts are cuts to things like local food programs.
Root also indicated that it is his understanding that there will be future gap years likely upcoming with no CDBG funding.
Addressing the lack of audits, Brandon said the auditor position is an elected role that serves as a check on county leadership, and there are limits to how the board can oversee it. He said people have left the Auditor Controller’s Office, and retired, in recent years. He added, “It did put us in a really bad spot, but I think we are making a lot of progress (resolving the missed audits)”
Brandon also praised the Sonora Area Foundation and thanked their donors. He encouraged others to consider giving money to the cause.
If there are future gap years, after 2026, with no CDBG money, it could require heavy community fundraising to keep the ATCAA Food Bank operations going, as the grant often provides between $500,000 to $600,000 per year.
Tuesday’s presentation was informational only, and no actions were taken.
New board chair Steve Griefer encouraged Bors to come back more regularly to provide updates on the challenges facing ATCAA throughout this year.
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