The Weekly Food Research and Action Center News Digest highlights what's new on hunger, nutrition and poverty issues at FRAC, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around the network of national, state and local anti-poverty and anti-hunger organizations, and in the media. The Digest will alert you to trends, reports, news items and resources and, when available, link you directly to them.

1. Secretary Vilsack Highlights SNAP/Food Stamps in Speech
(Albany Herald, February 22, 2009)

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted the recovery benefits of federal food assistance programs in an address to the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, his first speech outside Washington after being named secretary. “Congress had the foresight to put close to $20 billion into food assistance and her is what you all need to know: for every $5 that you invest in food assistance you generate $9.20 of economic activity,” he said. “[Y]ou generate jobs, you generate income for folks and that is as much a stimulus and as much a job creator as any road project or broadband project or anything else.” Vilsack also praised the group’s conference discussions on food assistance (like WIC), sustainable agriculture, and value-added production.

2. Federal Child Nutrition Programs Get $1 Billion Boost in President’s Budget
(Reuters, February 26, 2009)

School lunches along with other federal child nutrition programs are slated to get a $1 billion funding boost in President Obama’s budget. According to the White House, the additional funding will go to “improving program access, enhancing the nutritional quality of school meals, expanding nutrition research and evaluation and improving program oversight.” With child nutrition programs up for reauthorization in 2009, the President’s proposed budget would give the programs an additional $9.85 billion through FY 2019. Child nutrition programs currently receive about $15 billion a year. A high priority of the funding, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, would be providing more nutritious meals to children as well as giving them fresh fruits and vegetables.

3. State and County SNAP/Food Stamp Numbers Continue to Climb, Straining State Workers and Offices

Michigan
(Detroit News, February 25, 2009)
Nearly one in seven Michigan residents now receives SNAP/Food Stamps. While only 580,308 people received the benefit in 2000, in January 2009 1.37 million received SNAP/Food Stamps. Only eight percent of applicants wait 30 days or more for the benefit, down from 10.4 percent a year ago. The state has worked to reduce wait times through staff training and growing familiarity with the process. Still, the Department of Human Services has fielded complaints from applicants who have waited two or three months and tell of unreturned phone calls and frequent busy signals.

Virginia
(WUSA-9, February 24, 2009; Fredericksburg.com, February 27, 2009)
Between December 2007 and December 2008, SNAP/Food Stamp applications in Fairfax, Va. shot up 73 percent. The state’s Department of Social Services added 8,522 applicants across the state between December 2008 and January 2009. Leigh Dang is one resident who crowded into a county office to apply. “I lost my job two weeks ago,” said Dang, a single mother. “I need to pay for rent and food.” Eligibility workers are down three positions in Stafford County while applications are up 30 percent. SNAP/Food Stamp workers across the state are dealing with lines around buildings and must work weekends to accommodate caseloads. Fredericksburg-area offices are under a hiring freeze; national caseload recommendations call for the county’s department to have 20 workers instead of the current eight.

Oregon
(The Oregonian, February 25, 2009; Mail Tribune, February 27, 2009)
From January 2008 to January 2009, the number of Oregonians receiving SNAP/Food Stamps rose 17 percent, for a total of 353,000 residents receiving the benefit. Oregon’s Rogue Valley towns and cities saw large increases in SNAP/Food Stamp caseloads during the same time; caseloads rose by 13.5 percent in Medford, 8.7 percent in Ashland and 20.7 percent in Grants Pass. Oregon Trail Cards carry SNAP/Food Stamp benefits; at an Ashland Shop N Kart, one in three persons used the card on a recent Thursday. Unemployment is driving the high recipient numbers. “We’ve never seen this before,” said Lauri Stewart of the Department of Human Services (DHS). “These are record numbers.” The department plans to hire 48 caseworkers in the next four months to help with the demand.

Massachusetts
(Boston Globe, February 26, 2009)
In 2008, Massachusetts added nearly 100,000 SNAP/Food Stamp recipients to the program. As many as 20,000 new applications arrive each month, along with an average of 18,000 extension requests monthly, but the state now has 25 percent fewer caseworkers than in 2000. In mid-2008, applications were completed in two weeks, but now it takes close to a month. The Boston welfare office’s 60 caseworkers each average 700 clients. “We have more pending applications than ever,” said Mary Flanigan of the Boston office, quadruple the number from a year ago; each caseworker averages 80 pending applications these days. “It can be a bureaucratic nightmare for some people,” said Flanagan. “I hear from advocates…that more people are getting lost in the system. Unfortunately, it’s no longer uncommon for me to hear from someone who says they’re down to one package of Ramen noodles.”

Missouri
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 26, 2009)
SNAP/Food Stamps went to one in six Missouri residents – nearly one million people, the highest number ever – in January 2009, up 14 percent from January 2008’s 876,000. In 2001, a monthly average of 440,000 received the benefit. “In the short run, during a recession, this is a reality,” said Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center. “Those numbers will continue to go up for several more months. Hopefully, it’s not years.” One recipient is 57-year-old diabetic Maggie Perez, who survives on disability payments and $107 a month in SNAP/Food Stamp benefits. “I only cook for myself once a day, because it’s too expensive,” she said. “There’s no way I can eat enough diabetic-friendly food on that money.”

4. Recovery Act’s Extra $851 Million in SNAP/Food Stamps for New York City will Help Struggling Food Pantries
(WNYC, February 27, 2009)

In April, the 1.3 million New York City residents receiving SNAP/Food Stamps will see their benefits increase by 13 percent each month, bringing an extra $841 million in benefits to the city through the Economic Recovery Act. Food pantries in the city, like the Bread of Life Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, are serving a growing client base, and smaller church-based pantries and soup kitchens have not been able to keep up with demand. Bread of Life recorded a jump from 7,000 people served in November 2008 to 17,000 in December 2008, and is part of a pilot program in which nonprofits share their social service databases with the city in order to get more people enrolled in the SNAP/Food Stamp program. While the recovery act includes expanding benefits beyond three months per year for single jobless people without children, Mayor Bloomberg has opted not to take advantage of this provision for individuals not taking part in the city’s Workfare Program. City Councilman Bill de Blasio warns the Mayor is giving up tens of millions of dollars with his decision, which the city “strongly disputes.”

5. Nearly 20 Percent of Philadelphia Households Lack Money for Sufficient Food
(Philadelphia Daily News, February 24, 2009)

A Philadelphia Health Management Corporation biennial survey found that 17 percent of the city’s households lack sufficient money and must cut the size of, or skip, meals. The figure is up a quarter from 2006. This editorial calls the figures “alarming” and notes the reality reflected is “hiding in plain sight.” It’s evident in children’s headaches, increased infections, and attention difficulties in school due to hunger and malnourishment. The survey also doesn’t reflect parents substituting cheaper, less-nutritious foods to make ends meet, providing “almost nothing to build strong muscles – or immunity from infection” but contributing “mightily to obesity.” Those parents with access to SNAP/Food Stamps often live in food deserts and don’t have access to healthier foods in convenience stores. To fix the problem, “only government has the power to keep [hunger] from spiraling out of control.” State government infrastructure must continue and strengthen SNAP/Food Stamps, as an estimated 100,000 people eligible for the program don’t receive the benefit. “And that’s just for the current crisis,” the editorial concludes. “What’s needed in the long term is a widespread structural change in the way the economy works for those at the bottom.”

6. Florida Agency Wants to Hire Workers to Handle SNAP/Food Stamp Surge
(Pensacola News Journal, February 23, 2009)

This editorial notes that while states are cutting budgets, Florida’s Department of Children and Families has asked the legislature to approve the hiring of 288 new employees to handle the record numbers of residents applying for SNAP/Food Stamps. Department secretary George Sheldon said he hopes that Florida’s economic recovery money can be used to hire workers. “No doubt,” states the editorial, “some will complain that this is ‘spending’ instead of ‘stimulus.’ We see very little difference once that money begins to flow through the economy.” The recession isn’t slowing down, but speeding up, and the editorial concludes “just as waiting for the bleeding to stop before treating an accident victim is more like homicide than health care, waiting for the economy to collapse before doing anything about it is economic suicide.”

7. Illinois Recovery Site to Include Info on SNAP/Food Stamps; State Site Includes Online Applications
(Chicago Tribune, February 21, 2009)

SNAP/Food Stamps and unemployment benefits are two programs that will receive extra funding through the Economic Recovery Act, and will be included on a new site that Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois launched to help make sure the state takes full advantage of stimulus funds. Tracking how the state uses recovery money will be the focus of www.recovery.illinois.gov. The Governor said the site will keep track of economic recovery projects, spending, and job creation.

8. Web Sites Help Public Access SNAP/Food Stamps, Other Assistance
(CBS2, February 23, 2009; WREX, February 25, 2009)

California First Lady Maria Shriver launched WeConnect.net to help state residents find out online what benefits, like SNAP/Food Stamps, they are eligible to receive. In addition, the site also contains information on programs, such as WIC and the Earned Income Tax Credit, that can help families weather layoffs and other types of job losses. In Illinois, the Department of Human Services has placed assistance applications online, in order to cut down on the amount of time it takes for families to get approved for and receive services. Putting the applications online makes them available to the public 24/7, and keeps busy families from having to visit Department offices to pick up applications.

9. Unemployment Surge Strains Welfare in Ohio
(Columbus Dispatch, February 22, 2009)

Welfare caseloads have grown in Ohio for the first time since welfare reform took effect twelve years ago, and the overhauled system is straining under the increased demands caused by the state’s sinking economy. The number of Ohioans receiving assistance checks monthly grew 14 percent in the past year and a half, after a decade-long decline. “This is the first real test of welfare reform. All of these advocates who… said we ended welfare as we knew it, what did we think would happen when our economy tanked?” asked Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks. Hamler-Fugitt noted “Now, we have people with college degrees who can’t find minimum-wage jobs.”

10. Indiana Townships Responsible for Government Assistance, But Programs Vary Wildly
(Indianapolis Star, February 22, 2009)

A bill designed to eliminate Indiana’s township governments and shift responsibilities to county governments has its detractors saying the current system is more accessible and cheaper. However, the Indianapolis Star sampled 224 townships and found they have excessive administrative costs, and that their public assistance eligibility requirements are inconsistent to the point that where someone lives determines the assistance they receive over how badly they need it. Townships provide emergency, short-term assistance help with food, shelter, utilities, and medical expenses. Marion County’s Center township spent $1.69 in administrative costs for every dollar given in aid, and other townships average 74 cents per dollar. The state’s Family and Social Services Administration spends less than seven cents in administrative costs for every dollar of assistance. Within the county, townships have difference income limits for assistance that range from $350 a month for a family for four in one township to $1,800 in another. Townships have been allowed to amass huge reserves, but have inconsistent record-keeping. Eligibility forms range from Marion County’s 55-pages to a single page form in other townships. Bill proponents speak of the money that could be saved by moving to county administration. (Article available through Indianapolis Star archives.)

11. Thousands Apply for Limited Number of Jobs in Florida
(MSNBC, February 24, 2009)

Through Workforce Central Florida recently, 80,000 people applied for 1,000 positions available. On a recent Monday at the center’s offices, desperate job seekers were at every computer. “I need a job as of yesterday,” one searcher said. Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) told the gathered job seekers that President Obama’s stimulus plan will increase SNAP/Food Stamp benefits for those struggling with the economy and job layoffs, as well as create jobs.

12. Number of Public Library Users Up in Florida’s Polk County While Funding is Cut
(News Chief, February 20, 2009)

More and more people are applying for SNAP/Food Stamps, filing for unemployment, and searching for jobs using free computers and resources at Florida’s Polk County libraries at the same time those libraries are having their budgets cut. The number of library visitors rose from 1.8 million to 2 million from 2006-2007 to 2007-2008. “A lot of these people don’t have computers at home,” said Sally Mueller, librarian at Lake Alfred Public Library. Kristal Holmes, director of the Auburndale Public Library, said she’s seen many people fill out Department of Children and Families forms for SNAP/Food Stamps, Medicaid and cash assistance using the library’s computers. However, the Florida legislature last month announced that aid to libraries would be cut by $10 million next year – 30 percent of the budget. People tend to visit public libraries more during a recession, suggested a 2008 study by the American Library Association.

13. USDA Launches Ad Campaign on Healthy Eating and Exercise
(WDSU, February 26, 2009)

USDA launched an ad campaign to educate parents about benefits of good nutrition and exercise. To stretch money during the recession, some parents have been opting for high calorie, low nutrition “fast” foods, which are often cheaper than healthier foods. Said Lilian Mudabai, a mother of four: “If I let them eat five servings of fruit and vegetables every day, that means we’re not going to eat from the 15th to the 30th of the month.” Good nutrition, even during a recession, should be a priority said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who noted the economic toll poor diets have on a family. “If your youngster is overweight and has juvenile diabetes, there is a huge cost to society and a huge cost to your family medical expenses and you have to factor that into your decision-making process,” he said.

14. Texas Legislature Aims to Boost Participation in School Meal Programs
(News 8 Austin, February 22, 2009; Brownsville Herald, February 25, 2009)

Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, recently introduced several pieces of legislation that would boost the numbers of children in the state participating in school breakfast and summer meal programs. One proposal would provide school breakfast for all children in school districts where 60 percent or more qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Another proposal provides free school breakfast for all students who are eligible for reduced-price breakfast, eliminating the co-pay which also eliminates an administrative burden. The strategy has been successful in other states, boosting participation by as much as 40 percent, said Lucio. Also, the legislation calls for 30 consecutive weeks of summer meals in school districts where at least 50 percent of children qualify for subsidized lunch, instead of the current 60 percent.

15. Stigma, Time Schedules Keep Many Michigan Students from Participating in the School Breakfast Program
(Flint Journal, February 7, 2009)

According to Michigan’s Department of Education (DOE), of the 32,373 Genesee County public school students eligible for free and reduced-price meals, only 11,467 participated in the School Breakfast Program. The Food Research and Action Center’s recent report on school breakfast found a majority of children miss out on school breakfast. Children who don’t eat breakfast are less focused on their school work, while school districts with low breakfast participation also miss out on federal dollars, noted the report. “We're thinking that there's a stigma attached to it, especially at the Jr. High and High School levels," said Demetrice Smart, Food and Nutrition Helpline Coordinator for the Center for Civil Justice in Saginaw. "There's also a time factor to it. A lot of children don't get to school in time to participate in breakfast programs." Michigan’s DOE has begun providing school breakfast promotional materials to districts in order to boost participation, and supports breakfast in the classroom by allowing districts to count that time as instruction time. A classroom breakfast program increased participation by 100 students at McMonagle Elementary. “Last year I barely served 200 breakfasts a day,” said cafeteria worker Pam Hathaway. “Now I’m serving at least 300.”

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