The weekly Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) 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. FRAC Calls for Support of Strong Nutrition Title of 2007 Farm Bill
2. Food Stamp Participation in October 2006 Was Up by 100,399 People Over Month
3. Catholic Charities Start Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America
4. USDA Partners with Food Industry to Promote Healthy Eating to Consumers
5. Massachusetts – Op-Ed: Growth of Hunger Is Unacceptable
6. New York – Editorial: New York City Mayor Should Ease Red Tape to Ensure More Food Stamp Participation
7. New York: Free Legal Clinic Set in Food Pantry Fights for Food Rights for Clients
8. Connecticut – Op-Ed: Needs of Poor Are Slighted
9. Column: Eastern North Carolina Lags Behind Rest of State, Hosting Nation’s Poorest Counties
10. California: Food Bank in Mendocino County Goes Through “Ongoing Battle,” Meeting Growing Demand for Food
11. Florida: Sarasota Food Bank Sees Surge of Unemployed Clients Affected by Housing Slump
12. California Failed to Improve Family Well-Being and Slow Down Obesity Among Children, Report Says
13. New York: School Principal Honored for Improving Student Health Through Implementing Classroom Breakfast
14. Oklahoma Stands to Benefit Most from Federal Minimum Wage Increase
15. California: Governor’s Health Care Plan Praised for Offering Health Insurance to All Children
16. Rhode Island: Anti-Poverty Group Suggests to Reassess Costly State Tax Breaks to Ease Budget Deficit
17. Pennsylvania: State Mandate for Schools to Report Students’ Body Mass Scores to Parents Creates Confusion in North-Central Region

1. FRAC Calls for Support of Strong Nutrition Title of 2007 Farm Bill

(“Sign On Letter in Support of Strong Nutrition Title of 2007 Farm Bill,” frac.org, January 5, 2007)

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) calls for national, regional, state and local organizations to sign on to a letter in support of the strongest possible nutrition title of the 2007 Farm Bill. The letter is based on a joint statement issued recently by the 13 organizations that comprise the National Anti-Hunger Organization. As the Food Stamp Program is nearing reauthorization, it is vital not only that lawmakers renew the program, but also that they address shortfalls in benefit adequacy and improve access for vulnerable people. Speaking up strongly on behalf of the nutrition title is essential to make food stamp investments a priority, FRAC points out. “The House and Senate Agriculture Committees are expected to hold hearings on key Farm Bill proposals in coming months, with floor action on the Farm Bill possible by mid-year,” FRAC informs, urging organizations to show their support and to sign the letter by January 25 th as well as to circulate it to allied organizations.

http://www.frac.org/Legislative/farmBill2007/alerts/01.05.07.html (FRAC alert)

http://tinyurl.com/yxmtze (FRAC’s Sign On Letter in Support of Strong Nutrition Title)

Also see http://www.frac.org/pdf/NAHO.pdf (National Anti-Hunger Organization’s Statement on the 2007 Farm Bill Reauthorization)

2. Food Stamp Participation in October 2006 Was Up by 100,399 People Over Month

(“Food Stamp Participation in October 2006 Up Over Month, But Below Hurricane Katrina and Rita Disaster Aid Levels of 2005,” frac.org, January 9, 2007)

In October 2006, more than 26 million people, an increase of 100,399 from the previous month, participated in the Food Stamp Program. The overall caseload for October 2006 was nearly 1.4 million persons lower than the prior October, when many Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims received disaster food stamp benefits. Still, in October 2006, the program reached 8.1 million more people than in October 2001. Nonetheless, the program still is missing nearly four out of ten eligible people. Food stamp participation has risen in 57 of the last 70 months, but in only five of the last ten months. At a time when more than 35 million people in the United States face a constant struggle against hunger, continuing to strengthen the Food Stamp Program’s reach is vital.

http://www.frac.org/html/news/fsp/2006.10_FSP.html

3. Catholic Charities USA Start Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America

(“Catholic Charities USA Launches Broad Campaign to Cut Poverty in America in Half by 2020,” prnewswire.com, January 10, 2007)

Catholic Charities USA announced a new initiative to cut poverty in half by 2020. To do that, the Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America urges Congress and the Bush administration to improve programs and policies in health care, affordable housing, nutrition assistance and family economic security for the poor. “Poverty is a moral and social wound on the soul of our country and threatens the health and economic well-being of both families and our nation,” said Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA. “Each day, our agencies serve families who work hard but still do not earn enough to provide for their basic needs,” he said. “We must no longer ignore the injustice of poverty and the extreme inequality in America and instead must seize this opportunity to advocate for changes that promote human dignity and the common good,” Snyder pointed out. He highlighted the importance of partnering with the government in attacking poverty in “a comprehensive and sustained way” and giving a higher priority to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable populations

http://tinyurl.com/ygggw3

4. USDA Partners with Food Industry to Promote Healthy Eating to Consumers

(“Retailers, Food Industry Team to Boost Healthy Eating,” brandweek.com, January 12, 2007)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has joined forces with food industry groups and more than 2000 retailers to launch a voluntary campaign, “Take a Peak,” to promote the food pyramid developed by the agency. The pyramid’s illustration, depicting government’s recommendations about a healthy diet, will be displayed in grocery stores and retailers’ promotional materials to help consumers make healthier food choices. Participating stores will promote only foods that fit the USDA food pyramid guidelines. Promotional materials will feature the “Take a Peak” and “MyPyramid.com” logos. “We’ve had a tremendous response to MyPyramid and I’m confident that as awareness increases, so will the health of Americans,” said USDA Secretary Mike Johanns at a press conference. “All our research shows that consumers are eager for healthy food choices and dietary information that will help them control the ingredients in their meals and support healthy eating at home,” said Tim Hammonds of the Food Marketing Institute, which represents the retail food industry.

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003532054

Also see http://www.tapintomypyramid.com/ (“Take a Peak”)

5. Massachusetts – Op-Ed: Growth of Hunger Is Unacceptable

(“Hunger: An Invisible Scourge,” boston.com, January 11, 2007)

A recent status report on hunger in Massachusetts, published by Project Bread, estimates that 18 percent of residents may suffer from hunger and 32 percent are unable to afford adequate food, writes Michael Kryzanek, professor of political science at Bridgewater State College, in The Boston Globe. Even “more troubling is this: In cities such as Brockton and Quincy, the hunger level is twice what it was three years ago, when the last status report was issued,” Kryzanek notes. “In this country of plenty, hunger should not exist, much less be on the increase. And yet what we are seeing … is a growing underclass that does not enjoy the prosperity that so many of us take for granted,” Kryzanek contends. A statewide campaign to end hunger in Massachusetts, initiated by Project Bread, emphasizes a comprehensive solution to the problem. It includes expansion of school breakfast programs, hunger screenings at neighborhood health centers, partnerships with supermarkets to promote healthier nutrition for families using food stamps, as well as efforts to collect and distribute food to those in need.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/01/11/hunger_an_invisible_scourge/

Also see http://tinyurl.com/y976b6 (“Status Report on Hunger in Massachusetts”)

6. New York – Editorial: New York City Mayor Should Ease Red Tape to Ensure More Food Stamp Participation

(“Priorities for New York’s New Year,” nytimes.com , January 7, 2007)

Affordable housing and the reduction of poverty in New York City are achievable goals for the year 2007 that must not get lost, writes The New York Times. The new legislation passed by Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council to force developers to build more units for low- and middle-income New Yorkers needs Albany’s approval before the law expires at the end of the year. “About one-fifth of New Yorkers live below the poverty line,” writes the newspaper. “The Mayor has committed $150 million to his antipoverty program, but he could also make a huge difference by insuring that people who are eligible for food stamps actually get them by easing their way through the bureaucratic maze.”

http://tinyurl.com/yz2v4s

7. New York: Free Legal Clinic Set in Food Pantry Fights for Food Rights for Clients

(“New L.I.C. Legal Clinic Fights for Food Rights,” zwire.com, January 11, 2007)

On a recent Monday, Harry, resident of New York City, received more than just a bag of groceries from the Hour Children food pantry in Queens he frequents. He met with a legal counselor in the free legal clinic that began operating from the back of the pantry and got a food stamp application. “It’s a wake up call for me,” said Harry and vowed to go to the welfare office next day. The clinic, set up by the Urban Justice Center to provide advice, referrals to services and full legal representation, is focusing on food stamps and public assistance. Leslie Annexstein of the center’s Homelessness Outreach and Prevention Project said many working people still desperately need food stamps and other benefits, but often confront “an overwhelmingly bureaucratic and frequently hostile bureaucracy designed to deter them from obtaining and maintaining those benefits.” Kyle Dandelet, one of the two clinic staffers, pointed out that New Yorkers like Harry, who are eligible for benefits but have never gotten them, are common among his clients. Other clients need help with paperwork or investigations into why their benefits were reduced or denied.

http://tinyurl.com/y7nx8d

8. Connecticut – Op-Ed: Needs of Poor Are Slighted

(“Reducing Poverty – Not a High Priority,” easttexasreview.com, January 12, 2007)

Since the government abolished hunger by renaming it “food insecurity” last fall, the needy people have not disappeared, writes William Collins in the East Texas Review. Losing a job, falling sick, or just having a low-paying job can plunge people to the level of poverty very quickly, Collins observes. Meanwhile, the gaps in the government’s safety net abound, and reducing poverty doesn’t seem to be the government’s priority. In Norwalk, Conn., the city closed its welfare office to save money, sending the needy to a state government office, but then the state closed its office. Now, in the “tony” state of Connecticut, applicants for public benefits must travel to Bridgeport, while trying not to lose their jobs for taking so much time off, writes Collins. “Poverty is not a problem to be solved; it’s a problem to be avoided,” the author concludes.

http://www.easttexasreview.com/story.htm?StoryID=4154

9. Column: Eastern North Carolina Lags Behind Rest of State, Hosting Nation’s Poorest Counties

(“Poverty Plagues Most of Eastern Part of State,” wilmingtonstar.com, January 8, 2007)

If the 41 counties of eastern North Carolina were their own state, its two million people would make it the 36th most populous state and it would be about three times the size of New Jersey, writes columnist Mark Schreiner in the Star-News of Raleigh, N.C. “Compared with the rest of the nation, it would be among the poorest and least educated states,” Schreiner points out. In the eastern part of North Carolina, more than 16 percent of people live in poverty, compared to 12 percent of the population statewide. Across North Carolina, nearly one out of four residents has a college degree, but in eastern North Carolina only one out of six is college-educated. The East is more dependent on agriculture and has fewer well-paid manufacturing jobs. The gap between the eastern part and the rest of the state is increasing, says Schreiner. “If there’s a hole in one end of the boat, it doesn’t matter which end you’re sitting in,” said Leslie Boney of the University of North Carolina. The state’s prosperity is threatened by having a region that has 10 of the nation’s 20 poorest counties, he said.

http://tinyurl.com/y84jmu

10. California: Food Bank in Mendocino County Faces “Ongoing Battle,” Meeting Growing Demand for Food

(“Food Bank Helps the Hungry All Year-Round,” ukiahdailyjournal.com, January 9, 2007)

Ukiah (Calif.) Community Center Food Bank is experiencing a shortage of resources to meet increasing demand for emergency food. “It’s an ongoing battle,” Bank Warehouse Manager Burton Hackett said. “We still feed over 3,000 people per month and that number is going up all the time. A lot of the people who are accessing the food bank now are seasonal workers and their work is over and they don’t have the funds to go out and do the shopping they could do in the summertime,” Hackett explained. She also blames the growing price of gas in cutting the money that families could spend on food. In May 2006, the Mendocino County Grand Jury reported that more than 15,000 county residents were at risk of hunger, considering that 90,816 people lived in the county in 2005. According to the Food Research and Action Center, nationwide 22.7 million adults and 12.4 million children suffer from food insecurity.

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/local/ci_4978274

11. Florida: Sarasota Food Bank Sees Surge of Unemployed Clients Affected by Housing Slump

(“Housing Slump Reflected in Food Bank Requests,” venicegondolier.com, January 10, 2007)

Volunteers Lou and Ruth Guberman from All Faiths Food Bank of Sarasota, Fla., have been helping to feed the local community for 20 years. “We know their problems, because we have made friends by listening to their stories over the years,” Ruth Guberman said. “At first we had a lot of older people – senior citizens who needed food. Now it’s families coming in who have been affected by the housing slump,” she said. “People who build houses are just out of work.” On a recent Monday, the couple served 72 families, but they did not have enough food and had to ask people to come back next month. The program is sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “What we do here will not keep people from starving,” Ruth Guberman said, “but we have helped a lot of families through some hard times.”

http://tinyurl.com/y9lclk

12. California Failed to Improve Family Well-Being and Slow Down Obesity Among Children, Report Says

(“Study of Children Cites Obesity, Poverty,” latimes.com, January 4, 2007)

California received D-pluses in the categories of obesity and family well-being in an annual report by Children Now. One out of five children live in a household earning below the federal poverty level, according to “The State of the State’s Children” report, which monitors children’s health, education and the condition of families in California. The percentage of children living in economically struggling families reaches 30 percent, when cost of living is taken into account. The report credited the state with improvements in standardized test scores and increasing the budgets for education and health care, but pointed out its failure to slow the growing rate of childhood obesity. The Los Angeles Unified School District has removed campus soda machines and slipped more healthful food into cafeterias, but it needs to do more, said Donnalyn Anton, a district’s executive officer.

http://tinyurl.com/ygp5ra

Also see http://publications.childrennow.org/assets/pdf/policy/rc07/ca-rc-2007.pdf (“2006-07 California Report Card: The State of the State's Children”)

13. New York: School Principal Honored for Improving Student Health Through Implementing Classroom Breakfast

(“Tennis Star Anna Kournikova to Honor North Palm Beach Elementary School Principal with ‘got breakfast?’™ Award,” emediawire.com, January 10, 2007)

Tennis star Anna Kournikova and the “got breakfast?” Foundation will honor North Palm Beach (N.Y.) Elementary School Principal Bill Thompson for his efforts to improve student health by encouraging participation in the National School Breakfast Program. Thompson implemented the Classroom Breakfast model to serve breakfast at his school, which is particularly effective in connecting more students to healthy meals. The “got breakfast?” Foundation is working to increase participation in the breakfast program to eliminate child hunger. According to the Food Research and Action Center, more than $500 million in federal funds available to provide school breakfast to children in need are not being accessed. Kournikova will present the special “got breakfast?” Award to Thompson and will speak to students at his school about the importance of good nutrition and physical activity. “The first step to improving well-being is with good nutrition and when millions of students across the country are not taking part in breakfast they are missing out on the opportunity to perform their best at school,” the star said.

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/1/emw496447.htm

14. Oklahoma Stands to Benefit Most from Federal Minimum Wage Increase

(“Life at Bottom of the Wage Scale,” seattletimes.nwsource.com, January 10, 2007)

John Hosier of Muskogee, Okla., makes $6 an hour at his job at a Salvation Army’s store, providing about $200 a week, the sole source of income for his wife and two children. Even with help from food stamps, the family is struggling to make ends meet. The minimum wage boost from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour, considered by Congress, would put 21 percent more money in each Hosier’s paycheck. Oklahoma would benefit the most from such an increase. The state leads the nation in the share of hourly workers (4 percent) who earn no more than $5.15 per hour. According to the Economic Policy Institute, of the workers nationwide who will get a higher pay if the federal minimum wage increases, the vast majority are adults, most work full time, and about 1 in 4 have dependent children. However, many families earning far more than $7.25 an hour today still face economic hardships. “Until you’re making $10 or $12 an hour, you’re going to have a really tough time making ends meet without public assistance,” said David Blatt of the Community Action Project of Tulsa County, Okla.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003517620_minwage10.html

Also see http://tinyurl.com/vuvox (“House Votes to Raise Minimum Wage,” nytimes.com, January 10, 2007)

15. California: Governor’s Health Care Plan Praised for Offering Health Insurance to All Children

(“Governor Unveils Mandatory Health Insurance Plan,” lbreport.com, January 8, 2007)

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed that all Californians have health insurance. “If you can’t afford it, the state will help you buy it, but you must be insured,” the governor said. If employers have at least ten workers and don’t provide insurance, “they will be required to pay four percent of payroll into a state fund so people without insurance can buy basic coverage,” he explained. Schwarzenegger’ decision to cover illegal immigrants is dictated by his desire to cut high emergency room costs by providing them more cost-effective basic coverage. Poor residents would get expanded access to programs such as Medi-Cal and lower income working residents “will be provided financial assistance to help with the cost of coverage through a new state-administered purchasing pool,” promised Schwarzenegger. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D- Los Angeles, praised the governor’s plan for health coverage for all children, including the children of undocumented immigrants. Democratic State Senator Jenny Oropeza called Schwarzenegger’s goals “worthy and laudable.” “Any first step … must be to ensure basic, humane health coverage for all of California’s children. Cuts are unacceptable,” commented Oropeza.

http://www.lbreport.com/news/jan07/helth1.htm

16. Rhode Island: Anti-Poverty Group Suggests to Reassess Costly State Tax Breaks to Ease Budget Deficit

(“Poverty Institute Urges New Look at Tax Breaks,” projo.com, January 9, 2007)

The Poverty Institute at Rhode Island College has come up with suggestions to alleviate the state’s $105.1 million budget shortfall this year and a bigger budget deficit next year to avoid cutting funds to services for low-income residents. The group proposed to increase revenues by broadening the sales tax to include services, closing corporate tax loopholes, freezing the phase out of the car tax and reversing the elimination of the state’s capital-gains tax. “In 60 percent of cases, the Division of Taxation is unable to estimate how much revenue is lost each year due to special tax treatment,” reads the group’s report that urges applying the prove-it-or-lose-it test to costly corporate tax exemptions. The group also says that the state should stop phasing out the motor vehicle excise tax because low-income car owners already are largely exempt from the tax and now it is benefiting only owners of expensive cars. Another suggestion is to bring back a 5-percent capital-gains tax, which will completely phase out by next year. Capital gains are typically paid by people who have earnings from investments and can afford to pay the tax.

http://www.projo.com/news/content/tax_reforms_01-09-07_BV3PURJ.2e35292.html

17. Pennsylvania: State Mandate for Schools to Report Students’ Body Mass Scores to Parents Creates Confusion in North-Central Region

(“As Obesity Fight Hits Cafeteria, Many Fear a Note From School,” nytimes.com, January 8, 2007)

This year, Pennsylvania requires body mass index notification for students in kindergarten through eighth grades. In the rural Southern Tioga School District, the students’ body mass scores, mailed to families, have been a shock and outrage to many parents. In some cases, students refused to eat after receiving the notifications. “It would be the height of irony if we successfully identified overweight kids through B.M.I. screening and notification while continuing to feed them atrocious quality meals and snacks, with limited if any opportunities for phys ed in school,” said Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children’s Hospital Boston. “There are so many overweight children that perceptions are getting distorted about what’s normal and healthy,” said Ludwig. Experts point out that reporting students’ body mass scores should be accompanied by an explanation to parents about how to interpret the scores in terms of their children’s health. Without comprehensive nutrition education, the overall positive practice risks creating confusion among both parents and students and the sense of hopelessness and even social stigma among students.

http://tinyurl.com/yd4qeq

For news tips, suggestions, comments, contact Olga Doty at odoty@frac.org