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Chapter 8: Support Services • Expand homeless people's access to and utilization of government food programs. Expand homeless people's access to existing government subsidized food programs, including Food Stamps, WIC, School Breakfast and Lunch, Summer Food, Child Care Food, Senior Congregate and Home Delivered Meals, and free commodities programs. Action Stens Encourage all providers to refer homeless people to all food programs at their first point of contact with the homeless service delivery system. Provide training and technical assistance materials to providers in all parts of the county on food program eligibility criteria and how and where to apply. Request the WIC Outreach Unit to visit and enroll people at any site where ten or more potential clients gather. • Maintain and expand Free meal services. Support and expand free dining room, food voucher, and grocery programs. Expand coverage to ensure that free food is available in all regions of the county, three meals a day, seven days a week. Action Stens - Maintain all existing free dining rooms, food voucher, and grocery programs. - To the extent resources allow it, establish three additional free dining rooms according to the priorities listed. • Priority 1 Mid County • Priority 2 South County • Priority 3 East County - Fund at least one dining room in each region of the county to provide three meals per day on Saturdays and Sundays. Increase funding for vouchers usable for food on weekends. - Provide education and technical assistance materials to restaurants, hotels, and food sellers on how to donate left over and surplus food to free food sites. - Investigate the availability of kitchen facilities at SRO and other sites where homeless people live. Increase availability where possible. - Explore developing a network spread throughout the community of small food banks or pantries, perhaps started or staffed by homeless people themselves. - Encourage restaurants closing or upgrading and people leaving the area to donate cooking utensils, pots, dishes and silverware for distribution to households in need. Alameda County-Wide Homeless Continuum of Care Plan: April 1997 107