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. Rhode Island SNAP/Food Stamp Lawsuit Reaches Settlement
(Providence Journal, October 14, 2009)

Rhode Island will submit monthly statistical reports on SNAP/Food Stamp application processing timeliness to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, part of an agreement reached in a lawsuit brought against the state last summer. The lawsuit, filed by the state ACLU affiliate and the National Center, charged that the state was missing federal SNAP/Food Stamp application processing deadlines. Those deadlines are 30 days for applications, and seven days for households eligible for expedited service. According to federal statistics, the state failed to process in a timely manner nearly one-fifth of its SNAP/Food Stamp applications. Rhode Island announced that it would use economic recovery funds to hire additional workers, buy a new phone system and provide Saturday hours at the Providence office. These steps "were clearly in response to the lawsuit we filed over the summer," said Stephen Brown, executive director of the ACLU's local affiliate, and were announced by the state days after the lawsuit was filed. Commenting on the agreement, ACLU volunteer attorney Lynette Labinger said "We believe that the order entered today will protect Rhode Island's most vulnerable families from the delays and inaction that literally left some children going to bed hungry at night." It is now up to Judge William E. Smith to approve the agreement.

2. SNAP/Food Stamp Lawsuit in Texas Dismissed
(San Antonio Express-News, October 15, 2009)

Although Texas has been taking longer than the federally-mandated 30 days to process a third of its SNAP/Food Stamp applications, a federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit against the state over the delays. USDA, noted U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks, is working with the state to fix the problems. He also noted that Congress "hasn't unambiguously given individuals the right to sue over the matter." "We are reviewing the order and considering next steps," said Bruce Bower of the Texas Legal Services Center. Stephanie Goodman of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission said that the state is working on a corrective plan and will submit it to the federal government. Earlier, officials warned that the state could lose funding if the problem wasn't fixed.

3. New Hampshire Reduces Staffing Despite Record SNAP/Food Stamp Applications
(Nashua Telegraph, October 13, 2009)

New Hampshire plans on laying off or furloughing hundreds state employees, although SNAP/Food Stamp applications have skyrocketed, especially in the Department of Health and Human Services' (DHS) Chestnut Street building, where the average workload is 550 people per caseworker. In September, the office received 9,561 applications for SNAP/Food Stamps and other assistance. In Concord recently, about a hundred state workers demonstrated across the street from the DHS building, calling attention to a contract (up for approval) that gives up 19 pay days over the next two years. "We're not lazy. We're not greedy. We're not overpaid," said employee Arlene Boisvert, adding that the cuts also cut services for the neediest in the community. "We can't keep up with the needs of people." The average state worker earns less than $17 an hour, noted union steward Maria Thyng. Some state appointees earn $74 an hour in management positions. In an ironic turn, the low wages some state employees earn makes them eligible for SNAP/Food Stamps.

4. Expanded Eligibility Brings More to SNAP/Food Stamps in Ohio
(Columbus Dispatch, October 10, 2009)

One year ago, Ohio removed the $2,000 asset limit for SNAP/Food Stamps, which made more people eligible for the benefit and may have contributed to the state's rise in participation. "We think this may be a major contributing factor," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, "and we applaud the state for moving in this direction." One in eight Ohioans - 1.4 million people - are now on SNAP/Food Stamps, a 22 percent jump from June 2008 to June 2009. The economy is a big reason for the increase, said Brian Harter of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services; he agrees that broader eligibility is also a cause. Despite the increase, the program is still underused by those eligible, according to advocates. "This program is a first line of defense," Hamler-Fugitt said. "If your hours have been reduced, you're laid off, on furlough - don't wait if you need help. No one has to go hungry."

5. Washington State Among Top Five States in SNAP/Food Stamp Caseload Increase
(A Year with Food Lifeline, October 8, 2009)

Between July 2008 and July 2009, every state in the U.S. reported SNAP/Food Stamp caseload increases, with Wisconsin reporting an increase of more than 40 percent (along with Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Florida). "[T]his is something to think about as local budget cuts are proposing eliminating funding for emergency hunger relief," notes this blog post. Nearly one in eight Americans are now on SNAP/Food Stamps, according to estimates from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). FRAC data for July 2009 shows a record-breaking 35,851,176 people receiving the benefit, 725,621 more than in June 2009 (also a record month), and 6.8 million more people than July 2008. The post concludes by noting FRAC's ongoing resources on its Web site (http://frac.org) for keeping up with SNAP/Food Stamp data, and mentions the organization's new 2015 blog (http://frac2015.org) which contains Obama Administration officials' statements on the goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015.

6. Seminars at Florida Libraries Cover SNAP/Food Stamps, Other Assistance
(The Westside Gazette, October 14, 2009)

"How to Apply for Public Assistance, Food Stamps, Medicaid and Temporary Cash," is the name of a seminar series conducted by Broward County (Fla.) Libraries Division of Outreach Services and the state's Department of Children and Families. The series is part of "Taking Care of Yourself & Family: How to Survive in Today's Economy," which combines lectures, seminars, programs and events imparting information on housing, finance, and nutrition for Broward County residents.

7. Feds Block Use of SNAP/Food Stamp Data in Job Applicant Screening
(Chicago Tribune, October 14, 2009)

USDA/FNS objected when it learned that Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) was about to grant permission for Affiliated Computer Services Inc. to use the state's welfare data in screening job applicants for fraud and other welfare program violations. "Even if such a use were permissible, it would be an inaccurate and inappropriate tool for job evaluation," as the data could be outdated, wrote Ollice Holden, Regional FNS Administrator, in an August 28 letter to FSSA. Allied Computer Services partners with IBM in FSSA's billion-dollar welfare privatization contract, and has had limited access to the data in question since 2007. At first, some believed that FSSA had actually granted permission to Allied Computer Services, but it was then shown that the company never used the data to screen job applicants. The data-sharing request raises questions about privacy in Indiana's already-beleaguered privatized welfare system, which has been criticized for lengthy delays in getting benefits to applicants, lost documents, and poor service.

8. Oklahoma School Meals Beef Up Nutrition
(Newsok.com, October 12, 2009)

Oklahoma’s school child nutrition managers are working more whole grains, low-fat cheeses, and fresh fruits and vegetables into student diets and removing fryers from kitchens. While cafeterias are still serving a lot of premade foods, the managers note that they’re higher in quality, and help ensure that students across the district get the same quality food. In Edmond School District, one elementary school is making more items from scratch. The children at the school “are responding well and participation has gone up significantly,” said Shelly Fox, the district’s child nutrition director. “We’ve had a 20 percent increase.” Putnam County School District contracts with Sodexo for food services, which is giving students more choices in cafeterias – deli sandwiches are made to order with no extra charge, and many of the fresh fruits and vegetables come from the Farm-to-School program. In surveys, students asked for more fruits and vegetables. The changes in Oklahoma mirror nutrition improvements across the country, as noted in School Nutrition Association’s 2009 State of School Nutrition Survey.

9. Oklahoma Employment Commission Promotes Free and Reduced-Price School Meals
(Newsok.com, October 14, 2009)

Children of parents receiving unemployment compensation may be eligible for free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, a fact that the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission is promoting to the public. Households can apply for the assistance for their children at any time during the school year by submitting an application to their children’s schools. The applications require disclosure of the household’s gross income and size. Interested individuals can request an application directly from schools.

10. Two Southern States Achieve Great Strides in Student Nutrition
(The Vicksburg Post, October 10, 2009)

In a recent report, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized Tennessee and Mississippi for having made the greatest improvements in school nutrition. “Where some of the work really needed to be done was on what was being sold to children outside of the cafeteria,” said Gail Kavanaugh, child nutrition director for the Vicksburg Warren School District. In Mississippi, “[W]e do not have vending machines in our schools until after hours, and the items in the machines have to meet fat and calorie requirements,” said Kavanaugh. Some details for the two states:

In 2006, 23 percent of Mississippi schools banned candy and salty snacks; in 2008, 72 percent of schools banned the snacks. The percentage selling only 100 percent juice drinks (and not soda and fruit drinks) went from 22 percent to 75 percent;
In 2006, 31 percent of Tennessee schools banned snack sales; in 2008, the number increased to 72 percent. The 26 percent of schools banning unhealthy drinks in 2006 increased to 73 percent in 2008.

Shane McNeill, director of the office of healthy schools for the Mississippi Department of Education, said she was “so excited” by the CDC findings. This is good news for Mississippi, as the state routinely leads the nation in obesity rates, heart disease and diabetes. McNeill said the state is studying the link between student fitness levels and academic achievement, discipline referrals and suspension rates in 152 school districts.

11. San Francisco Schools Make Major Upgrades to School Nutrition
(San Francisco Examiner, October 15, 2009)

Against “overwhelming odds” (like antiquated kitchen equipment and school staff who “refuse to follow the federal rules despite the very serious threat of multimillion-dollar fines, and more”), San Francisco’s schools are making great nutrition improvements, thanks to the hard work of Student Nutrition Director Ed Wilkins. Cold cereal “all the time” for breakfast, and “carnival food” (corn dogs, French fries, apple turnovers) for lunch were the rules before Wilkins took the lead. Some of his changes:

lunches include whole wheat pasta and pizza crust, as well as brown rice;
burger and hot dog buns are whole grain;
salad bars are located in all high schools, middle schools and some elementary schools;
those elementary schools without salad bars give the children fresh cut-up vegetables at lunch;
fresh fruit is served daily;
middle and high school students have more food choices, including one that provides 50 percent more food for older students with larger appetites;
hot breakfast is available at all elementary schools;
three schools offer “grab and go” breakfast;
schools are installing the “point-of-sale” payment system.

12. Breakfast in the Classroom Ups Michigan School District Breakfast Participation
(Hillsdale Daily News, October 14, 2009)

Michigan’s Waldron Area schools increased their school breakfast participation 214 percent between 2008 and 2009, winning $5,000 from the Michigan Department of Education. “We opened the program up to K-5 eating for free, which boosted [participation] quite quickly,” said Food Service Director Dina Shinabery. “The average daily participation in 2008 was 69 kids, and in 2009 it went up to 217.” Offering breakfast in the classroom as well as a variety of items for the meal made the program a success, noted Superintendent William Stitt.

13. California High School Wins Breakfast Participation Award
(Mydesert.com, October 10, 2009)

Palm Springs High students in California increased school breakfast consumption by 257 percent over last year, winning the school $1,500 in the “Got Milk? Breakfast Challenge.” The participation shocked Wanda Grant, director of food services for Palm Springs Unified School District. The Challenge reduced school tardiness as well as bolstered school spirit. Even though the contest is over, students are still eating breakfast at school.

14. Wisconsin Factors in Child Nutrition to H1N1 School Closure Policy
(The State Journal, October 9, 2009)

In a presentation to the West Virginia Board of Education, the state’s chief health officer, Dr. Cathy Slemp, advised officials to factor in child nutrition, child safety, and the disrupted learning process in making the decision on closing schools in case of H1N1 outbreaks. Closing schools in urban areas does little to curtail the virus, as students will congregate in public areas where the virus can spread - shopping malls, theaters, sporting events. “The decision to close schools is not a black and white issue,” said Slemp.

15. National Program Aims to Inspire Youth to Take Charge of Their Fitness and Nutrition
(Capital Press, October 3, 2009)

“Fuel Up to Play 60”, a program sponsored by USDA, the National Football League and U.S. dairy farmers, will expand nationwide to 60,000 schools, empowering 36 million students to be physically active and eat healthy foods. The program was originally piloted in Idaho. “It’s a program that really empowers you to take action,” said Cheri Storey, communications director for the Idaho Dairy Products Commission. “Kids love it. It gets youth to get their friends and schools involved. It’s asking them to be part of the solution.” The “60” in the program title stands for 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Student activities in the Idaho pilot program included taste tests, switching to healthy snacks, walking clubs, intramural sports, and exercise breaks during advisory periods. “This program centers on youth taking the lead in changing the school environment through increasing opportunities for eating healthier and getting more physical activity,” said Thomas P. Gallagher, CEO of Dairy Management Inc., which is the managing organization for National Dairy Council. The Council, noted Gallagher, has focused on nutrition as a cornerstone of the organization for nearly a century.

16. New Agriculture Research Institute’s Success Tied to Increased Congress Funding for Farm Research
(Goxexec.com/Congress Daily, October 9, 2009)

The Obama Administration launched the new National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) this month, but advocates are concerned it will be hampered by long-standing funding disputes (formula funds for land-grant universities, congressional earmarks, and competitive grants favored by elite schools), unless Congress agrees to increase funding for farm research. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said the institute will focus on childhood obesity, food safety, sustainable energy, climate change, and global food security and hunger. The FY10 Agriculture Appropriations bill provides $1.34 billion to NIFA, which includes nearly $61 million for competitive agricultural research grants. The 2008 Farm Bill created NIFA as an institute that would have the same stature as the National Institutes for Health and the National Science Foundation.

17. University of Kentucky Hall of Fame Welcomes USDA Official and Former Child Nutrition Director
(The News Enterprise, October 4, 2009)

The University of Kentucky (UK) recently inducted Janey Thornton, currently Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services at USDA and former director of Child Nutrition for Hardin County Schools, into the university’s School of Human Environmental Sciences Hall of Fame. Thornton received her master’s degree at UK.

18. Texas Health Department Closely Monitors Farmers’ Markets
(Food Safety News, October 8, 2009)

Farmers’ markets are flourishing across the country, sprouting up in parking lots and other areas as their numbers grow. Markets in Dallas, Texas are being watched closely by the Dallas Health Department. The health department says it will close down markets that don’t make sure vendors keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, in addition to washing their hands in hot water. The Celebration Farmers’ Market, which attracted hundreds each Saturday morning and received extensive media coverage, was shut down for selling raw, uncooked or processed food without a permit.

19. Recovery Act Benefits Medicaid, But Participation Increases Continue to Threaten State Budgets
(The New York Times, October 1, 2009)

According to the annual survey of State Medicaid Directors (by the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured), recovery act funds helped Medicaid – which covered 62 million low-income and disabled people at some point in 2007 - avoid the effects of massive state budget shortfalls. Thirty-eight states avoided or reduced cuts in provider payments with stimulus funds, and 36 used the federal money to avoid benefit cuts. State officials fear that the program will be in danger once those funds run out in 2010. While states and the federal government share Medicaid’s cost, states are able to regulate their cost by setting eligibility limits, benefits levels and provider payments. In the previous fiscal year, Medicaid enrollment increased an average 5.4 percent (the highest in six years) as unemployment grew, with eight states reporting 10 percent increases in Medicaid participation. Medicaid directors forecast enrollment to grow 6.6 percent in the 2010 fiscal year; the previous spike in enrollment trailed the 2001 recession by a year. Demand for the program is rising as states struggle to afford it while dealing with declining tax revenues. Looking ahead to 2010, state officials are panicking. “Many states believe they may be pressured to consider previously unthinkable eligibility and benefit reductions,” the Kaiser report concluded. Cuts “on a scale not ever seen in Medicaid” will occur, write the authors, unless Congress and President Obama extend federal aid.

20. Course Helps Healthcare Professionals Identify and Assist Families Struggling with Food Insecurity
(eXtension News, March 30, 2009)

Oregon State University’s (OSU) Ecampus offers a free, five-module course titled “Childhood Food Insecurity: Health Impacts, Screening and Intervention,” which teaches healthcare professionals how to identify food insecure families and refer them to community resources. More than 200 nurses, physicians, dietitians and other healthcare professionals have taken the course, which covers how to ask sensitive questions on routine questionnaires, how to ask more probing questions after identifying the signs of food insecurity, and how to intervene. The course also covers the financial impact that clinical healthcare recommendations can have on family food budgets, and gives ideas on how to create an office environment where individuals and families are comfortable with talking about their household food supply. “Health providers are well-positioned to address childhood hunger because the doctor’s office is a place of regular contact outside the home,” said Anne Hoisington, OSU nutrition education specialist. “Although most believe food insecurity should be addressed in a clinical setting, a 2007 survey of health providers in the Portland metro area found that a majority are unaware of resources to help.” The course, which takes about an hour to complete, is funded by the OSU Extension Service, the Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Food Bank, Oregon Health & Science University, and Providence Health & Services.

21. Utah Considers Raising Food Tax to Shrink Budget Shortfall
(Deseret News, October 9, 2009)

Utah faces a $700 million state budget shortfall, and may be forced to raise food sales taxes, which have been decreased over the past two years, in order to close the gap. Advocates view the increase as unfairly targeting low-income families, since they spend a larger percentage of their earnings on food. They also feel that this is the worst time to increase the tax, as the recession has hit low-income people particularly hard financially. In 2006 and 2007, legislators reduced the sales tax from 4.75 percent to 1.75 percent, the current level. Last year, Rep. Kay McIff (R-Richfield) introduced a bill that would raise the tax, but it was voted down in the House. In addition, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. had pledged to completely remove the sales tax on food. McIff has changed his approach this year, and has suggested creating a six percent targeted earned income credit that would offset the increased food tax and shield low-income residents from it. “Our understanding is Rep. McIff is interested in allocating some of the revenue that would result from reinstating the full sales tax on food to particular programs, including Medicaid,” said Allison Rowland, budget and research director of Voices for Utah Children. “We applaud this as another measure to mitigate the regressive effects of sales tax on food.” The group had backed McIff’s earlier proposal.

22. Employee Pay Cuts Becoming More Prevalent
(The New York Times, October 14, 2009)

Employees are seeing their pay reduced, through cuts in their annual salaries, downgrades in rank, or shorter workweeks, more frequently now than at any time since the Great Depression. Since that time, company budgets dealt with troubled economies and the need to shrink costs by laying off employees. Reducing wages was thought to be demoralizing, as well as risky, since it would give employees more of a cause to find jobs elsewhere. In Georgia, state employees take home less in their paychecks, as are tens of thousands in California’s public university system. Companies like Hewlett-Packard and Nucor, which makes steel, in addition to several airlines and many small businesses, are also reducing employee wages. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not track pay cuts, it found that the total weekly pay for production workers has fallen for nine consecutive months, a record in the 44 years the bureau has been collecting statistics. Previously, the record was held by the two-month decline in the 1981-82 recession. “What this means,” said Thomas J. Nardone, assistant commissioner with the bureau, “is that the amount of money people are paid has taken a big hit; not just those who have lost their jobs, but those who are still employed.”

23. Cost of Living Decrease Spurs Colorado to Lower Minimum Wage
(Boulder Daily Camera, October 13, 2009)

Colorado will be the first state to lower its minimum wage, due to a decrease in the cost of living. The state’s minimum wage will go from $7.28 to $7.24 next year, and will be the first state minimum wage in the country to decrease since the federal minimum wage law was passed in 1938. The federal minimum wage is $7.25. Colorado is one of ten states where the minimum wage is tied to inflation.

24. Change in Federal Law Puts More Money in Pockets of Poor
(Newser.com, October 5, 2009)

States are being encouraged, through a change in federal law, to stop using child support payments for reimbursing state and federal welfare services, and instead provide that money to the needy. West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington are three states taking advantage of the new law, and some low-income families are receiving hundreds more a month. The $225 that West Virginia resident Becky Salmon’s ex-husband paid each month to the state now goes directly to Salmon. Many states, because of budget shortfalls, have been slow to make the change. A pilot program in Wisconsin showed that child support was more likely to be paid (and on time) if the money went to children instead of the government.