By Ruth Dusseault. Bay City News.
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The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved more than $1 million in funding packages from the county's Measure K fund.
Measure K is a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2016 that provides local funding for local needs.
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte will receive almost $400,000 to ensure access to local reproductive health care. The PP initiative, approved 5-0, will purchase a new inventory system and pay for staff training.
The organization, which serves about 13,000 residents annually, operates three clinics in San Mateo County that provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, behavioral health and family medicine services.
Supervisors also allocated $190,000 to Smiles Dental Health, a nonprofit dental center serving low-income residents.
The funds will go towards the purchase of a van with supplies, equipment and a dental chair that will allow Sonrisas to bring dental care directly to patients.
Sonrisas also operates a weekly pop-up clinic for farmworkers in La Honda in partnership with Puente de la Costa Sur, an organization that promotes equitable access to education, health, and economic security for residents of communities along the South Coast. San Mateo County.
Supervisors also approved a $350,000 contribution to the Baby Bonus program, administered through First 5 of San Mateo County. The guaranteed income pilot program will make unconditional payments of $300 per month for three years to 400 eligible parents currently receiving Medi-Cal benefits. The project aims to measure the impact of greater financial security on the health and well-being of newborns and mothers.
Ombudsman Services will receive a $100,000 grant that provides on-site monitoring, complaint investigation and resolution services for seniors in the county's long-term care and skilled nursing facilities. The funds will go towards training and placing ombudsmen, staff and volunteers in the field.
Lastly, in response to San Mateo's coastal risk from wildfires, storms, and sea level rise, supervisors allocated $150,000 to support the Resilient Coastal Infrastructure Strategic Plan.
The goal of the plan is to analyze and evaluate coastal infrastructure (roads, evacuation routes, energy supplies, water services and more) and identify areas that need to be improved. They will also hire a grant writer to find means to make infrastructure changes through federal, state and other sources.
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