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. New FRAC Report Outlines Seven Strategies to Achieve President's Goal of Ending Child Hunger by 2015
(FRAC, July 1, 2009)

The report is the first in-depth look at a comprehensive strategy to achieve President Obama's goal. The strategies focus both on improving and expanding the nation's nutrition programs, including SNAP/Food Stamps, WIC and the school meals and summer, afterschool and child care nutrition programs, and bolstering the economy and strengthening supports for working families in order to move more out of poverty, the root cause of hunger in this country. "As a nation, we can and must reach this critically important goal of eradicating childhood hunger," said Jim Weill, FRAC president. "President Obama made this a campaign pledge and his administration has re-committed itself to making sure all children are well fed each day. That will also mean healthier, better educated children with brighter futures. This paper outlines a realistic strategy for accomplishing the goal."

In brief, the strategies are:

• Restore economic growth and create jobs with better wages for lower-income workers.
• Raise the incomes of the lowest-income families by bolstering refundable tax credits that help low-income families, increasing the minimum wage and improving other supports for lower-earning workers.
• Strengthen the SNAP/Food Stamp Program by increasing benefits to levels sufficient to purchase a minimally adequate diet, expanding eligibility, and make other overdue, targeted improvements.
• Strengthen Child Nutrition Programs to ensure that more children at school and in out-of-school settings, such as child care centers and summer and afterschool programs, participate and receive ample and nutritious food.
• Engage the entire federal government in ending childhood hunger.
• Work with states, localities and nonprofits to expand and improve participation in federal nutrition programs.
• Make sure all families have convenient access to reasonably priced, healthy food.

2. Under Secretary Will Be Part of 2015 Goal
(Des Moines Register, June 21, 2009)

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack nominated Kevin Concannon, Vilsack's former human services director in Iowa, to oversee food and nutrition programs, a job that will include the President's goal of eliminating child hunger by 2015. Once approved by the Senate, Concannon will be responsible for school meal programs, SNAP/Food Stamps, and WIC. "He cares very deeply about making these programs work for low-income people and addressing hunger and improving nutrition," noted Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center. "Ending childhood hunger will require increasing nutrition assistance to families and serving more children. Fewer than half of the children now getting subsidized lunches participate in the federal breakfast program." In Iowa, Concannon improved SNAP/Food Stamp participation by reducing paperwork requirements for applicants and switching to the EBT system; the state went from ranking 39th in the percentage of eligible people enrolled to ranking 20th. To Concannon, nutrition assistance was "a building block of social services."

3. North Carolina Charts Billions in SNAP/Food Stamp Economic Benefit
(Hickory Record, June 20, 2009)

A study by the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center estimates that $2.8 billion in economic activity has been generated in the state from $1.6 billion in food assistance money. John Quintero, a research associate at the center, described the "ripple effect" of SNAP/Food Stamp benefits - money that helps pay store employees, truckers who deliver food, and farmers who grow crops. "When a person spends food assistance money at a local grocery store," said Quintero, "that is a sale the store may not have had otherwise. Then, that money gets turned over several times, generating economic activity." According to Louisa Warren, policy advocate for the North Carolina Justice Center, "Food stamps are an ideal economic stimulus tool because they are always spent locally and have a widespread ripple effect." USDA estimates that every dollar of SNAP/Food Stamps spent generates $1.84 in the economy. Quintero notes that the Center used a conservative estimate of $1.73 for every SNAP/Food Stamp dollar, which still showed nearly $3 billion in North Carolina economic activity since the recession started. A recent presentation to the Chamber of Commerce by the Catawba County Department of Social Services used the SNAP/Food Stamp economic activity "theory." "Harvard economist Martin Feldstein, who heads the National Bureau of Economic Research…said the studies show the fastest way to infuse money into the economy is through expanding the 'food-stamp' program," said Jo Sloan of the DSS. She also noted that since 2000, there has been a 300 percent increase in the number of "food assistance" requests.

4. USDA Deputy Secretary Takes Part in Summer Nutrition Event
(USDA News Release, June 22, 2009)

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and Maryland Agriculture Secretary Earl Hance served breakfast to children in Maryland participating in a summer day-care program which provides meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Merrigan's involvement was part of the Obama Administration's "United We Serve" initiative, "a challenge to all Americans to participate in building a better future for our country," said Merrigan. "[I] believe that there is no better place to start than working toward his goal of ending childhood hunger," she noted. "Too many of our kids in our country go hungry over the summer months, and we hope our service today encourages greater participation in USDA's Summer Food Service Program, which is an important effort to ensure that all American children have access to healthy, nutritious food even when school is out for the summer." Not all eligible children participate in the Summer Food Service Program - out of the 30.9 million students served during the school year by the National School Lunch Program, only 1.4 million children eat a meal in summer school. The President's "United We Serve" initiative, which aims to make volunteerism and community service a part of the daily lives of Americans, began its summer phase June 22 and runs through September 11.

5. Schools Feel Brunt of California Budget Cuts
(Marketplace, June 24, 2009)

California is trying to close its $24 billion budget gap with cuts to many school programs, including summer school. Los Angeles Unified School District cancelled summer school, which provides free meals to many children who attend just so they can eat. At L.A.'s Martin Luther King Elementary, where all 730 students qualify for free lunch, Ms. Jacqueline Byrd had her hours as a teacher's aide cut back, forcing her to rely on those school meals - as well as the food bank -- to feed her children. Relatives contributed $800 - Byrd's monthly salary at MLK - to send her daughters to the summer school run by the L.A. Roman Catholic Archdiocese. With the job cutback, Byrd notes that at least her family is now eligible for SNAP/Food Stamps. Before, she was just above the poverty level. "All it takes is one thing to happen: one part-time job," she said. "One full-time job to be cut from five days a week to four days a week. That's all it takes."

6. SNAP/Food Stamp Participation Up in Ohio County
(Advertiser-Tribune, June 21, 2009)

Ohio's Seneca County has seen a rise in SNAP/Food Stamp participation, going from 5,115 recipients in May 2008 to 6,996 recipients in May 2009 - a 30 percent increase. According to Beverly Henry, financial assistance administrator for the Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS), local stores have been contacting DJFS in order to accept SNAP/Food Stamps. "They are getting a lot more people in their stores asking 'do you accept (food stamps)?'…I thought that was interesting because they are being asked more or they wouldn't have been inquiring." Seneca County's Board of Commissioners recently adopted the county Prevention, Retention and Contingency Program, which offers rental and utility assistance, transportation and disaster services, and gas cards. The county has had to stretch its safety net, and this new version of the program has had its eligibility tightened or benefits reduced. "We do have less dollars, so we do have less in the plan," said Kathy Oliver, DJFS director. "However, we are still committed to serving families in the best way possible."

7. Idaho's SNAP/Food Stamp Participation Hits Record High, State Drops Asset Test
(Rexburg Standard Journal, June 26, 2009; Idaho Press, June 26, 2009)

Between April and May of this year, 11,665 people enrolled in the Idaho Food Stamp Program, a record number for the state, bringing the overall state participation to 151,449 people in May. A year ago, there were slightly more than 100,000 enrolled in the program. A new enrollment record has been set each month since December 2007, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW). It's expected that the number will continue to increase, since state and federal requirements have been relaxed. The asset test was suspended on June 1; previously, residents with more than $2,000 in assets were not eligible for the benefit. "There are many families who suffered a recent job loss who meet the income eligibility criteria for Food Stamp assistance, but have some assets," said Russ Barron, administrator for the division of welfare. "The problem is, they cannot sell that boat or RV - there is no market for it." The state was going to raise the asset limit above $2,000, but found that the administrative costs associated with monitoring assets would be prohibitive. The WIC program also saw an increase in participation, since a recent change in income guidelines made more individuals and families eligible. Currently there are 47,000 WIC participants in the state, each receiving about $55 of specific food each month. Emily Simnitt, IDHW public relations officer, has seen the numbers increase firsthand. "[O]ur lobbies are crowded, and long lines have been forming," she noted, as welfare offices across the state have seen "a dramatic increase in people seeking assistance." She said IDHW staff "have stepped up to meet demand and get individuals qualified" for assistance.

8. New York SNAP/Food Stamp Recipients Get Employment Training
(Readmedia.com, June 24, 2009)

Nearly $4 million in federal funding will go to expanding work-focused education and training for SNAP/Food Stamp recipients in New York State. Awarded by the state's Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (ODTA), the $3.97 million will go to 17 organizations to provide job skill training, vocational assistance and technical skills training. This "Food Stamp Employment and Training Venture" will help SNAP/Food Stamp recipients enter or advance in the workforce, improve their self-sufficiency, and will target ex-offenders, people with limited English proficiency, people without high school (or equivalent) diplomas, and those with a history of substance abuse. As of March 2009, a record 2.3 million individuals (1.2 million households) in the state receive SNAP/Food Stamps, thanks in part to ODTA's Working Families Food Stamp Initiative. This new employment training initiative is a public/private partnership; those organizations receiving grants were required to match their awards dollar for dollar, with much of the matching private funding coming from foundations.

9. Georgia Receives SNAP/Food Stamp Award
(WCTV, June 22, 2009)

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (USDS/FNS) awarded the Georgia Department of Human Resources an Outreach and Access Excellence award in recognition of the state's efforts to enroll eligible residents in the SNAP/Food Stamp program. SNAP/Food Stamp outreach involves a number of organizations in the state - Action, Inc.; The Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc.; Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation, Inc.; the ACORN Institute, and Women's Economic Development Agency. A grant from USDA/FNS funds outreach, raising awareness of nutrition benefits from SNAP/Food Stamps and information dissemination on eligibility and the application process. Georgia also was recognized for its online SNAP/Food Stamp application screening tool, COMPASS (www.compass.gov), which has helped more than 37,000 residents apply for the benefit since the service - which also includes other state assistance programs - went statewide in December 2008.

10. Boston, Atlanta Farmers' Markets Double SNAP/Food Stamp Recipient Benefits
(Boston Globe, June 25, 2009; creativeloafing.com, June 11, 2009)

Vouchers that double the value of SNAP/Food Stamps at Boston and Atlanta farmers' markets now make it easier for benefit recipients to access fresh fruit and vegetables. In Boston, the vouchers are called Boston Bounty Bucks, and are available at 14 of the city's 22 markets. "It makes it easier for low-income residents to make healthier food choices and share in the bounty of Massachusetts grown farm fresh fruits and vegetables," said Jim Greene of Mayor Thomas M. Menino's office. Funding for the voucher initiative comes from the Mayor's Fresh Food Fund, Project Bread, Farm Aid, and the Wholesome Wave Foundation. Since 2007, that Foundation has helped many communities across the country adopt similar programs; Atlanta, San Diego, Providence and Holyoke, Mass. also run double voucher farmers' market programs. "It also benefits the farmers who grow the food," said Michel Nischan, Wholesome Wave's president, which also helps three Atlanta farmers' markets offer the program to SNAP/Food Stamp shoppers. "Food stamp recipients still can choose to spend their food stamp dollars anywhere that accepts them, but at farmers markets, where local, fresh, and healthy food is sold, one dollar is equal to two dollars," noted Georgia Organics Executive Director Alice Rolls. "The multiplying effect of spending locally has been calculated…for every dollar spent in a local food economy…between $1.40 and $1.70 worth of economic development actually occurs." Georgia Organics received a $10,000 grant from Wholesome Wave to implement the voucher program.

11. Summer Meals Not Reaching All Eligible Florida Children
(Allfloridablog.com, June 20, 2009)

According to the Food Research and Action Center, 900,000 Florida children receive free and reduced-price school meals, but only 160,000 of them receive free summer meals. "One of the things we think might be happening," notes Gray Miller, food services director for Pinellas County Schools, in this interview "is that children lack the means of getting to the [summer food] sites." While school buses operate during the school year, there's no district transportation in the summer. Also, writes Miller, many parents may not know about the meals, which are provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Summer is a pretty long time if you're having financial issues…the program offers a stop gap between the end of one school year and the beginning of another, offering breakfast and lunch, and perhaps an afternoon snack," said Miller. He noted that the Pinellas County Department of Health and Human Services is one of the sponsors of summer meals in the county, and meals are offered at more than 50 sites - such as churches and recreation centers. Another sponsor is the Pinellas school district, which provides meals at 11 schools that offer summer programs - the meals are offered free to children taking part in the programs as well as to those who aren't.

12. National School Lunch Program Could Expand
(Ironton Tribune, June 27, 2009)

In an effort to reduce child hunger, access to free and reduced-price school lunches could be eased through legislation introduced by Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown. The $2 billion bill would reduce paperwork and administrative costs by signing up eligible children directly, using Medicaid and SCHIP data. Performance standards and incentives to high-performing schools are also part of the legislation. Currently, more than 700,000 children in Ohio receive free and reduced-price school meals, and more than 1,000 sites in the state feed children through the Summer Food Service Program. However, many children don't participate in school meals because their parents don't register, citing complicated applications and the social stigma of receiving meal assistance. Using state data would enroll an additional 150,000 Ohio children in the meal programs. The need is pronounced: Ohio's 12.2 percent food insecurity rate ranks the state 15th worst state in the nation. Sen. Brown wants to see 95 percent of eligible students be directly certified, and universal meal access for schools serving high proportions of low-income students. "A hungry child cannot learn and grow," Brown said. "During these challenging economic times, more families are struggling to put food on the table. We have an obligation to connect children with nutrition programs and to ensure they don't go hungry during the school-year or the summer months." The senator hopes his legislation will pass in the fall at the same time the 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act renews.

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