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. Hunger a Rising Concern Among Americans As Economy Falters
(FRAC.org, October 8, 2008)

American families are increasingly worried about being able to afford enough food for their families and a substantial majority believes eliminating hunger should be a priority of the federal government and the next administration, according to a new review of recent public opinion research. The review was commissioned by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and conducted by Peter D. Hart Associates and McLaughlin & Associates. It also concluded that Americans believe that the nation is not doing enough to combat hunger-related problems, a “substantial majority of working families have lost their trust in the federal government’s ability to address” growing hunger, and that candidates for public office need to speak about solutions to hunger. “As the economy continues its downward trend, concerns about hunger will only intensify,” said Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center. According to the poll: More than three in five survey respondents favored a candidate who puts fighting hunger high on the priority list, while nearly 9 out of 10 said support from Congressional representatives is important to them when voting on the issue. Also, 94 percent feel that it’s important for the government to fund anti-hunger programs, like school lunches and programs for women and infants.
Read coverage of the release: http://us.oneworld.net/article/357922-americans-increasingly-worried-about-hunger

2. Pelosi Pushing for Food Stamps in Next Economic Stimulus Package
(UK Times Online, October 13, 2008)

The 28 million Americans now receiving food stamps could be in for an increase in their food stamp benefits if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is successful leading efforts to secure $150 billion in the next economic stimulus package. Unemployment benefits also could be extended in the package, which Pelosi would like to see forced through Congress between the presidential election on November 4 and the Christmas break. Currently, the federal government spends approximately $30 billion annually on the Food Stamp Program. Increasing food stamp and unemployment benefits will help low-income Americans struggling with rising food prices and unemployment, high “petrol” prices, and the credit crunch.

3. Grocery, Other Store Chains Helping Shoppers Struggling with High Prices
(The New York Times, October 14, 2008)

In their efforts to keep customers from “trading down” to cheaper stores as they cut back to “the basics” in response to high food prices, grocery chains are teaching shoppers how to lower their grocery bills, feed their families more economically and “run a household on a tight budget.” Schools had traditionally taught these lessons in “home economics,” but students, in recent years, have been taught lessons that reflected an “era of prosperity, easy credit and changing social norms.” Grocery chains have been unsure how to stay afloat in a sluggish economy, and now they also are finding shoppers leaving to purchase cheaper items at dollar stores, large discount food retailers, and drugstores which have added groceries to their aisles. Stop & Shop now offers “affordable food summits” which offer lessons on lowering grocery bills, and WalMart now has a “family financial expert” who chats online and gives tips on overall home finances. Home Depot has started classes on lowering heating bills.

4. More Palm Beach County Residents Need Food Stamps
(WPTV, October 14, 2008)

Florida’s Palm Beach County is seeing the need for food stamps grow. According to the Department of Children and Families (DCF), about 60,000 families now receive food stamps, a 35 percent increase since last year. “These are folks that are employed, but because of the cost of gas, the cost of living in Palm Beach County, it just requires them to seek extra help,” said DCF Administrator Perry Borman. Borman encouraged people to sign up, and said that first time applicants may be hesitant but should welcome the help.

5. Indiana Welfare System Needs Lawmaker Intervention
(Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, October 14, 2008)

Indiana’s recently privatized welfare system, is under fire from users and advocates for bureaucratic complexity which has resulted in eligible recipients of food stamps and other benefits getting removed from the state rosters. An editorial in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette says the system needs “lawmakers [to] step in… Given the reluctance of the Daniels administration to address the complaints.” Money saved by the state through the new system, operating in a number of counties and administered by private corporation vendors, “has to come from wrenching efficiencies out of that system. Sadly, those efficiencies appear to be coming at the expense of the people who need the benefits.” Although Sen. Robert Meeks (R-LaGrange) has not heard complaints from constituents, he has noted “the complexity of trying to get qualified and the hoops you have to jump through” in the new system. Meeks sent questions to FSSA director Mitch Roob and expects to have answers at a hearing on October 22. “Most of my questions have to do with the magnitude of the application,” said Meeks. “When you want to reduce the cost of services, you can make it so complex that people just finally give up.” FSSA claims that the system is better now and an improvement over the previous method using caseworkers. However, advocates point to incentive awards from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to Indiana, averaging $12 million annually between 2002 and 2004, which reduced payment error rates and kept them below the national average. In the last fiscal year, advocates say, Indiana has not received an incentive award.

6. Food Stamps are an Option for Some College Students
(The Hilltop, October 7, 2008)

Some students at Washington, D.C.’s Howard University have found food stamps a help as they deal with high prices, the economic downturn, and the usual costs of tuition, books, housing and fuel. Senior broadcast journalism student Alesha Johnson sees the government assistance as a viable way to stay afloat. Students who wish to apply go to the financial aid building, fill out a financial aid and verification form, and submit those to the social services department. Not all students are eligible, however. To receive food stamps, a student must be:

between the ages of 18 and 50;
enrolled at least part time in an accredited school or college;
work in a paid job at least 20 hours per week.

In lieu of working a paid position, a student can also be eligible if he or she is responsible for more than 50 percent of the care of a dependent family member, if adequate care is not available for a child under 6 or ages 6-12.

7. Residents of Affluent New Jersey County Apply for Food Stamps
(Newark Star-Ledger, October 8, 2008)

Residents of Morris County, NJ (one of the top 10 most affluent counties in the nation) are applying for government assistance, including food stamps, at a higher rate than in the past. Requests have risen 6 percent over the past year as needy families struggle with job losses, high prices, and the economic downturn. The county’s unemployment rate is 4.3 percent, up from 3 percent a year ago; the number does not include the scores of individuals who have come to the end of their unemployment compensation. According to Mary Jo Buchanan, the county’s human services director, many are applying for help for the first time; requests have been for food stamps as well as for food, utility bill and rent assistance, temporary shelter and cash. The county’s Office of Temporary Assistance has been overwhelmed with requests lately, and is dealing with more emergency assistance requests to families faced with losing their homes. Food pantries are experiencing a decline in donations in addition to decreased numbers of volunteers and increased demand – the Interfaith Food Pantry has given out 19 percent more food this year than last year. To help residents coping with hunger, the county has stepped up food stamp outreach, sending a mobile outreach office to the parking lot of a ShopRite supermarket to link food stamp applicants to social service workers.

8. Disaster Food Stamp Office Closes for Weekend; News Reaches Victims Late
(Chicago Breaking News, October 18, 2008)

A disaster food stamp office set up to assist victims of recent floods in Chicago closed for the weekend, but the news reached more than 500 potential applicants as they stood in line, waiting for the doors to open. Some had started the line at 1 a.m., and maintenance employees contacted officials, who dispatched staff to let people know the office was closed. Demand had been high at other locations a few days before, as 3,000 people lined up for relief at one location; officials brought in portable toilets and extra police to help with crowd control. "We understand it's a testament to the economic crisis and when you couple that with a national disaster, that's what happens," said Marielle Sainvilus, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Human Services. In the end, officials extended the deadline to apply for disaster food stamps.

9. More Los Angeles Residents Seek Relief in the Midst of Budget Cuts
(Los Angeles Times, October 8, 2008)

Compared to a year ago, 26,000 more people in Los Angeles County now are receiving food stamps, making a total of 296,000. The rise mirrors that of Medi-Cal (up by 100,000 to 1.6 million); and 8,500 additional people are receiving general relief checks, which now provide $221 monthly to 70,260 people. However, recent state budget cuts removed $128 million from the county’s food stamp and Medi-Cal processing capabilities, as well as from child protective services and health programs for the poor. Officials say the county has yet to see the full effect of the economic downturn, and note “the paradox of county government.” County supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said “Unlike other levels of government, demand for services increases exponentially as revenues decrease. We have an increased number of people on public relief, more people losing their homes and more people with children needing services.”

10. Texas Families Received More Food Stamp Assistance in Wake of Hurricane
(The Cherokeean, October 8, 2008)

More than 240,000 low-income households received additional disaster food stamp assistance after the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) requested approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase benefits in the wake of Hurricane Ike. Each family’s benefit depended on the size of the family and its income level; a family of three with an income level of $1,143 received $431 in food stamps for October, an increase of $331. In the weeks following the hurricane, HHSC approved more than 130,000 disaster food stamp applications, with an average individual or family benefit of $226 for October.

11. Central Floridians Will Be Able to Enroll for Food Stamps Online
(Orlando Business Journal, October 14, 2008)

“Accessibility challenges” have kept more than 138,000 Central Floridians from applying for food stamps. Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and Heart of Florida United Way are collaborating on a program to increase participation by helping potential recipients sign up via the internet for food stamps, as well as the earned income tax credit, KidCare and Medicaid. The program will help residents in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard and Volusia counties who are struggling with hunger by linking them to more than $165 million in unused food stamp benefits in those counties.

12. School District Wants to Offer Universal and In-Classroom Breakfast at More Schools
(Arizona Daily Star, October 9, 2008)

Universal and in-classroom breakfast programs at two schools in Arizona’s Marana Unified School District have been a success with both students and teachers. Now the school district wants to expand the programs to other schools. Desert Winds Elementary and Roadrunner Elementary have been serving breakfast to students for free for a number of years now. Other schools in the district serve free- and reduced-price breakfast to children who qualify, although participation has decreased in recent years. Second- and third-graders at Desert Winds eat in the classroom and younger students eat in the cafeteria, or they can opt out of breakfast if they want to eat at home. Desert Winds teachers now see breakfast as part of the morning routine and have experienced the benefits. According to principal Denise Linslata, “Teachers have told me students are more focused in the morning, especially with our third grade lunch time being 12:40 and 12:45. It’s a long morning until lunch.” Second grader Max Fouts said breakfast “…keeps me focused in the class. I don’t have to beg to eat.” Marana Governing Board member Dan Post knows the childrens’ needs: “There are kids in our community that come to school hungry and that’s a shame. We are not trying to distinguish which ones can afford (breakfast) and which ones can’t. We give it to all of them.” Schools have benefitted too, noted Marana district spokeswoman Tamara Crawley: “Since the implementation of this program we’ve seen a decrease in tardies and a decrease in the visits to the health office,” she said.

13. Maine WIC Numbers Skyrocket, Could Mean Waiting List
(Sun Journal, October 10, 2008)

The number of Maine WIC recipients increased 3.7 percent between August 2007 and August 2008, with 26,274 residents now enrolled. In Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties, the number of recipients “is as high as I’ve ever seen it. And I’ve been here 20 years,” said Ginny Andrews, who oversees the program for the three counties. Statewide, the figures are at an “all-time high” according to Nora Brown, the program’s state director, who noted that high food and fuel prices are driving people who are qualified but haven’t applied before to seek help through WIC now. Andrews said it’s “unbelievable” how much prices have gone up. “Even though gas prices have recently gone down, we haven’t seen food costs go down,” she said. She added that, over the past summer, WIC families “gobbled up” the vouchers for farmers’ markets; in past years, not all the vouchers were used. Because of the high demand, Andrews said, there could be a waiting list for the program, as WIC workers deal with the additional caseloads.

14. WIC Recipients Ask “Why Not Use Debit Cards?”
(Examiner, October 12, 2008)

Washington, D.C.-based blogger Jen Boyer receives WIC coupons and finds them not only difficult to use, but “soul crushing.” At one of Boyer’s recent trips to the store, the checkout clerk accidently used juice coupons to pay for milk and had to “go back and redo,” which caused a line to form behind Boyer “because it took so long.” Although the store employee “was friendly and apologetic” and nobody in line behind Boyer complained, she “fought back tears and a desire for the [store’s] ceiling to cave in and crush me…” Boyer writes that while WIC is easy to apply for, it’s “difficult to use,” and wonders “Why not use swipe cards encoded with information about each recipient’s qualifying items?” Comments to the blog post agreed. A North Carolina resident wrote “I…just began my WIC journey last week. We used [the paper coupons] for the first time on Saturday…and I too wished that the ceiling would swallow me whole.” A Tennessee WIC recipient, using coupons at a store in a relatively wealthy neighborhood, was dismayed when the checkout clerk paged for “help on aisle 4 for WIC coupons.” And an Indiana recipient remembers using coupons as “tedious” and thought it was set up that way to keep people from using the benefit.

15. Hunger Included in Report on Poverty Among California Seniors
(The Oakland Institute, October 17, 2008)

Oakland, California has the highest number of impoverished seniors in the state, and a new report titled "Going Gray in the Golden State: The Reality of Poverty Among Seniors in Oakland, California" investigates the causes. Seniors are particularly affected by the current economic climate which is hampering safety net services. "The reality is that insecurity among seniors is influenced by low wages, the high cost of living, rising health care costs, and grossly inadequate public safety net programs for the elderly poor," said Anuradha Mittal, the study's author and executive director of the Oakland Institute. The report was compiled with the help of Oakland's seniors at St. Mary's Center, who "courageously stepped forward to add their voices, photos, and artwork…to detail the reality of seniors living in poverty," noted Carol Johnson, executive director of St. Mary's Center which "provides comprehensive services for Oakland's homeless and poorest elderly population." State budget cuts, totaling $510 million in the 2008-09 budget, will affect delivery of the Home Delivered Meals Programs, Medi-Cal, the Senior Employment Program and other senior services. These cuts come on top of earlier cuts that already have reduced services to seniors in the state.
Report link: http://oaklandinstitute.org/pdfs/going_grey_final.pdf

16. World Bank Pledges to Support Poor Countries During Economic Crisis
(Island Packet, October 12, 2008)

Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, pledged the bank’s support to “the poorest and most vulnerable groups,” since they “risk the most serious – and in some cases, permanent – damage” from the global financial crisis. The bank’s support will help these countries strengthen their economies and financial systems and protect them from the “financial turmoil” in international markets. Zoellick called on countries to continue providing aid to the world’s poor even as they turn their attention to domestic problems. He also said that the financial crisis demands “concerted global action now,” and “new architecture, new norms and new oversight to ensure that this crisis never happens again.”

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