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. USDA Awards Food Stamp Program Grants
(USDA.gov, September 16, 2008, September 17, 2008)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded nearly $1 million to 14 faith-based and community organizations to raise awareness and improve access to the Food Stamp Program. The target audience for outreach includes eligible, but not participating, low-income people, with a particular focus on the working poor, seniors and legal immigrants. The maximum award for each grant was $75,000. Some of the outreach strategies proposed in the grants included pre-screening, application assistance, community education and train-the-trainer programs. "The Administration is committed to ensuring that people who are eligible for food stamps can access benefits with dignity and respect," said Under Secretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services Nancy Montanez Johner. "Faith and community-based organizations are uniquely positioned to help us reach those in need with information about critical nutrition assistance benefits."

USDA also awarded $5 million in grants for six state agencies, one local agency and a non-profit organization to simplify the application process and eligibility systems, as well as improve access to benefits. This year's participation grants focus on modernizing and streamlining the food stamp application process or eligibility system to improve overall customer service. More than half of the grants place emphasis on increased participation among Hispanics and the elderly, who traditionally participate in the program at lower rates. Nationally, 67 percent of eligible people participate in the Food Stamp Program, but the Hispanic participation rate is 56 percent, and even lower (34 percent) among elderly Hispanics. "These grants will achieve our goal of increasing program access and participation among America's most vulnerable citizens," said Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer.

2. Disaster Food Stamps Could Go To More than Half-Million Households In Louisiana
(The Advocate, September 23, 2008)

Disaster food stamps have already helped more than 400,000 households in Louisiana. The state's Department of Social Services said that $152,875,137 in benefits have been provided to storm victims, and that the number of applicants could reach 600,000 with the addition of 14 new parishes to the Disaster Food Stamp Program. Local authorities have recommended that a number of application sites be closed or relocated as operations are shifted; a list of closings and relocations can be found at http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/29507204.html, along with information on disaster food stamps for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

3. Maryland's "Welfare Leavers" Need More Help from Food Stamps, EITC
(Maryland Legal Aid Newsroom, September 10, 2008)

Peter Sabonis of Maryland Legal Aid criticized an op-ed by Gary MacDougal in The Baltimore Sun which placed the state at the forefront of "poverty reduction." Although MacDougal claimed that Maryland's unemployment, poverty, teenage birth rates and TANF caseload numbers changed for the better between 1996 and 2006, as compared to other states, Sabonis writes that after a decade, "average earnings of working adults are still less than the poverty level for a family of three." He notes that workers leaving poverty should be able to find help from food stamps and EITC, but aren't. Maryland's food stamp participation, Sabonis writes, ranks near the bottom, "enrolling a little more than 56 percent" of those eligible. Maryland's EITC participation rate is also poor, he writes, with "73 percent of EITC dollars remain[ing] unclaimed…" The loss of close to 300 Department of Human Resources and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene positions (documented by the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute) only makes it harder for the state to deliver benefits to the needy; Sabonis writes that the Institute figure "…shows that Maryland is clearly disinvesting in its human services infrastructure, relative to other state agencies." Federal legislation has only made it harder for welfare recipients, through "even more onerous work requirements on states…" Sabonis feels that MacDougal's praise is unacceptable, and the ongoing struggles of "welfare leavers" indicates that "[m]uch remains to be done in welfare reform."

4. Ohio Could Help More Needy By Reducing Administrative "Red Tape"
(Columbus Dispatch, September 11, 2008)

Governor Ted Strickland's 30-member task force recently issued 21 recommendations to make assistance programs more responsive and easier for the needy to navigate. Many of the recommendations focus on expanding benefit program outreach efforts as well as making it easier for individuals to apply for food stamps and child care subsidies. Currently, 500,000 Ohioans are eligible for food stamps but don't receive them. There are also about 105,000 uninsured children in the state who could benefit from the State Children's Health Insurance Program, but aren't enrolled in the program. "Many of these are federally funded, so it will not cost a lot for the state," said Roger McCauley, executive director of the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development and a member of the task force. Voices for Ohio Children Executive Director Amy Swanson explains the numbers by noting that families have trouble "navigating the system" because "…the paperwork is hard and re-enrollment is hard." Specific task force recommendations include electronic applications for programs, letting families renewing benefits to interview by telephone, and timing renewals and applications so that families can apply for a number of programs at the same time.

5. Indiana Improves Food Stamp Application Process
(Indianapolis Star, September 5, 2008)

Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) dropped a plan to speed up the processing of food stamp applications that would have required applicants to submit required documents verifying their eligibility within 30 days (normally applicants have 60 days). FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob said that the agency was considering the change to better meet a requirement by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service that it approve or deny 90 percent of food stamp applications within 30 days of application. However, FSSA's timeliness rate, as measured by FNS for the previous November to April time period, was 91.5 percent. In light of the improved percentage, FSSA decided that the rule change was not needed to meet federal standards. FSSA had been notified by FNS that their processing timeliness had dropped below 90 percent. The timeliness rate for the 12 counties that privatized eligibility services dropped below 50 percent, causing FNS to advise FSSA to "hold off" on privatizing services to additional counties. Benefit recipients, advocates and lawmakers have criticized the new system, citing lost documents, callers experiencing long telephone hold times, and other problems with the team of vendors implementing the change. The latest figures show that, in privatized counties, food stamp participation grew 1.88 percent between July and August, while non-privatized counties saw a 1.43 percent increase during the same time period. Secretary Roob said that the percentage of callers to the privatized vendor call centers who hung up without completing the call was less than 7 percent on the first business day of September, and the abandonment rate was 3 percent on August 25.

6. Washington State Sees Increase in Food Stamp Use
(Seattle-Post Intelligencer, September 17, 2008)

Amid tough economic times, more Washington state households are turning to food stamps to help them make ends meet. An average of nearly 580,000 people per month received food stamps in Washington from June through August, a 7 percent increase from the same period a year ago. Nearly 22,000 more Washington families received food stamps in August 2008 than in August 2007. Officials anticipate that the numbers will rise, especially with changes starting on October 1. The changes, authorized during the last legislative session, raise the income thresholds for eligibility. Under current law, a four-person household has to make less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level, or $26,900, to be eligible for food stamps. Starting October 1, a four-person household can earn up to $42,400 and still be eligible. The Department of Social and Health Services estimates that 23,000 more households could be eligible for food stamps under these new requirements.

7. Homeless Advocacy Groups Report Rise in "Tent Cities"
(Associated Press, September 18, 2008)

Homeless advocacy groups and city agencies report "the most visible rise in homeless encampments in a generation" across the nation. A report by the National Coaliton for the Homeless found that nearly 61 percent of local and state homeless coalitions say they've experienced a rise in homelessness since the foreclosure crisis began in 2007. "What you're seeing is encampments that I haven't seen since the 80s," said Paul Boden, executive director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project. The quick growth of the tent cities took many by surprise. In Santa Barbara (Calif.), a parking lot was given over to people sleeping in cars and vans. Fresno has several tent cities, including one where people built shelters from scrap wood. Other cities reporting a rise in tent cities include Chattanooga (Tenn.) and Columbus (Ohio). In Reno, the shelters are full and the tent cities are a last resort for many. Officials are attempting to manage the tent cities by requiring people in the tents to register and monitoring their progress in finding employment and housing.

8. Nashville Scrambles to Make Tent City Legal
(The Tennessean, September 8, 2008)

Some of Nashville's 11,000 homeless, seeking relief from living on the city's dangerous streets, built a camp of found materials (plastic sheets and old couches) for shelter. Yet the residents of "Tent City" are facing eviction, as police have told residents they're breaking the law in occupying the space near Anthes Drive, behind some railroad tracks in a wooded area and near Inner City Ministries. Police also passed out flyers informing residents they must leave by September 22 or face prosecution. The city, however, is looking for ways to make Tent City legal, as California, Kansas and Washington State have done. Advocates like Steve Samra, an outreach worker with the Park Center, are currently trying to find housing for Tent City's residents, who feel their current living situation is safer than rescue missions and other homeless housing options. Some homeless are tired of the "arresting and handcuffing" that police do in some of the missions. Other homeless residents of Tent City, like Harold LaVelle, reside there to get away from the police as well as "dangerous drifters." However, once he's evicted from this place, LaVelle feels that he has no other shelter options.

9. Analysis by Oklahoma Paper Finds Skyrocketing Costs for Child Care
(Tulsa World, September 14, 2008)

A Tulsa World analysis of child care costs in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas found that costs for child care rose by about 33 percent and costs for infant and toddler care increased up to 55 percent over the past decade. In Tulsa, parents pay more than $8,000 a year for infant care and more than $6,500 annually for two- and three-year-olds. According to child care advocates, the increases in child care costs were driven by inflation, rising teacher pay and increased enrollment in the publicly funded pre-k program. Centers are trying to avoid more operation expense increases by cutting back on the hours of operation, serving cheaper food items, not opening all available slots, reducing supplies, eliminating field trips and not accepting children who need only part-day or part-week care, according to Jan Figart with the Community Service Council. "Most industrialized nations in the world treat child care as an employer and government expense," Figart said. Advocacy groups argue that child care is an employment support, and more funding is needed to help families afford care.

10. Florida Marks School Breakfast Week
(News-Press, September 15, 2008)

"Super Foods Make Super Heroes" was the theme of Florida's second annual School Breakfast Week (September 15-19). Students focused on physical activity and academic excellence, as well as the importance of starting each day with a nutritious breakfast. "Students who begin their day with a healthy meal are more alert and have shown improved memory and problem solving skills that will help them succeed in school," said Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith. "By promoting healthy eating across the state, more students will reap the benefits of improved academic performance and health." Themed menus promoted the availability of school breakfast for students. In Florida, more than 488,000 school breakfast meals are served daily compared to an average of 1.28 million lunch meals served each day.

11. New Rules Allow Parents to Request Schools to Serve Soy Milk
(Market Watch, September 22, 2008)

Parents can now request that their children receive soy milk as an alternative to cow's milk at school. This change will offer an alternative to children that are lactose intolerant, have dairy allergies or have cultural diet restrictions. According to the announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, parents or legal guardians can make the request in writing for children receiving meals through the school lunch and breakfast program.

12. Researchers Find School-Based Efforts Boost Children's Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
(Health Day News, September 18, 2008)

Researchers with the University of Maryland found that "repeated exposure" to fruits and vegetables through taste tasting can increase children's intake of these foods. "Our hypothesis was that school-based interventions, focused on increasing children's preference for fruits and vegetables, would be associated with an increase in consumption both in school and at home," said Bonnie Braun, lead investigator and an associate professor at the university's Department of Family Science. The researchers focused on elementary schools where at least half of the students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Before the interventions, seven out of ten children ate fewer than three servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and more than half ate fewer than two servings. After the interventions, 60 percent of children increased their taste for fruits and vegetables, and more than half maintained their increased consumption.

13. Minneapolis Schools Focusing Attention on Homeless Students
(Minneapolis Star-Tribune, September 8, 2008)

One out of every six Minneapolis students - 5,500 out of a total 35,000 - is homeless at some point during the school year, an 18 percent increase from the year before. Title 1 funds were used by the school district last spring to train 12 district social workers as primary homeless student contacts, and these workers have trained teachers to watch for signs of student homelessness, which include students hoarding food or wearing the same clothes to class several days in a row. Homeless children may spend part of the year in local shelters, or move from motels to homes of relatives and friends to other temporary homes, according to Elizabeth Hinz, liaison to homeless and highly mobile students for Minneapolis public schools. The number of homeless students is increasing, according to Barbara Duffield, policy director for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, with the Chicago district showing a 35 percent increase from 2002 to 2007. U.S. school districts are required to remove barriers to school attendance that are experienced by homeless students. Data on homeless students shows they are more likely to fall behind than other classmates - in Minneapolis, the 2008 MCA-II reading test scores for third graders showed a marked contrast. Of homeless and mobile students, 69 percent did not reach proficient levels on the exam, compared with 63 percent low-income students who did not reach proficient levels.

14. More Massachusetts Children Living in Poverty
(Boston Globe, September 17, 2008)

A report issued by Massachusetts Citizens for Children finds that 182,000 children, or 13 percent of all children under age 18, lived below the federal poverty line last year, an increase of 4,000 from 2006. An estimated 87,000 children lived in extreme poverty; for a household of four, that would be an annual income of less than $10,600. "These 182,000 children would form an unbroken line the entire length of the 138-mile Massachusetts Turnpike," said Jetta Bernier, executive director of Massachusetts Citizens for Children. "A legislator driving on the Mass. Pike from his or her district to the State House would pass by a child who is poor every four feet, or 1,300 children every mile." The report also found that 40 percent of Latino children lived in poverty last year, an increase of four percent from the previous year.

15. New Standard Finds Higher Rates of Deep Poverty in Developing Countries
(Reuters, August 27, 2008)

An adjustment in the measure for global poverty means that more people are living in extreme poverty. According to the World Bank, 1.4 billion people in the world's developing countries - a quarter of the developing world - lived in extreme poverty, or less than $1.25 a day, in 2005. Previously, the World Bank measured global poverty by estimating the number of people living on less than $1 a day. "These new estimates are a major advance in poverty measurements because they are based on far better price data for assuring that the poverty lines are comparable across countries," said Martin Ravallion, director of the World Bank's Development Research Group. Global poverty is falling, even with the new measurements. Data from the World Bank show that the portion of people living below $1.25 a day fell from 52 percent in 1981 to 26 percent in 2005. Justin Lin, the World Bank's chief economist, said the data show that wealthier countries need to keep their promises of stepped-up aid to poor countries. "The sobering news that poverty is more pervasive than we thought means we must redouble our efforts, especially in sub-Saharan Africa," Mr. Lin said.

16. Slowing Aid from Wealthier Countries Jeopardize Goal of Cutting Extreme Global Poverty by 2015, Says UN
(Los Angeles Times, September 5, 2008)

A report card on the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations' 15-year global anti-poverty plan, finds that declining aid from the United States and other wealthy countries is jeopardizing attempts to end extreme poverty by 2015. According to the report, aid from the United States fell 10 percent last year to $21.7 billion. Japan's development aid dropped by 30 percent and the European Union's fell by nearly 6 percent. While the U.S. is the largest benefactor, it gives a smaller share of its national income, about 6 cents for every $100. The average for the group, which includes Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and 17 European countries, is 28 cents. By 2015, the U.N. would like to raise development aid to 70 cents per $100 of rich country income. The report had some encouraging news: Of the 41 most heavily indebted countries, 33 have received debt relief. But, 52 countries still spend more on debt service than on public health.

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