FRAC Chat

More than 50 years have passed since the the White House convened a conference that helped elevate hunger as a national priority and sparked major improvements and expansions to the federal nutrition programs.

This September, the White House will host a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
Now is the time to demonstrate with policy change and other actions that ending hunger in America remains a national priority.To ensure these priorities are put into the forefront during the conference, FRAC nominated several people to speak about their lived experiences with hunger during a series of virtual, regional listening sessions hosted by the White House. They shared their stories and recommendations during these sessions.

In a blog series, we will share the remarks of a few of the advocates who spoke during these sessions.
In this blog, Chelsi Rhoades, spoke at the Midwest and Mountain Plains regional listening session. Chelsi currently is an intern with FRAC and plans to launch a career focused on supporting the health and well-being of people struggling with poverty.

In February, Abbott Laboratories, implemented a voluntary recall of its infant formulas, Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare, produced out of its Sturgis, Michigan, facility. This voluntary recall has since sent shockwaves throughout the nation and intensified an already existing shortage of infant formula. The United States is currently in peril trying to rebound from this public health emergency. Many grocery stores and other retailers are feeling the woes associated with supply chain shortages, increased pricing, and elevated demands for goods and services.

A 2022 Datasembly report, Latest Numbers on Baby Formula, outlines that the nationwide infant formula out of stock rate has reached 43% as of May.

D.C. Hunger Solutions is committed to working with DC Health State agency staff, community partners, parents, caregivers and retailers across the district to help share information and provide resources to assist with navigating the infant formula shortage.

June 6 is National Higher Education Day, a day that celebrates the power of higher education as a critical step to prosperity, but also highlights the challenges facing students today.
Food insecurity is a well-documented barrier to college completion. To better understand hunger on college campuses, and policy solutions to support students so that they can successfully complete their degree, I interviewed Ruben E. Canedo (he/they).
Ruben is the co-chair of the University of California Systemwide Basic Needs Committee. This committee helps inform a campus-wide initiative that identifies root causes of basic needs insecurity and provides systemwide safety nets so that students are able to succeed and thrive.
Ruben recently testified in fall 2021 in the Congressional hearing on college hunger held by House Rules Chairman Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The National Alliance on Mental Health spearheads this month and is amplifying the message “Together for Mental Health.”
One way to protect mental health is to practice self-care. During this year’s National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, mental health was addressed during the session “Take Care and Take Care of Each Other: Addressing Stress and Burnout Among Nutrition Program and Emergency Food Providers,” where presenters provided tips on how to address stress in the workplace and prioritize mental health.

As Older Americans Month draws to a close, it’s fitting to honor the role grandparents play in our lives. The scores of grandparents and kinship caregivers, who have taken on the responsibility of raising children whose parents are unable to do so, deserve special praise.
To help kinship and grandfamilies access resources for children in their care, FRAC is honored to serve as the anti-hunger and nutrition expert for the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network. This network is the first-ever national technical assistance center for those who serve kinship and grandfamilies. The network, led by Generations United, brings together the nation’s leading experts on kinship and grandfamilies, including those who have the fundamental expertise of being a grandfamily member.