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 Report Shows Rise in Hunger Across America and Need to End Childhood Hunger
(CNN/AP,November 17, 2008; UK Guardian/Reuters, November 17, 2008)

USDA's annual report on food security released this week shows that nearly one in eight Americans struggled with hunger - also known as food insecurity - in 2007, and 691,000 children went hungry in the same time period. The figure for children is the highest number of children suffering from hunger since 716,000 in 1998. Results of the current economic downturn are not reflected in the report, said James Weill, FRAC president, and added that 2008 numbers will be significantly higher. "There's every reason to think the increases in the number of hungry people will be very, very large based on the increased demand we're seeing this year at food stamp agencies, emergency kitchens, Women, Infants and Children clinics, really across the entire social service support structure," he said, and added that the "findings should increase pressure to meet President-elect Barack Obama's campaign pledge to expand food aid and end childhood hunger by 2015." States with the highest prevalence of food insecurity during 2005-2007:

Mississippi - 17.4 percent;
New Mexico - 15 percent;
Texas - 14.8 percent;
Arkansas - 14.4 percent.

In addition, food insecurity rates were highest among minority groups, poor people, and in women-headed single-parent households. Overall, 12.2 percent, or 36.2 million, adults and children lacked enough money or assistance for enough food to live healthy, active lives, up from 35.5 million in 2006. The number of people in the worst-off category - the hungriest Americans - has risen 40 percent since 2000, from 8.5 million to 11.9 million.

FRAC and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) are urging Congress to pass another economic stimulus bill including an increase in food stamp benefits, which recipients will immediately spend on food. Currently, food stamps go to a "near-record" number of 29.5 million Americans; enrollment, according to Stacy Dean of CBPP, increased by 2 million from January to August of this year.
FRAC news release: http://frac.org/Press_Release/2007food_insecurity_11.17.08.htm
USDA Report - http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR66/

2. High Unemployment Figures Sound Alarm for Economic Stimulus that Also Helps Needy
(Akron Beacon Journal, November 11, 2008)

Unemployment figures are the highest they've been in 14 years, spurring the need, claims this editorial, for an effective economic stimulus package that includes an increase in food stamps and Medicaid, an extension of unemployment benefits and money to states for public works projects. October unemployment numbers released by the government show the figure at 6.5 percent, reflecting the loss of 1.2 million jobs since January; 61.8 percent of the population have jobs, the lowest figure since 1993. Economists forecast the unemployment percentage to go as high as eight percent before recovery. Experts point to numerous analyses that show food stamps and unemployment are the most effective at boosting the economy because the money is spent quickly. Supporters point to the fairness in boosting these supports in an economic stimulus plan, as they help the people who need the most help. In addition, help to families facing foreclosure is imperative, since "[i]t hardly sits well watching the feds leap to the rescue of Wall Street and other big money players in capital markets, while the feds delay in responding to the source of the problem: a mounting foreclosure rate."

3. Food Stamps Deliver Biggest Economic Boost
(New York City Hunger Blog, November 3, 2008)

According to Moody's Economy, each dollar spent on food stamps boosts the gross domestic product by $1.73, while the return on each tax rebate dollar is only $1.26, making the benefit the prime choice for inclusion in the next economic stimulus package. Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer understands the value of adding to the spending power of low-income Americans, particularly through a boost in food stamp allocation, and said in a recent Dow Jones interview, "[e]conomists are quite in agreement that food stamps, unemployment insurance, and adjusting the paychecks of the bottom half of American workers would have a far greater effect."

4. Food Stamps, Unemployment Benefits and State Infrastructure Help Would Return Highest Dollar Investment in Economic Stimulus Package
(Progressive Politics Examiner, October 28, 2008)

While food stamps return the highest per-dollar amount in economic stimulus, extending unemployment benefits and money spent on state infrastructure projects return higher rates than tax rebates, with unemployment payments boosting the economy by $1.64 for each dollar spent, and state infrastructure projects returning $1.59 per dollar. Tax rebates bring $1.26 per dollar. Mark Zandi of Moody's Economy analyzed a number of stimulus items, including payroll tax relief and corporate tax cuts. An "alternative minimum tax patch" created only $0.48 for each dollar spent, and making the tax cuts permanent returned even less, at $0.29.

5. Arizona Governor Supports Food Stamps as Integral to Next Economic Stimulus
(U.S. News & World Report, October 30, 2008)

Gov. Janet Napolitano (Ariz.) noted in this interview that for an economic stimulus plan to work, it has to provide funds that go "right into the economy," while the previous plan, consisting of tax rebates, was short-lived. "I hope they [Congress] understand they're going to have to do something with the extension of unemployment benefits and food stamps," she said. "You've got to cover, in the short term, working people who are beginning to fall through the safety net." Napolitano also supports infrastructure investment and Medicaid assistance in the next package - in the case of Medicaid "to make sure we don't increase the number of uninsured." Napolitano "turned a $1 billion deficit into a $1.5 billion state budget surplus," but the current housing crisis has devastated Arizona's budget, along with those of 22 other states.

6. Food Inflation Will Continue in 2009, Possibly Rising by Nine Percent
(Reuters, November 6, 2008)

Food-industry economists, forecasting continued higher feed costs for chickens, hogs and cattle, believe food costs will rise at least seven percent in 2009; Bill Lapp, a private consultant, says food prices could rise even higher, by nine percent, as, he states, "the sizable increase in the cost of producing food has not been fully passed on to the consumer." Lapp also notes that foodmakers are paying more for wholesale items they use, and these prices have climbed faster than grocery and restaurant prices, forecasting additional price hikes for consumers. Major feed crops corn and soybeans, as well as wheat, are expected to rise in wholesale price to twice their 2005 levels, in spite of a decline in price over the past summer. 2009 will mark the third year in a row that food prices have risen faster than overall U.S. inflation; current food inflation is now the highest since 1990. The forecasts were announced during a conference call arranged by a group of "major foodmakers."

7. Letter to Editor Urges Readers to Contact Representatives in Support of Federal Anti-Hunger Programs; Cites FRAC Report
(Northwest Herald, November 5, 2008)

FRAC's summary of public opinion polling, which reported that American families "are increasingly worried about being able to afford enough food for their families," is cited in this letter to the editor which supports making eliminating hunger a federal priority for the next administration. "As the economy continues its downward trend, concerns about hunger will only intensify," writes Deb Martin, who also notes that 94 percent surveyed in the FRAC report feel it's important for the government to fund anti-hunger programs such as school meals and WIC, and urges readers to bring that message to their state and national representatives.
FRAC report: http://frac.org/Press_Release/hungerpoll08.htm

8. California County Sees Skyrocketing Food Stamp Application Numbers
(Ventura County Star, November 4, 2008)

Job layoffs have sent "huge" numbers to welfare offices for food stamps in California's Ventura County. Oxnard, Simi Valley, and Ventura offices are seeing people who, according to application processor Jill Kalaniopio "…have said, [i]n all my life, I never thought I'd be in this position." Although county numbers have risen by two-thirds since 2001 due to outreach and new policies that reversed cutbacks in welfare reform, the current increase (14 percent from July to September) is due to the economy, say officials. Changes to food stamp eligibility include exempting retirement accounts, cars, and, soon throughout the state, savings and stocks. "In the Ventura office, we do not see people with assets," said eligibility worker Amber Todd. "By the time they come in, they have gone through their assets." A fair number that apply find they still have too much income to be eligible, especially those who are drawing unemployment insurance, which can be as high as $450 a week. Enough households have turned to food banks to create a strain on the emergency food providers dealing with high food prices and slacking donations, forcing some of the sites to cut back on their distribution schedules. Another indicator of the economic woes in the area: the number of children receiving free and reduced-price school meals has also increased in Simi and Thousand Oaks, with 414 more children (approximately 15 percent more) receiving meals in the Conejo Valley Unified School District since October 2007.

9. Many Eligible Atlanta Residents Not Receiving Food Stamps
(WABE, November 6, 2008)

Applying for food stamps in the Atlanta, Georgia area has become more streamlined, and providing clients with EBT cards has removed some of the stigma associated with the benefit, said Laura Lester of the Community Food Bank. However, FRAC data showed that only one out of every four eligible people in Atlanta received the benefit, ranking it "in the middle" when compared with food stamp usage in 24 large cities. While other cities have seen the applications increase, "Atlanta is flat to down," said FRAC President Jim Weill, who cited Baltimore as an example of a city that has gone up, from 73 percent of eligible participants receiving food stamps to 86 percent, in only one year.

10. Indiana Counties with Privatized Social Services Still Seeing Low Food Stamp Enrollment
(WIBC, October 21, 2008)

The first 12 counties in Indiana that were switched to the privatized welfare services a year ago are still seeing low food stamp enrollment - with a drop in participation of two percent - compared to higher numbers for the rest of the state, which saw an increase of 11 percent. While overall welfare client numbers are down by five percent across the state, numbers fell more sharply in the first privatized counties (down by 37 percent). Former Vigo County welfare director Glenn Cardwell says that the elderly and disabled are not getting the help they need in applying, especially for seniors who might not be comfortable with the Internet.

11. Food Programs are Important Part of NYC's 18 Initiatives to Combat "Current Economic Challenges"
(NYC.gov, October 30, 2008)

New York City's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced 18 Initiatives designed to create jobs, support the workforce as well as small businesses and homeowners, and provide relief to the city's most vulnerable populations in the face of the current economic crisis. Council Speaker Christine Quinn cited the importance of food programs in helping "the most vulnerable New Yorkers who are eligible for federal food stamp assistance but are not enrolled." Targeted, food-related relief initiatives include:

Expanding in-class breakfast pilot program for disadvantaged students - the program, offered through the Department of Education, will be available to 300 schools with student populations experiencing high poverty rates, on top of the 50 schools already running the program;

Targeted food assistance to seniors - 40,000 seniors could take advantage of this program which creates an automated food stamp benefit assessment and simplified application process; a $677,000 federal grant will pay for the program, which is a collaboration of the Human Services Administration, the Department of Aging, and the New York City Food Policy Coordinator and Food Bank.

Increased resources for soup kitchens and food pantries - $1.3 million, to provide additional frozen vegetables in 142 soup kitchens and food pantries that serve 300,000 people per month, allocated by the City and City Council through the Human Resources Administration.

These and the other initiatives will all rely on existing federal, state and city dollars and limited new funds. Speaking on the need for the initiatives, Mayor Bloomberg said, "[i]n all likelihood, the current economic downturn will not end quickly…the initiatives we are embarking on today, with the cooperation of Council Speaker Christine Quinn and our partners in the City Council, will provide meaningful assistance to many New Yorkers who need it now, as we continue to tackle our challenges together as a city." Council Speaker Quinn added, "[t]hese are smart initiatives that reach out to a range of New Yorkers in challenging circumstances," including residents who lost jobs in the financial industry, homeowners facing foreclosure, and eligible food stamp recipients who are not enrolled.

12. Ohio Benefit Bank Centralizes Food Stamp and Other Social Support Services
(Bucyrus Telegraph, October 27, 2008)

Ohioans can apply for food stamps, tax refunds, child care and other programs through the Ohio Benefit Bank, a public-private partnership that centralizes assistance through special software and volunteer counselors to help low-income residents access billions in government aid and bypass red tape. A network of nonprofit groups that also operates in five other states, the Benefit Bank has helped a total of 56,000 people across the six states claim benefits, tax credits and refunds totaling $57 million since 2006. Ohio's Benefit Bank is the most active, helping more than 32,000 people claim $37.6 million in benefits, according to the technology company, Solutions for Progress, that develops the software and customizes it for each state. Anti-poverty advocates in Colorado, North Carolina, Michigan, Maine and Louisiana are considering similar systems, and Ohio organizers see the system benefitting the "new poor" who are unfamiliar with the range of assistance options out there and the procedures for applying. "Given the economic conditions that are facing the nation and the state, I think the Benefit Bank is perhaps more important now than at any time in the past because we do have more people in need," said Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. According to Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, Ohio residents lose out on an estimated $1.6 billion annually in unclaimed tax credits and public benefits. Through its network of nonprofit affiliates, the association helped create more than 700 Benefit Bank access sites across the state. The Benefit Bank software was first used for a union health care program. "We realized that we had built something that could really help people trying to get out of poverty, or avoid getting into poverty," said Solutions for Progress CEO Robert Brand.

13. Couple Takes Food Stamp Challenge, Lives on $1 a Day for Food for One Month
(The New York Times, November 4, 2008)

An Encinitas, California couple recently restricted their grocery budget to $1 a day, the World Bank's figure for the daily food budget of 1 billion people around the world, for one month in order to "find out what it was like to live" like countless others. They found that their diets immediately changed significantly, and that meal preparation took much longer. "If you're buying raw materials, you're spending more time preparing things," said Christopher Greenslate. "We'd come home after working 10 to 11 hours and have to roll out tortillas. If you're already hungry at that point, it's tough. Although they lost weight on the diet, everyday energy was a huge problem, and gym workouts were out of the question. The couple noted that their experiment didn't begin to equate what many people go through, as they made the choice to restrict their diet for just a month. Others, including Americans living on a few dollars a day in food stamps, and even middle-class Americans who are struggling with the high cost of food, don't have that luxury. Researchers note that many on food stamps run out at the end of each month and end up with a dollar or less for food each day. Cooking meals from scratch may also be out of the question, as many either don't know how, or don't have time since they work two jobs. "You have to know how to cook beans and rice, how to make tortillas, how to soak lentils," said Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington. Dr. Drewnowski's study last year, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, compared prices for foods sold in Seattle supermakets and found that foods high in calories and with few nutrients per gram were "far less expensive" than healthier foods (nutrient-rich, lower calorie) like fruits and vegetables. During the study, healthy foods jumped in price by 19.5 percent, while food prices for less healthy items dropped 1.8 percent. "The message for this year and next year," said Dr. Drewnowski, "is going to be affordable nutrition."

14. State Support Helps Parents Weather Hard Economic Times
(Philadelphia Daily News, November 5, 2008)

This article by Shelly Yanoff identifies a combination of state and federal programs that can help parents struggling with the problems generated by the current economic crisis. They include:

Food stamps - now called the SNAP program, are available through the County Assistance Office, while the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger offers eligibility screening and assistance in applying over the phone.

WIC - the Pennsylvania WIC Program provides nutrition services and vouchers for specific foods at participating stores for pregnant mothers and children up to age five.

Heating assistance - Pennsylvania's LIHEAP - Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program - is now open, and provides fuel or utility payments directly to companies, helping eligible families heat their homes and battle high energy costs.

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) - provides insurance coverage for children in families without and/or unable to afford insurance.

Services also exist to help families pay for, as well as locate, child care services.

15. Numbers Show Need for Anti-Hunger Programs in Tennessee
(knoxnews.com, November 1, 2008)

Food stamp and subsidized school meal numbers are up in Tennessee according to new government numbers indicating that the need for these programs continues to grow. In September 2008, 1,723 more people received food stamps than in September 2007 in the state's 97 counties. There's also been a seven percent increase in Knox County students receiving free and reduced-price lunch over the same time period. The program that distributes USDA surplus commodity food delivered 1,300 food bags to mostly senior citizens just this past May. Food banks are also reporting increased demand, with Knoxville's Ladies of Charity organization providing food for 3,006 more people in September of this year than September last year for a total of 14,964 people served. The numbers suggest that one out of six East Tennesseans are dealing with hunger and food insecurity as more people are suffering under the bad economic climate and "are no longer able to stretch their paychecks." The faces of hunger hit Ben Landers, the CEO of Greater Knoxville United Way, who was driving an SUV full of food left over from a United Way event to donate to the Salvation Army. Once there, "he saw a man and woman in their 30s" and two young girls… The mother said 'these girls are hungry.' They basically grabbed handfuls of cooked food…. I just stood back," Landers said. "It startled me," he continued, "the look in their eyes said 'I need something to eat now.'" C.A.R.E. Food Pantry director Sandy Bumbalough noted that much of the hunger is hidden, especially among the affluent communities served by the organization. "They don't see the need," she said. "You drive along…the main roads, and you see all these nice subdivisions. But if you get off these roads, you see the need." Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, which serves 400 agencies in 18 counties, averages 135,734 food requests each month, a 36 percent increase over the past year. Since July 2008 it has supplied three million pounds of food. A significant number of, but not all, local anti-hunger nonprofits have had to think about cutting back on their programs in spite of the growing need, as they run low on supplies.

16. National School Lunch Program Dates Back to Great Depression
(Chicago Tribune, November 10, 2008)

Before the federal government administered the National School Lunch Program, some cities provided lunch to students without federal support. In 1921 Chicago had the "most intensive school lunch system in America," according to a Department of Interior report from that time. The official program began as part of the New Deal program, when the Works Progress Administration began overseeing school lunches in 1935 in order to employ women from "needy households." The next year, schools were able to purchase crops to feed to students, when Congress authorized the Commodity Purchase program. In 1943, Congress passed Public Law 129, giving the Agriculture Department up to $60 million for school lunch and milk programs.

17. Improvements Give WIC Clients Easier Access to Benefits
(Local News 8, November 2, 2008)

Recent improvements in Wyoming WIC are benefitting clients in the program. An important change: women purchasing WIC-approved foods no longer have to separate those items out from the rest of their groceries. Previously, cashiers had to scan WIC items twice, and "create a separate transaction for other groceries." The improvements make it easier for WIC clients to access food benefits, and for grocers to provide services to families.

Subscribe to FRAC's News Digest | News Digest Archives | www.frac.org