La Comida Senior Nutrition, a longtime senior lunch program relied on by more than 160 seniors, is asking the community to help find a new location after a fruitless search, the organization said in a public announcement. The nonprofit organization must vacate its current home at Avenidas senior center by Aug. 30, but it does not have even an interim location to cook and serve lunches nor to serve catered meals to needy seniors, organization officials said.
La Comida has provided inexpensive nutritional lunches and important social interaction for at-risk seniors in Palo Alto for 45 years -- 39 of them at Avenidas, which is located at 450 Bryant St. in downtown. But expansion and renovation plans by Avenidas at the city-owned building will tear down the dining room's current location and add a three-story building.
To be ADA-complaint and meet fire regulations, the existing dining room space had to be adjusted to accommodate fire safety stairs, a new elevator, and more bathrooms, Avenidas President and CEO Amy Andonian said.
La Comida could have had a smaller dining room at Avenidas, which would have reduced the space from its current 140-person capacity to 79 to 90 persons. But the reduced capacity would not work with their objectives, the organization said.
With just four and a half months left to secure a permanent location, La Comida officials are becoming concerned. They have searched for a new location for several months but so far they have been unsuccessful, they said. La Comida sent a letter to the City Council on Friday outlining their needs.
"An ideal situation would be a church or other community organization that has a commercial kitchen and a communal space that can accommodate up to 130 diners each weekday. We have been exploring options with several organizations, but to date, nothing has come through. We could consider a kitchen that needs some upgrading," Bill Blodgett, La Comida board president, said.
La Comida has looked at several churches, but none could commit to the lunch program five days per week. Officials are currently in discussion regarding a site in south Palo Alto, but it has a maximum capacity of 100. Board members are considering using the space in the short or long term if they can't find other alternatives, but they haven't been able to complete an agreement with the landlord, they said.
A solution seemed at hand just a month ago. The city's Human Relations Commission unanimously approved recommending a $321,000 Community Development Block Grant on March 9. Commissioners voted in favor of an unprecedented amendment to allow La Comida to return for additional funding if needed to open and operate a facility at First United Methodist Church at 625 Hamilton Ave., in downtown. But those plans fell through and La Comida pulled their application, HRC Chairman Greer Stone said.
Blodgett said the church was not able to commit to using the facility. A significant kitchen renovation would have been required, which could not have been completed by September.
Stone lauded LA Comida's community contributions.
"We were fully behind their expansion. They are the only organization serving at-risk seniors in the city. ... The HRC is fully supportive of what they do. We were excited to open the process and now this has happened," he said.
As an individual and not as a commissioner, Stone said he thinks it is critical for the city find a place for La Comida.
"I'm sure we can find something; maybe find a city-owned property. We can't just let La Comida serve significantly less seniors or stop serving seniors altogether in Palo Alto."
Palo Alto Mayor Greg Scharff said he has only received the letter on Monday, and he planned to try to meet with La Comida executives.
"Obviously they provide a great service. We need to do what we can to help them," he said.
Scharff did not know if the city could provide a subsidy, for how long or for how much, but he said he wouldn't rule it out.
"I'm not putting it on the table today, but obviously it's something that we could seriously take a look at. We would try to find a solution," he said.
But Vice Mayor Liz Kniss, who was the council's liaison to Avenidas during the discussions between both organizations, said a remedy is difficult, although she acknowledged that La Comida is an integral part of services for seniors.
"This year the city's budget is very tight. It's a big expense. It's awkward with all of the other demands in the human-needs area. I'm sure we'll discuss it, but it's a serious long-term problem," she said.
Kniss said she had hoped that Avenidas and La Comida could have worked out a solution that could have kept the program at its Bryant Street location. One option was to accommodate clients in shifts.
"I frankly thought it could've been structured in a way to work. Now they find themselves in a very awkward position of not having a place lined up to move to," she said.
La Comida has five paid staff members and 65 volunteers, Blodgett said. Most of its revenue comes from city and county government grants. In fiscal year 2016-17 Santa Clara County gave $375,000 to the agency; the City of Palo Alto granted $35,000 in Human Services Resource Allocation Process funds, Blodgett said.
La Comida officials said the location dilemma could have a financial fallout. The use rate for the kitchen and dining room at Avenidas is $1,285 per month, which covers maintenance, utilities and other expenses. But that sum isn't realistic in the current real estate market.
"This is obviously dramatically below market rates in Palo Alto and lower than use rates we are likely to find from any other organization, nonprofit or otherwise, that might be willing to let us use their facility," the organization said in a statement. The higher costs would leave the organization scrambling for additional sources of funding.
"Without additional funding, La Comida may not be able to maintain a sustainable budget in a non-city-owned facility," the organization said in its letter to the council.
La Comida filed an appeal with the Palo Alto City Council in November after Avenidas received approval in October for its expansion.
La Comida dropped its opposition in December after reaching a settlement with Avenidas. Under the agreement, Avenidas would help fund La Comida's relocation. Avenidas also agreed to provide some additional senior services at the new location and transportation assistance for seniors to the new facility.
Andonian said in December that it wasn't clear how much her organization would provide. The details would be worked out as La Comida looks at downtown locations.
Meanwhile, the need for basic nutritional food services among seniors has risen. In fiscal year 2014-15, La Comida served 35,318 meals; in fiscal year 2015-16, that total rose to 40,748, according to Santa Clara County Senior Nutrition Program reports.
The Rotary Club of Palo Alto started the lunch program in 1972 as a service project after conducting a yearlong survey of service needs in Palo Alto. It was first housed at All Saints Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. La Comida began serving the lunches at Avenidas in 1978. The Rotary built the dining room and the County of Santa Clara funded the kitchen equipment, La Comida noted.
Betsy Bechtel, Rotary president, said the organization has had a long history with La Comida and that some of its members are still involved. The club gave La Comida $5,000 toward finding a new location. The organization had 70 applications for grants this last year. Bechtel said she has not heard that La Comida was having trouble finding a new location.
Comments
Registered user
East Palo Alto
on Apr 18, 2017 at 10:23 am
Registered user
on Apr 18, 2017 at 10:23 am
They should look at East Palo Alto. There are a bunch of under utilized churches here, and EPA is no farther from downtown Palo Alto than South Palo Alto.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 18, 2017 at 10:28 am
on Apr 18, 2017 at 10:28 am
Didn't Cubberley HS have a cafeteria/lunchroom?
Downtown North
on Apr 18, 2017 at 10:52 am
on Apr 18, 2017 at 10:52 am
Sad to see this situation. Hope the City can help. Vice Mayor Kniss seems to miss the point that even if Avenidas had been able to provide enough space for La Comida after the renovation, that would not help with a location for the next two years during the renovation.
Palo Verde
on Apr 18, 2017 at 11:16 am
on Apr 18, 2017 at 11:16 am
Cubberly is the perfect answer
Midtown
on Apr 18, 2017 at 11:41 am
on Apr 18, 2017 at 11:41 am
While East Palo Alto may seem like a good idea for La Comida, it's in San Mateo County. La Comida is a Santa Clara County funded senior nutrition site. Cubberley also seemed like a good fit but the kitchen there is no longer functioning. The former multipurpose room has been carpeted and is inappropriate for food service. La Comida currently serves lunch for about forty seniors at the Senior Friendship Day (Wednesdays) at Cubberley in a classroom setting. But perhaps the school district could be persuaded to reconsider.
Barron Park
on Apr 18, 2017 at 2:20 pm
on Apr 18, 2017 at 2:20 pm
Maybe something can be worked out with Comida using the City Hall employee cafeteria by adjusting the hours of service
Downtown North
on Apr 18, 2017 at 3:14 pm
on Apr 18, 2017 at 3:14 pm
Do you know the history...
Did the City of Palo Alto provide funds to build the dining room and the kitchen for La Comida?
Does this historical building belong to the City of Palo Alto?
How much rent does Avenidas pay to the City of Palo Alto for the use of this historical building?
If the City did provide funds to Avenidas in any way, the City of Palo Alto should have a say so...unless they don't want to upset the Establishment, the likes of Betsy Bechtel and Liz Kniss.
Lis Kniss, of course, used La Comida lunches during her campaign to garner votes and brought her boys who ran with her to lunch too. But, when it comes to needing help to continue our services, Liz Kniss provides only lip service.
Mountain View
on Apr 19, 2017 at 8:45 am
on Apr 19, 2017 at 8:45 am
It has long been recognized that Avenidas has wanted La Comida to move out of its center. This is way before thoughts about renovating the overall facility began. Now this is finally their chance.
The City owns the facility and the City should assist in finding temporary space while the facility is being renovated, however, then La Comida should return and provide two lunch shifts or a lunch meal and perhaps an evening meal to accommodate the current number of participants.
The City obviously had to approve the changes to the Avenidas facility and knew then that La Comida would be at risk. At that time, language should have been written to guarantee La Comida a permanent space.
It is funny now that millions of dollars have been raised for the Avenidas
renovation campaign that this news suddenly comes to light. Were I a donor I would certainly question why this information was not made public sooner.
Community Center
on Apr 19, 2017 at 10:55 am
on Apr 19, 2017 at 10:55 am
Avenidas has outgrown this location and should move. They should not be allowed to destroy this beautiful historical building by adding to it with a modern metal and glass building.
No, Mayor Scharff, it will not look good as you seem to believe it is good to have different forms of architecture next to each other. No!
I am sure there are other worthy and not such arrogant non-profit organizations that would love to use this space and not insist on changing and chasing out a worthy low income nutritious senior lunch program.
Mountain View
on Apr 19, 2017 at 2:58 pm
on Apr 19, 2017 at 2:58 pm
I wonder if anyone involved in the development of this rather grandiose and expensive project ever thought to ask the actual users of the facility what they thought about the proposal or (God forbid) involve any of them in the planning process. It is the height of arrogance when decisions are being made for seniors instead of by seniors.
In my opinion if the old Fire House is of historical importance it should remain at least slightly identifiable as the original. This entire fiasco aided and abetted by the City Council should be done over, the funding raised returned and a community advisory planning committee established. Avenidas may be the agency that needs to move, not La Comida.
Downtown North
on Apr 20, 2017 at 12:14 pm
on Apr 20, 2017 at 12:14 pm
Anthony asked: I wonder if anyone involved in the development of this rather grandiose and expensive project ever thought to ask the actual users of the facility what they thought about the proposal
No they did not. The development advocates on staff and board make these decisions. Their developer friends can earn big bucks. The present building needs some updating, not major destruction.
Despite what they claim, it isn't crowded - only the lunch is crowded. The basement is unused most of the time, classrooms are often empty, etc.
Community Center
on Jun 3, 2017 at 12:50 pm
on Jun 3, 2017 at 12:50 pm
I have been going to this wonderful La Comida site for 29 yrs & have seen the growth & experience the energy & good food. It is one of the top 3 Senior Nutrition Sites for the County ( 1 out of 39)and the oldest. What a shame it has to go away this way. In the eighties and late seventies, even Meals on Wheels hot meals were packed out from this kitchen, going to Stanford and PA area. May be the Stanford Foundation can help out in some way? The kitchen staff is very creative in preparing meals (e.g. serving specialty grains that healthy folks like). This is the only site that have piano playing and fresh flowers & at times Stanford students serving meals for their community experience. This is the only Site that prepares meals for 3 PA locations now & gets one meager pay (bet they can get jobs in the hi-tech kitchens). One senior (in the past) who valued so much of the program had donated a large sum of $ to Palo Alto Senior Center and partially to La Comida for the benefits she obtained, where will the legacy go from here? More baby boomers will be needing this program, or more seniors will go malnourished, resulting in early institutionalization and govt costs. Please rethink & take action soon!!!
Downtown North
on Jun 22, 2017 at 8:55 am
on Jun 22, 2017 at 8:55 am
Put them in that new noisy, air pollution causing, parking garage that they city is building downtown. At least make good use of that proposed structure that belongs in 1987.
Crescent Park
on Aug 23, 2017 at 3:41 pm
on Aug 23, 2017 at 3:41 pm
As a longtime resident of this community for over 50 years I ma shocked and disappointed about this situation. La Comida should be helped in finding a temporary location that works and should be allowed to stay in downtown PA when the new nightmare structure is completed. This institution has been in the community since 76/77 and provides good nutrition, socializing, music during lunches, positive environment to great seniors who have gave so much to the city they live in over the yeas. Sound like some pockets are going to be lined very well when the smoke clears from this mess. Just horrible that La Comida is thrown to the curb and pushed out, lets face it....they are not part of the agenda folks. This City is an absolute mess. When I go down to the post office and see them mopping up urine and worse every morning cause of the homeless problem, and I go to the City and they turn a blind yet...(even the cops)....well you know there is a huge problem in city hall. Anyway, it's sad indeed.....maybe this note will touch someone who has enough sense to do the right thing...but don't hold your breath.