Alameda County’s 2017/2019 Integrated Plan, Best Written in Western Region

The Issue

Collaborations create value and accelerate change said Terry F. Yosie, president and CEO of the World Environment Center in Washington, D.C.: “Corporations, non-governmental organizations and institutions… are more successful in attaining individual objectives by collaborating with partners with aligned interests…”, (https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2013/04/29). Alameda’s County Nutrition Action Partnership (CNAP) was first organized in 2006 with six USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) providers. University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) is one of the founding members. CNAP is faced with the challenge of reaching 209,000 county residents, representing 13 percent of the population that are living in poverty and eligible for SNAP-Ed. This challenge includes reaching youth in 206 schools, (52 percent of the County’s schools) and families spread across 45 of the County’s 360 census blocks.

What Has ANR Done?

Alameda County Public Health Department, UCCE, Area Agency on Aging, and 11 CNAP members developed the 2017-2019 Integrated Work Plan (IWP) for SNAP-eligible clients building on learnings from the 2016 IWP plan, needs assessments, priority setting, and asset mapping. The work of CNAP validates the strength in partnerships by reducing competition and duplication, identifying partners best poised to lead each intervention, and promoting consistent messaging countywide. CNAP piloted the Single App, which was made possible by state Assembly Bill 402, to share information for school meals & CalFresh applicants across government departments; published a combined brochure of all food assistance programs; leveraged USDA food/nutrition resources countywide; standardized nutrition messaging; cross-trained staff; and is partnering with two collaborators on a countywide obesity campaign.

The Payoff

The Alameda County SNAP-Ed Integrated Plan was rated best in the West

In 2016 CNAP partners made over 590,149 diverse client contacts by direct, indirect, and policy, system and environmental change activities: 209,928 SNAP-Ed and 380,221 Non-SNAP contacts. One non-SNAP partner also provided over 4,613,418 meals. The 2017-2019 IWP was recognized by the California Department of Public Health as “demonstrating strong partnership, a clear vision, and … how SNAP-Ed … funding could be leveraged against other public health initiatives”. CNAP's IWP was recognized by USDA in 2016 as the best-written plan in the state and received a $7.8 million grant to implement the plan . CNAP was regarded as a notable finding in a January 2017 USDA SNAP-Ed Management Evaluation of Alameda County.

Clientele Testimonial

Kacie O'Brien, MSPH, the Team Lead of SNAP Nutrition Education and Program Access, USDA Food and Nutrition Service stated, “The Alameda County Nutrition Action Partnership (CNAP) demonstrates strong partnerships between SNAP-Ed and other nutrition assistance and food access efforts in the County. Alameda County’s integrated work-plan is one of the strongest in the State and employs multiple strategies that magnify the impact of SNAP-Ed within the County, including train-the- trainer and local champion programs.”

Contact

Mary L. Blackburn, UCCE NFCS Advisor, mlblackburn@ucanr.edu
Annette Laverty, MPH, RD, Plan Coordinator, annette.laverty@acgov.org